LCDR

Pullman cars R223 and R233 were first introduced in 1980 and the last model left the factory in 2001. The plastic or paintwork used will very likely discolour over time, especially if exposed to sunlight (this also occured to the real trains) You cannot blame Hornby for a deterioration that has taken place over 19 years or more, especially if the item is second hand. You can blame the seller if he or she hasn't looked after it over that time!

The 6 coach Midland Pullman was all first class, The formation was Driving Motor Brake First Lavatory, it included a 1000 hp diesel electric genorator Trailer (Motor) First Kitchen Lavatory Trailer Parlour First Lavatory repeated in reversed order. The second coach had a motor bogie powered from the leading car using cables. The Western Pullmans were eight car sets with both First and Second class vehicles, which were arranged differently to the Midland sets. Formation was Driving motor brake second , it included a 1000 hp diesel electric generator Trailer (Motor) Second Parlour Lavatory Trailer First Kitchen Lavatory, no motor, Trailer Parlour First Lavatory, this was the only vehicle that was common to both types. repeated in reversed order. The second coach had a motor bogie powered from the leading car using cables. The Kitmaster model was based on the Midland Pullman, with all six cars represented, and the Triang one was based on the Western region sets but only the Driving motor brake second and Trailer Parlour First Lavatory types were made. Bachmann make the Midland Pullman as a six car set.

My layout in a garden shed is in a space 16 feet by 8 feet with a double track oval with a track length of about 38 feet in each circuit. I am able to run trains of up to 8 carriages comfortably using a Gaugemaster four track power controller. (It also has to work a loco shed and a branch line. A pair of HM 2000 would do just as well. I doubt the cheaper train set controllers would be man enough.

No chaps, the 'new' Blue Pullman is a re-liveried HST (IC125) set with 75 foot Mark 3 carriages and class 43 power cars. The Bachmann power cars were based on the original Midland Pullman built by Metro Cammell to a completely different design. The trailers too were completely unlike the Mark 3. Hornby has all the right tools, and only need to apply a new livery to their existing HST power cars and Mark 3 trailers, another possible 'quick win'. The original 1960 6 car first class only Midland Pullman cannot even be used to represent the Western Region 8 coach sets which had a mix of first AND second class cars . The carriages were arranged differently, the two types shared only one design of carriage, a first class kitchen car. This train is particularly complicated.

Four car units tend to be too expensive and too long for quite a few modellers. The 4Vep was not as popular as the 2Bil or 2Hal. However there is a simple quick win for Hornby which would allow the introduction of the Bulleid profile body shape to the range and allow them to utilise the existing 2Bil/2Hal underframe and power system. That would be to tool up a 'Tin' 2Hal 2693 to 2699, and for which a few Driving Trailer Composites were also built to replace carriages in early 2Hal and 2Bil sets damaged during World War 2. This would enable them to stick to a two coach formation. The 2 Nol also has an advantage in that the driving motor brake third is similar to the vehicles used at each end of a former LSWR 4Sub. That does however leave the problem of a Trailer Third or Trailer composite (downgraded to third after 1941). If not a Tin Hal, then why not a Bulleid 2Hap 5601 to 5636, or 2Nop 5651 to 5684? These use a similar underframe to the 2Bil/2Hal but have the post Nationalisation designed cab. They have the same underframes because they were basically a 2Nol with a new all steel body. The 4Lav is quite frankly a non-starter, because it was a four car and was very limited in use, Brighton line only, at least the others worked comprehesively on all sections of the electrified area at some time or another. The 2Nops even spent time in North London! The 4Cor would indeed be a nice model, but again a four car set is not attractive to manufacturers . It was however somewhat more versatile working as it did out of London Bridge, Victoria and Waterloo Main Line. On the face of it being of Maunsell design it is similar to the locomotive hauled stock already in tnhe Hornby stable, BUT the EMUs were longer and therefore would require 100% tooling. The 6Pul/6Pan just makes the problem worse being 6 cars , and have the added disadvantage of only really working between London Bridge or Victoria and Worthing or Ore, and not out of Waterloo. For a very short period 6Pan sets did work the Kent Coast services which does give them Eastern Section credentials, but this was only for a limited time. I would certainly like to see a Tin 2Hal added to the range, or better still a 2Nop.

