Tony57

Hi Rana Is there a manufacturers address on the box? Have a look at the write up in Ramsey Catalogue. May help.

For some time I have been wondering why does Hornby Railways cost as much as they do, having read the latest engine shed and some of the back issues I now can see why. Having seen the photos of the piles of separate mouldings of bits that make up a finished item it appears that every Loco, Coach and Wagon is a completely assembled, painted, and labeled Airfix Kit that is ready to run. Maybe in the next TV series if there is one they should show the production line of what is involved making a Loco, a coach and a wagon.

hi BB 1981 to 1998 and 1998 to 2004 were tender driven by either a 3 pole or later version a 5 pole armature some 33 A1/A3 locos, 15 being Flying Scotsman in that time period (info c/o Ramsey catalogue of British Model trains 8th edition)

Hi Alan Which version of the tender drive do you have there are several different types? If you don't know the R number please post a photo of the tender coupling with loco. ( it will take time before the photo appears as they have to be approved by the moderators)

Been on a small spending spree, brought two Wrenn Brighton Bell Pullman coaches Doris and Hazel both have white tables, my belle driving cars has brown tables as does the 2nd class coach, should look good, 1st class with white tables, 2nd class with brown tables. Also brought 3 boxed Lima hooded bogie flat steel carriers in Railfreight Metals.

Hi Rana One of the great things about Triang they were ahead of everyone in those days. Powered and non powered Transcontinental locos, Class F7 Powered A unit non powered A unit and non powered B unit. Plenty of combinations of locos at head of train. A, A A, A B, A B A, A B B, A A B A, A B B A. B60 Double cab Powered loco and non powered Loco Easy Double header or triple header. Budd Railcar Powered loco and non powered Loco Easy Double Header also add a baggage in between

Hi threelink, The easy way to do that will be just to change the bodies over B unit onto a powered A unit the top fitting are the same. The lower chassis are different the A unit is stepped, the B unit and Dummy A unit the chassis are flat with a raised column, 5 min maximum project.

Hi Rana That is a MK2 lamp holder used on later versions the MK1 has a brass bulb holder, Have a look at Service Sheet 6 (Lendons have it.)

Hi Al Have a look on the Wrenn Railways Collectors Club web site for New Wrenn wagons and Locos, click onto the links section and look at the related web sites for Hornby Dublo related rolling stock.

Hi Al Yes some Wrenn are a lot cheaper now some of the more scarce models are holding their price, but as many items are now over 30 years old or more its not surprising. The funny thing is there are people today making new Wrenn rolling stock by using the old moulds not kept by Dapol and/or with the assistance of Dapol with the ones they kept. There is also a small British company making new locomotives for both Wrenn and Hornby Dublo 3 rail and 2 rail using new metal bodies and old style new chassis and refurbished ones, and some goods wagons.

Gone back in time Just brought a Wrenn Brighton Belle in Brown and Cream and 2 Brighton Belle Coaches in Brown and Cream, Vera and 87. Also 2x NTG Yellow open wagons.

I wonder if Hornby will reinstate the service and repair center dealerships like in the old days rather then sending everything back to Hornby HQ?

Hi James I don't know if you still need them. I have just found a seller on ebay who is selling a repro of the pin connector you were looking for. The seller is cymull_76 the part number is S2077.

Hi Gary I had a look at a couple of Wrenn Pullman Coaches last night I have just brought, they appear to use the same style of a screw attached bogies with tension lock couplings. That is the good news how ever I have never seen any replacement bogies for sale anywhere that includes the main Wrenn spare dealers. It may be a case of finding a damaged one and recovering the bogies.

Hi Gary Yes that the ones.

Most exhibitions I have attended Club run layouts run the correct rolling stock with the correct Locomotive for that area of the country and period they are modelling even if it means making everything from scratch. The standards are High. Look at the detail of Pete Waterman's Making Tracks Layouts. However there are some exhibitions where they celebrate the world of model railways, where you see Lego Railways, Garden Gauge Railways as well as layouts showing Trix Twin Track, Hornby Dublo, Triang trains with Minic Motorway, Marklin etc. all in the same place. All types and Gauges.

Hi Gricer, Careful running in of motors will help them last longer as will running them at 3/4 power rather then at full power the motor will last longer. The running time limit for the standard Hornby can type motor is between 100 and 200 hours the better quality of the motor fitted the longer the run time. The Ringfield type motor bogie / tender drive is 200 hours plus before new carbons are needed, Life span of the motor unknown. The X04 type motor is also 200 hours plus before new brushes are needed, the life of the motor is unknown. The Hornby Dublo ringfield motor is of the same duration of 200 hours plus before needing new brushes I have 3 secondhand Class F7 transcontinental locos with the MK1 motor bogie with X04 motors that were made in 1955 that are still working today. That makes them 68 years old. I wonder how may of todays Hornby Loco running on layouts today will make it pass 5 years let alone 10 years.

Hi Gary, You could use a pair of Dapol NEM box couplings in place of the Hornby Dublo style couplings. I had a simulor issue on a Trix/Lilliput Class 52 Western they come with a hook style coupling I removed the coupling and replaced it with a Dapol NEM box tension lock style coupling. I had to put the box on upside down but it works ok

Hi Rana, There are a number of Wrenn loco's with livery issues, like Lyme Regis in Southern Malachite green only the body is a rebuilt type not an air smoothed body, BR 2 6 4t 4MT in Southern lined Green, C R, GWR, LMS and LNER liveries. N2 SR, GWR liveries. not sure about LMS Red and LNER Green R1 in LMS Red, (or LMS black), NTG yellow. Esso Blue and Shell Silver Did any of the Duchess wear BR Blue livery?, I have both City of Glasgow and Manchester in Blue livery as well as Windsor Castle in Blue.

Have you had a look at HSS 413 service sheet for the J15 in product support section of this web site, it could be there is an issue with the motor drive shaft.

Hi You can have a controller at each end, If it mine I would insert an isolating track at the mid point that way by switching the isolating track off two can play one at each end with out effecting each other, then switch the isolating track on then a train can be passed from one end to the other then vis versa. In Hornby's track plan book 5 shows an U shape end to end layout for two persons with a single connecting track

Hi You may have a faulty point If you have a meter try checking the continunity of each side of the switching blades. Heel to toe ends, there is a well reported issues with new RXXXX points.

Hi With the turn over in different companies and liveries since privatisation I would not know what is fictitious or real. As the coaches match the locomotive, it looks a nice looking train, its eye catching.

Hi Gone slightly mad and have brought 5 Corgi D Kerr trams plus a Corgi Feltham Tram as well as a couple more Atlas trams including a Feltham it will be interesting to compare the Atlas to Corgi version together. When I get round to building my new layout think it will have a transport museum with a couple of working trams the rest parked on a couple of lengths of track under a loco shed or 2.

Hi Going Spare, I just brought Two D. Kerr trams by old Corgi when it was part of Mattel group, they appear to be 1:72 rather than 1:76 of the Atlas Blackpool Balloon Tram when stood side by side.