LCDR Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I have just aquired a Hornby Dublo SNG (No7) which looked in very sorry condition.It came in a bumper bundle of railway bits. The valve gear was bent, the front bogie was long gone and the tender is missing. However a bit of cleaning, careful adjustment with a pair of pliers and lubrication I applied a pair of wires to the pick up / wheels and it spun its wheels like a good-un. Not bad for a loco now older than I am. (and that's OLD) I am now looking for a tender and front bogie. It came with an oval of three rail track so I might be branching out into vintage three rail OO too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VESPA Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 If you were to see the 3-rail exhibition layout that hits the North West exhibitions, then the old you would definitely go vintage with a Hornby Dublo layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 In the 50s I had Triang trains but my best mate had Dublo 3 rail, his dad was a printer in Fleet Street so he was quite wealthy. I was always impressed by the solid engineering of these all metal models. However the range was very limited and Triang were bringing out new models regularly, so they had the edge. When Hornby went two rail I did add some of their stuff to my 2 rail layout, but it wasn't to last. The other inconvenience was their couplings with Triang and Dublo using totally incompatible designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortehoe Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Didn't Hornby/Triang bring out what I beleave was called a converter wagon, with Dublo/Peco style coupling at one end, and the Triang style at the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 The two converter wagons, a horse box and a open goods did not appear until 1964/5 when Triang and Hornby were amalgamated. Hornby Dublo went two rail in 1960 but remained fierce rivals with Triang until the amalgamation. My first modelling heyday was 1957 to 1966. Triang modified their couplings in 1958 but remained incompatible with Hornby and Trix until 1965. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 It is worth adding that when Kitmaster introduced their coaches that introduced yet another, non-automatic, coupling. Some ingenuity was needed. As a general rule in those days people tended to convert Triang and Kitmaster to Hornby standards by adding Peco couplings (same as Hornby Dublo) that were sold as spares. I have a number of Triang locos in my collection all with Peco couplings. The Airfix wagon kits also used a 'buck-eye' type coupling that could just about couple to Dublo, as did Playcraft HO which was appearing at that time. In some ways the odds were stacked against Triang, but against these odds the Triang hook and bar survived and the Dublo/Peco buck-eye faded away. It is probably because the Triang coupling actually worked better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VESPA Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 LC&DR said:It is worth adding that when Kitmaster introduced their coaches that introduced yet another, non-automatic, coupling. Some ingenuity was needed. As a general rule in those days people tended to convert Triang and Kitmaster to Hornby standards by adding Peco couplings (same as Hornby Dublo) that were sold as spares. I have a number of Triang locos in my collection all with Peco couplings. The Airfix wagon kits also used a 'buck-eye' type coupling that could just about couple to Dublo, as did Playcraft HO which was appearing at that time. In some ways the odds were stacked against Triang, but against these odds the Triang hook and bar survived and the Dublo/Peco buck-eye faded away. It is probably because the Triang coupling actually worked better.I bought quite a few Triang locos and lots of rolling stock and converted most to 3-rail or to HD couplings using Peco coupling conversions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81F Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Vespa said:I bought quite a few Triang locos and lots of rolling stock and converted most to 3-rail or to HD couplings using Peco coupling conversions.I was told by a former employee of a model railway factory in Deven that that the late Mr Prichard (founder of that company) had taken his design of coupling to Hornby and after waiting all day until someone eventually saw him, persuaded Hornby to use the coupling "under licence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81F Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 sorry mean Devon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Until the demise of Hornby Dublo the Peco buck-eye was pretty much the UK standard. It was inferior to the later Triang type in that it required a uncoupling ramp to be operated to either uncouple or ignore every time a train passed over it whereas the Triang type was automatic as it was sprung loaded and could be left in permanent uncouple mode, requiring a train to stop and 'ease up' for it to uncouple. That being more realistic and requiring less intervention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howhoward7 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Post a new reply... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howhoward7 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I have just found a few pieces of Dublo that are old and not in great nick. The L N E R Sir Nigel Gresely is circa 1949 with a Duchess of Montrose in green BR in its rather tatty box together with a few wagons and a few pieces of curved track. Are they of any value or interest to anyone? I don't think I will chip them!HCJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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