I have removed the photos of prototype HD locos as I might have been violating copyright by using some of the photos. In the future I will give a link to a website which has a suitable photo. I now need to learn how I remove this category, as currently I have a category with no photos in it.

I have 3 locos which do not run that well. The LMS 2-6-4T actually runs OK but is very short of pulling power, the A4 Pereguin will hardly go when it is cold but gradually speeds up after a few circuits of the track and the A4 Sir Nigel Gresley with the wrong coloured repaint which has never run since it was acquired at an auction. The latter loco was deemed to require a new armature.
I recently bought some magnets from South Pole Magnets which are neodymium, never need remagnetising and are x times stronger than the normal HD magnet – if true then really magic.

My first change was to Pereguin – immediate and rapid movement. My next was to the LMS – much much faster than it ws before but still need to check its pulling power. The third was the non runner – which immediately became a runner, not probably the best on the layout but before it would not even move.

They really are magic and only £8.00 for three.

So we have the magic blob to improve running and now the magic magnets also to improve running. It will be the Hogwarts Express next!

This Lima engine is interesting. Presumably when it was made it was on 2 rail 12V DC operation. I have e-mailed the webmaster of the Lima HO site to confirm this. Normally this would be easy to convert to 3 rail operation by adding a skid to pick up the current and use the non insulated wheels to return the current. Or by using the “magic blob” to allow both sets of wheels to return the current. BUT Marklin runs on 0-16V AC with a 24V pulse to reverse the direction of travel.

All clear – if not try the Marklin users site and look under operations related where there is a learned discourse on converting DC locos to run on AC and vice versa. So I presume that this loco has somehow been converted to run on 0-16V AC as it works perfectly using my old Marklin controller. BUT a DC motor won’t run on AC although a AC motor will run on DC. So I remain confused. I am not going to take it to bits just to check it out. All of my Marklin loco are old and have mechanical reversers which are not very reliable after 30 odd years but this must have been fitted with an electronic version and it works very well.

It now runs on a very old Hornby Dublo layout, amazing how things turn out.

It was on ebay and I won it for £38.50. It consisted of a Lima 0-6-0 4F three rail loco with three carriages and I reckon that was very good value for money especially as the condition was very good with no marks at all. The different bit is that this Lima loco has been converted to run as a Marklin digital loco complete with three rail skid and a digital chip and even more different it is in HO scale not OO. This would normally be a nightmare but as I run three or four Marklin HO trains on my layout anyway I thought that it would be worth a try. The Lima British outline HO trains were imported into the UK between 1973 and 1976 and are pretty rare but not really collected and as they don’t fit with the normal OO scale that is used in the UK. It is interesting to note that the UK OO scale is unique throughout the world as the rest of the world uses HO scale. The UK OO scale is thoroughly incorrect as it runs on HO scale track and is therefore overscale for the track that it runs on. There have been many attempts to convert the UK to HO, Trix, Lilliput and others have tried but the conservatism of the UK has always meant that OO has remained the scale of choice.

The loco is interesting that after this conversion it runs very well on my track using a Marklin controller and reverses the Marklin way using a pulse from the controller. The connectors are also of the Marklin type. The coaches are LMS liveried and are totally fictitious as they are MK 1 coaches which were introduced by British Railways many years after LMS was nationalised. One of the coaches is a dining car., More information on the Lima HO range can be found here
The net result is an excellent runner, no hesitations anywhere, no problems with reversing and overall a very interesting addition to the layout. I forgot to mention that this a tender driven loco which normally I hate but this one makes an acceptable noise and runs very well with no de-railing problems. That makes two tender driven locos which are both acceptable.
I will be posting some pictures.
By no way is this an authentic addition to a Hornby Dublo layout but as my main interest is running it does make a new and different runner.

Won on ebay for a very reasonable price mainly because it is an unboxed hybrid. It consists of a Wrenn 0-6-0T body in Southern Railways livery on a HD chassis. This HD model was one of the early two rail engines and was never made as a three rail version. The HD versions came in black and Green, Wrenn added many more liveries including Southern and LMS. The prototype was a Southern engine and was used extensively. They ended their days pulling and pushing coaches down to and up from Folkestone Harbour. Sometimes triple headed and with a banker behind to get up the steep gradient from the harbour. Very hard to duplicate in HD.
The conversion to three rail uses a Marklin skid which is shorter than the normal engine ones and probably comes from a carriage lighting kit. This lack of length does mean a little faltering at some points but not a problem. It has been treated with the magic blob so that all 6 wheels return the current to earth.

I think that this is the same problem that the Gaiety 0-6-0PT exhibits as this stutters at exactly the same points and this also has a pick up which is shorter than the HD standard ones. I will continue to look for more interesting little engines as they were the backbone of Britains rail network. Although it is nice to have the large express locos but in reality most of the network consisted of these little engines pulling a couple of carriages or small freight workings, wandering leisurely through the countryside or on the commuter runs into the larger towns outside of London.

