Hornby Dublo and Marklin 3 track

[Budgie25]

I have both Hornby Dublo 3 rail and Marklin stud rail rolling stock and rails.  I need to buy new transformer/controller(s) as the old ones are over 60 years old and probably dangerous.

Questions:

1.  Can I run Marklin on Hornby Dublo track?

2.  Should I buy a new Hornby Controller/Transformer, a Marklin one, or one of each?

3.  What is the best (and cheapest) way of cleaning the tracks?

Many thanks

Budgie25

 

[Chrissaf]

Whilst you wait for a reply, perhaps you would spend a few minutes reviewing the TIPs in the TIP page link below:

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TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

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[Yelrow]

Budgie, hi, also run Hornby Dublo 3 rail.   Look on ebay, for a H&M   Duette, or Clipper.   Duette has double controller, clipper, single.  Either of these, have the power, you will need for 3 rail.. Make sure they have been checked out, electrically.   I have 9 of these, in everyday use.  Built like tanks.  I run other 3 rail makes on my hornby dublo.. As for track cleaning, the back of a piece of hardboard., or nick your wifes pot scourer, the green rectangular ones.. New hornby controller, , not powerful enough, in my view. If you want the creme de la creme, buy a new Morley, twin, which comes with 2 handhelds.. I have one of these, or a Guagemaster..  The HM 2000, is the modern Hornby, H/M,  but you have to pressd switch, to reverse, as you do, with the Guagemaster..    Duettes, is the way iwould go S/H, or Morley, new.

[VESPA]

Many years back (probably 60) my next door neighbour had a Marklin trainset bought for him by his German Grandfather. I took my HD Duchess of Montrose around to his house and it ran on the Marklin track with the Marklin AC controller! No damage done either but very noisy indeed. His Railbus also ran on my HD track with my HD transformer. I didn't have any damage to mine and he didn't have any to his. Very weird. I still have all my Dublo 3 rail locos etc but sold all the track to Rails in 96. I had old Norman Hatton (Hattons Liverpool) remagnetize all my locos back in the early 70's, so if DOM did suffer from the AC run it was most definitely fine all the time running it after. My plan at one time was to use PECO track with the Marklin stud centre but I went to 2 rail. I still have my Duette but sold my HD transformers keeping just the Marshal 2 one. That is not a ver good transformer as it is 4 clicks of jerky power.

[5Dublo2]

Back in the 1970s we also connected some Marklin track to 3-Rail Hornby Dublo sucessfully (My brother and I had the Dublo and a school friend had the Marklin items)

 

We however made sure we used the correct locos with the correct controllers and didn't extend the test to mixing AC power with DC designed locos or vice versa. For a few days we did have a huge layout, running on a lounge carpet (and under/around furniture) until we dismantled it

 

I did see a comment on the video for making the Hornby 100 Centenary Cake layout, that when the central pick-up on 3-Rail locos crosses points, there can be a very brief short circuit. The older controllers are designed with a bit more lag on the interrupt so can handle this.  Newer (2 Rail designed) controllers detect the short and fail quicker, so you may need to find a controller that can handle this problem 

[Yelrow]

Hence, the Duette, or Clipper.

[Budgie25]

Thank you everyone for your tips

Be safe and well

Budgie25