dublorunner.com

Hornby Dublo Spares

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

One of the advantages of being a member of the Hornby Railway Collectors Association is their annual Spares and Replacement parts Directory. This gives you information on people who can provide spares, repairs replacements and reproduction items. It does have some minor drawbacks. One is that many of the suppliers do not have websites or email addresses and another is that it is not always clear as to what exactly you are looking for and whether they have it. Now I have found someone who does have a website, takes pictures of the spares that he is selling so it is easy to identify the exact part you want and you can order online. I have added a link to them. I have not yet used them but I am sure that I will be giving them a try in the near future. www.mtrains.co.uk

New Year, New Engines

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:49:37 +0000

Welcome to the New Year with two engines to welcome it in. They were both actually received in 2009 but this is their debut on the website.

The first is very interesting; a Graham Farish 00 gauge ex GWR 0-6-0ST with a hand built chassis. This has a surprising amount of detail for a die cast moulding and was introduced around the end of the Hornby Dublo era and continued on for some time as a GraFar model. The custom built 3 rail chassis and the heavy body makes for an excellent and quiet runner. It was in the same lot as the BR Standard 5 and they are both very good additions to the loco fleet.

The second one is a hand built chassis attached to a Trix body of an ex GWR 0-6-2T. It is missing the top of the chimney but apart from that is in very good condition. A good runner but with limited pulling capability. I already have an original Trix version converted to run on HD 3 rail. The learned books always say that this was an HO model but it certainly doesn't give that impression when lined up with the other OO gauge models. Pictures have been posted.

One I bought a while ago

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:20:00 +0000

An acquisition of some weeks ago from ebay was a I thought a Hornby N2 in LNER converted to 3 rail running. What another N2 after all those dublo ones. Well my reason was that it was modeled with vapour recovery pipes going into the tanks as fitted to most of these engines running out of kings Cross.

However when it arrived it was missing the pony wheels making it a 0-6-0T - not as the maker intended. An email to the seller bought no response. Further emails both direct and via ebay also bought no response. As the engine was bought at a low price it was a matter of living with it and finding a spare set of wheels. A contact at the local Model Railway Club went off to search his spares box with the result that he said it was an Airfix model and no he did not have a suitable spare set of wheels.

Research then began. It was designed by Airfix but the company went bust before they put it on the market and thus it was sold by Mainline trains but seemingly only for about 2 years in 1982/3.

BR Standard 5MT

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:40:00 +0000

So I did go to the train fair but there was nothing there to attract me. I have to say that there was more there than usual with some very nice super-detailed wagons and coaches but the prices were on the high side which surprised me given the current financial situation. It was pretty clear though that a lot of people were looking and picking them up no one was buying. A rather tatty LMS 0-6-2T was at a good price but although I pondered no purchase was made. Good to look though.

Ebay was once again my undoing as a rather nice BR Standard was purchased at a very attractive price. Although the paintwork needs some TLC it is a very good runner. Its background is a bit of a mystery, the seller described it - IT HAS GOT A KIT BUILT METAL CHASSIS, THERE IS NO IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAKE OF THE METAL CAST BODY AND TENDER, IT HAS BEEN NUMBERED 73031, Certainly the motion is very complicated and well built and the pick ups are of the sprung copper type so probably the kit built seems right. I have not taken the body off to see what motor it has. I will do some research as it does seem to be a cast body not a brass one. Off to Google some kit manufacturers. Very nice addition to the loco fleet.

Pictures have been added to the gallery

October Review

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:10:00 +0100

The links have been checked and some have been updated. Southern Railways Group, LNER, RM Web to name a few. I have removed links that do not work.
I have also added a link to the most amazing website that has every copy of the Meccano Magazine in pdf format starting way back in 1916 and going through to 1981 - an absolute feast of nostalgia - enjoy To get there immediately

http://www.meccanoindex.co.uk/MMpdfs1.php?id=1253816687

They do take a long time to download but don't give up hope they will appear

They are also available in .jpg format

http://www.meccanoindex.co.uk/MMmonths1.php?id=1253816687

No new purchases to comment on but I am off to a swap meet on Sunday so there might be something.

August Update

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:10:00 +0100

I have added one new link for Smart Restorations, for those who want a repaint or something.

Just to report that the Triang dock shunter is now working very well. All it seemed to need was a train behind it to stop it derailing on the points. All that happens now is that it jumps up in the air and decouples on some of the points. A little blu-tak on the coupling solves that problem and it now goes all arounf the circuit with a single coach or a couple of wagons. Nice little one.

Still doing the occasional running but lots of other jobs to do in the Summer, exciting things like gardening, painting etc.

Triang Dock Shunter

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:10:00 +0100

I actually bought this some time ago. It is a Triang Industrial engine from one of their starter sets. It reminds me of the dock shunters at Southampton docks. Basically it is a terrible runner as with its Triand wheels short wheel base and Marklin skate it wont negotiate points or X crossings. It is alright on a straight piece of track. I have tried bunging in some additional weights in the cab which helps but I need to do a proper job of adding weight to it so that it doesn't bounce off the track when negotiating points.

Probably this is best as a non runner pretending to be shunting the yard.

Apart from that not much to report as Summer is here and playing with the trains is much reduced as there are so many other jobs to do. Still they are all there waiting if I get a moment to give them a run

How do they do that?

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:50:00 +0000

I thought that I had at last got rid of the spammers by making everyone become a member before they could post a comment.

No such luck as today there were three spam messages which somehow got through. I have gone through my list of members to see if anyone posted but nothing found in that section so it remains

How do they do that?

Well, I found out. They did it by posting comments to the photo gallery pictures which allows viewers to post comments. At least they did, I have closed that loophole now. As this spamming must be done by computers they are obviously very clever at finding any way they can to get into a website.

I hope that ends that problem

New HRCA Site

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Well everything they said would happen has happened. There is now a members section on the HRCA website which if you are a member you can join and then there is are forums for General, Dublo and O gauge. Excellent stuff and you can post photos. Only slight problem at the moment is that everyone seems too shy to actually post anything - but I am sure that it will start up fairly soon.

Very well done to all concerned and I just hope that the members appreciate it.

I am looking forward to NiccNDT posting his pictures of his beautifully re-painted engines which I think might have been lost in the transfer from the MSN Groups.

I would really like a Neverwazzas topic so that the runners amongst us could post our Dublo hybrids. I might just start it myself but compared to some out there my ones are a bit low level.

I think tha the topic would be acceptable as the last two editions of the Collector had articles on Kit built engines and the A? that was made as a limited edition.

Anyone up for it

Another 2-6-4T Tank Engine

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:10:00 +0000

No surprise there then - the obsession continues

Its a repaint into Southern lined livery. Runs well as it has a HD chassis although I do notice that it wiggles a little as it goes along. Not sure why.

I have checked out the links, removed a couple of non working ones and added some comments to some of the other links.

I have also added at least 3 new sites which might be of interest to my readers.

No comments now but no spam at all - so hope you continue to enjoy this site.

Have a Happy Hornby Dublo New Year.