The class 81 in oo and n gauge

[trainlover23]

/media/tinymce_upload/01c836845e86d5afd93270e505bedb14.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/f9a415fe97f523716e61ba8a9be8e644.jpg A NEW tool 81 would be better than re-hashing this one which was never a particularly good model anyway.  There have been reasonable models 85 and 86s from Bachmann and Heljan so an 81 would be a match. However perhaps the Hornby 90, 91 and 92 might benefit from a makeover instead.

the Bachmann Electrics are terrible but the N gauge lima class 81 could compliment the Triang one!

I don`t think so they are very good models

[trainlover23]

 Also it is spelt Meccano not Mechano. . Mehano was a Yougoslavian company wwho made models a few years ago

[LCDR]

 The history of AC electric locos in OO so far are -

 

AL1 (81) - Hornby Dublo  1964 - 1965 discontinued

AL1 (81) - Triang 1966 - 1970   used Hornby Dublo components, discontinued

AL1 (81) - Trix Lilliput  1963 - 1988, discontinued

AL2 (82) (not made) - Triang

AL5  (85)- Bachmann - 2012 - on

AL6 (86) - Heljan  - 2010 - c2013 discontinued

AL6 (86) - Hornby  - 1981 - onward

Class 87 - Lima  1979 - 1999, discontinued, but now made by Hornby

Class 87 - Hornby  -  2009 - on, used Lima components

Class 90 - Hornby  -  1998 - on

Class 90 - Bachmann - 2017 on

Class 91 - Hornby - 1990 - on

Class 92 - Lima  - 1994 - 2003, discontinued

Class 92 - Hornby  - 1995 - on, different model to Lima

 

Those in bold are nominally still available., although may not be currently produced

[LCDR]

 The 7 'blue AC  electric' classes AL1 to AL6 and 87 were numbered in classes as follows -

 

AL1. BRCW / BTH, 1959 - E3001 to E3023, E3096 & E3097 (81001 to 81022)

 

AL2.  Beyer Peacock, Metropolitan Vickers 1960 - E3046 to E3055, (82001 to 82008)

 

AL3. English Electric 1960  - E3024 to E3035, E3098 to E3100 (83001 to 83015)

 

AL4.  North British / GEC 1960 - E3036 to E3045 (84001 to  84010)

 

AL5, British Railways / English Electric 1961 - E3056 to E3095 (85001 to 85040)

 

AL6, British Railways / English Electric 1965 -  E3101 to E3200 ( 86001 to 86051,  86201 to 86252)

 

87, British Rail / GEC 1973 - (87001 to 87036)

 

There are gaps in the post 1973 numbers because of accident damage and conversion to another sub-class. Rebuilding of Class 87 continued subsequently.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

OK.... 😉

 

Meccano Limited, the parent company of Hornby Dublo (And Hornby Trains, the O gauge range) was taken over by Lines Brothers Group Limited, the parent company of Tri-ang (Including Tri-ang Railways, Rovex.) in 1964

 

The Hornby Dublo and Tri-ang Railways ranges were "Amalgamated" (Lines Bros. term!) to form Tri-ang Hornby in 1965. (A special leaflet was produced.)

 

The last Hornby Dublo Catalogue was issued in 1964, though production had already come to an end....with lots of stock unsold in the Factory stores...

 

As the 1965 Tri-ang Railways catalogue had already been printed, the first Tri-ang Hornby Logo catalogue was that for 1966....