The 1930s sets generally operated on 20 V AC, although could be run from a suitably powerful accumulator. A 6V DC version was also available until 1936, There were some peculiar control systems in vogue at the time. One required the user to stop the train and start it again to reverse. Usually there was a control knob sticking out of the back of the cab to do the same thing. The power connecting clip is as described. It was connected to both running rails and held there by a lever, and a seperate contact attached to the conductor rail (centre rail). Care needed to be taken to ensure the centre rail and its connection did not touch the sleepers or other things attached to the running rails. The conductor rail was insulated from the sleepers by pieces of insulating material. If they are missing or damaged a short circuit will occur. The Hornby Railway Collector's Association offer help to their members to enjoy their vintage model railways including copies of original operating manuals, and a directory of spares and repairs.

I have bought and built quite a few multiple unit kits and consider the prices tend to reasonable when you consider the work needed to make the component parts which are likely to be in very limited demand. Not only will you have to pay for the body shell, but you will also usually have to pay seperately for wheels, motor, interior details and such things as a pantograph and of course paint and transfers. It is a sad fact that multiple unit trains are very much the poor relation, especially electric multiple units, most modellers prefer locomotive hauled trains. Hornby and Bachmann do indeed make a few examples but as multiple units are becoming the norm on the real railways in the model world proportionately locomotives are still dominant. DC kits use clever design so that bodyside sections and ends can be duplicated over a number of different kits, and these go together very well, but I have also built aluminium and whitemetal kits which take a long time to make.

My layout is in a 8 x 16 foot shed. The power is fed on one side of the layout with only the rails to feed all round. I use flexible track, in yard lengths, but also with points and shorter lengths inserted. I have no problems with power supply.

It really depends upon how much the sound of trains bothers you. Personally I like to hear the clickedy clack of the wheels passing over the rail joints, it sounds very railway like to my mind and now with excellend sound systems fitted to locomotives the whole range of sounds adds to the ambience. I do myself use 1/8" cork under the rails to reduce the rolling noise but which still allows rail joint sounds . Using thicker material sounds a little OTT to me.

The issue regarding the over size of the 'boxes' inside the cab is related to the scale / gauge ratio with OO trains. OO is a scale based upon 4mm equalling 1 foot, or 1 : 76.2 ratio. If the track was to scale the rails would be 18.83 mm apart, but they are not! They are 16.5 mm apart, 2.33 mm too narrow, which means the wheels are too close together. To make matters worse model railway trains wheels are much too thick, this is done for strength for something which is after all a toy. Real wheels are approximately 5 inches thick (2mm) but on a model they are about 3mm. Also the wheel flanges are much deeper than scale. Now consider what the superstructure of a real train's cab is made from. Usually steel sheet no more than 5mm thick, possibly less. For strength the plastic body of a model locomotive will be at least a millimetre, which is a scale 3 inches (2 3/4 inches thicker than in real life). When you start to add up all these discrepancies you arrive at a considerable distance over scale. In real life the seat / tool box / splasher inside a locomotive cab is narrow, just wide enough for a driver or fireman to perch on. This is impossible to represent in an OO gauge model locomotive.

Even more interesting are the lights on the rear of freight trains especially in the steam era. Every freight train had a red tail light and like a passenger train the metal case of the lamp was usually painted white to make it more visible in daylight. A goods brake van also carried two Side Lights, one on each side. These showed red lights to the rear, so from the back there were three red lights. In addition the side lights were double sided and had a lens facing forward so that if the driver or fireman looked back they could see the white light and know that the train was complete right to the guards van. The cases of side lights were painted black so they could not be mistaken for a tail light. The side lights were cleverly arranged so that the colour they emitted could be changed by the guard. The lenses were clear, but between them and the oil burning wick were removable tranparent slides which were coloured red. This was usually inserted in the side of the lamp towards the rear. However in an emergency the guard could move the red slide from the rear to the front of the lamps. When he did that the light showing forward the driver or fireman would be a red light, and the driver should interpret that as a danger signal, stop the train and investigate why the guard was displaying a red light. During daylight the guard also had his red flag to tell the driver to stop. When a goods train was shunted on to a parallel side line or loop line the guard was supposed to change the coloured slides in the side lights on the side closest to the main line so an overtaking train would not be presented with a red light immediately next to it. Trains fully fitted with the vacuum (or air) brake were exempt from displaying side lamps.