The first loco I tried my magic silver paint on was the Gaiety 0-6-0PT but it made no difference. Although I have now proved that it normally works well on insulated wheels. I have checked that this loco does earth on all the wheels but it still stalls when crossing two of the points on the layout. I think that it must be due to the length of the pick up when it goes over the points. However it falters but picks up again so I will live with that as it really is a very nice little loco. I now need a carriage for it to pull rather than the goods train that I use at the moment. Some thing to look for at the next train fair which happens to be next weekend – now there’s a lucky coincidence.
The clocks change at the end of the month so I should be able to spend more time on the layout which still requires a lot of work. Really very little has been done since the clocks changed back at the end of March. Although I do a bit of running there is little time to improve the layout. Lots of work still to be done.

Back in December last year I received a comment from Nigel Clark about using silver conducting paint to improve the running of two rail locomotives converted to three rail. The suggestion was that a small amount was put on the wheel centres on the insulated wheels. I have at long last followed up on this. The paint was bought from RS Components. If you want to go down this route buy it by phone as the online version expects you to be a company. On the phone explain that you are a private individual and you get passed to a person who deals with your order rapidly and effeciently. The little package came the next day. I used it on one of my Wrenn models and the difference is fantastic. No faltering on the points, smoother running and better slow running. I have now converted all of my two rail locos. If the silver paint is offensive on the wheel hub then it can be painted over when it is completely dry with a little matt black to cover it up.
This really does do the trick.

The Summer is coming to and end although the weather remains fine and dry but the toy fairs are back again. In fact I missed one a couple of weeks ago but saw in the local paper that there was a new one this Sunday. Had to go along to see what was there. New and different traders from the norm but very little dublo. However there on a general traders stand was a Gaiety GWR 0-6-0PT either made for 3 rail or converted to 3 rail. It was in excellent condition and a snip at the price quoted. I had bid on a couple on ebay and this was much cheaper. The Gaiety was made in the 1950’s initially without a motor but later with one. They also made an N2 0-6-2T like the Dublo one. It is possible that my one has been superdetailed as the handrails are brass coloured and the photos that I have seen don’t show this. No chips, excellent paint work all in all a very good acquisition.

Having run it I am sure that this is a two rail conversion as it stops over points, well it doesn’t stop but it hesitates, which is an indication of earthed wheels. I really will have to get hold of some of this paint which was suggested by Nicc to improve the running. However overall it performs pretty well and I am well pleased. I have posted some pictures of the new acquisition in the 2005 layout pictures. In tis it is pulling a small goods train but I am sure that it will pull a long train of freight wagons as it seems to be very powerful and the engine is very heavy so it should do well.

My last acquisition has not been mentioned or photographed. I bought a Hornby Schools Class Dulwich which is a 2 rail engine. I bought this because I went to Dulwich and thought that it woulld be an appropriate addition to the layout. However Dulwich was made in China with fine scale wheels and Mike doesn’t think that it will be easy to convert to three rail. I have left it with him and am hoping for the best. Whether it will ever run on the layout is unknown at this time.

DMU
The problem with my DMU was the pickup. The HD pickup is attached to the bogie by the same screw that attaches and swivels the bogie with the result that the nut got looser and looser and the wire connection stopped working. Adding a locking nut seems to have cured the problem for now. The motor bogie seems to pick up OK although it stalls on diamond crossings but gets across them. So it is back in the land of runners.

The Triang DMU was based on the very first order of for DMUs placed on Met Cam in 1954 for DMUs in the 79XXX series. They were delivered in 1955 which on a time line is excellent for the layout. Amazingly Met Cam made 750 DMUs in the 79XXX, Class 101,102 etc series.

The Dapol, 4-4-0 lost its traction tyres and therefore became a non runner. A quick trip to Mike soon had new traction tyres fitted and it is now back on track. I also took him the unpainted 0-6-2T to see whether he can get it to run, although I am not sure what to to do about repainting it.

One addition I would like for the layout is a Hornby Schools class – Dulwich, which was my old school. This will have to be converted to three rail but as it is a tender drive this should be relatively easy. I have been searching ebay for over three weeks but no Dulwich has come up for auction. Every other school has been but not the one I want. Still trying.

I have managed a little time to work on the DMU. I removed the roof and tightened all of the connections but did little else but look at and think what more could I do to improve the earthing on the three rail track. I couldn’t think of anything constructive although I had been given some advice from Paul Thompson but I couldn’t see where the wires ought to go so I put the roof back on. Lo and behold it ran pretty well. Although it staggers across the X crossings, all converted locos do so that is no surprise. So I thinbk that I can now enter this as a runner. I wouldn’t take too many bets on how long as it does not seem that it was a very professional conversion and the wires could come loose again at any time. But a greast improvement and so far so good.
Looking on the Triang website my model is R157 Power Car, Type b second issue with ribbed roof and different BR roundels and the corresponding dummy car. The standard DMU but was the prototype that it was based on?