At night passenger trains must only display a red light to the rear, although the body of the lamp may be painted white to make them visible in daylight, the lens was always red. With only one exception may a passenger train display a white light to the rear. The exception being when a 'slip' coach was being carried when a combination of red and white lights would be carried to indicate how many 'slip' portions were attached. A slip coach was a coach which could be uncoupled at speed from the rear of a non-stop express train when approaching a station and then braked to a halt in the platform by the guard. This was not a common practice. Slip tail lamps had a special disc around the lens painted in the same colour as the lens. A train preceeding an unadvertised special train would carry two RED tail lamps to tell the signalman that an untimetabled service was following. The Royal train also carried two red tail lamps. Railway staff were practical people so if there was only one tail lamp to be attached it would be put on the lamp iron nearest the platform.

There was a weedkiller train which stabled at Blackheath (on the North Kent Line near London) which consisted of six tenders between a pair of old luggage vans and a guards van. The leading van was fitted with a spraying bar and windows in the end so the operator could see what he was spraying. The train could run propelled or hauled, and was a common sight in the spring spraying all the lines to get rid of weeds. There was a second train, but the tenders had been converted to tank wagons with a cylindrical tank on each chassios.

I endorse your wish M-R two admirable wishes!

Hornby seems to have majored on the Great Eastern, but also the London and South Western, If you include those types introduced by the LNER and Southern, and BR for those sections the numbers mount up. For the GE section there are the D16, B12, J15, L1, B1, and B17 to which you can add the N2, Britannia, J50 .and K1 For the LSWR there are the M7, 0415, T9, V, 700, Q1, N15, S15, WC/BB and MN. Apart from these two sections only the Great Western does better. A few additions do occur.for instance the J69 would make an attractive model, I remember the original N gauge model by Farish many years ago. The N7 is already available from another manufacturer, although Hornby did once make a prototype which never entered production.

Being a small class and a limited area of operation does not always prevent it becoming a popular model. At various times the Z was allocated to various places. Before the War they were at Bricklayers Arms, (for Hither Green), Eastleigh, Gillingham (for Hoo Junction), Exmouth Junction, West Croydon (for Norwood), Salisbury. During World War two two were loaned to the War Department at Stranraer in Scotland. After the War they were allocated to Hither Green, Eastleigh, Exmouth Junction, and Salisbury. When diesel; shunters were introduced at Hither Green the Zs there were sent to Gillingham, Ashford, Feltham and Eastleigh. They also made short excursions to Brighton, Templecombe, Fawley . Late in their lives some more were sent to Exmouth Junction to bank trains up from Exeter St Davids, until they were replaced by W class 2-6-4Ts. Hornby have not shied away from models of small classes of locomotives for example the P2, the Duke of Gloucester and the proposed W1. Their GWR Holden 0-4-0T was a 'one off'. The P2s were associated with the Glasgow to Aberdeen services and only rarely worked elsewhere. Threy were rebuilt to Pacifics during the War. They have however proved a popular model.

Unfortunately the smallest circle possible with presently available track is just under 750 mm diameter (2 foot 6 inches) This uses the Radius 1 curves, and would mean not using the straight track which comes with the set. That is perfectly acceptable providing that you use a power clip to attach the controller to the track. Older makes of track did use smaller radii but will be harder to obtain in good condition. The Christmas train would probably negotiate a 600mm diameter circle, although I haven't tested that.

Fortunately model railways form an extremely "broad church" so that all manner of tastes, abilities and interests are catered for in equal measure. There are a few 'snobs' who think their way is the only way and everybody else is wrong, but fortunately these are a minority and can usually be ignored. Sometimes the whole spectrum of interests can be accomodated by one person, myself being a case in point. I collect and run pre-War tinplate, gauge O (Bassett Lowke, and Meccano Hornby), Tri-ang TT and OO/HO, Hornby Dublo, OO scale, current issue Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Heljan etc. detailed trains, and O scale detailed trains from Dapol and Lionheart. I buy ready to run, I build kits and I scratch build models in both 4mm and 7mm scales. All this as the mood takes me. My two main layouts are OO gauge in a 16x8 shed, and coarse scale O gauge around my garden. The other stuff goes out sometimes on temporary layouts or for a run on the club test track. My interests include trains from all regions, pre-grouping, grouping, and nationalisation eras, steam, diesel and electric. I have a modest amount of narrow gauge OO9 and tiny amount of N and Z. I have a particular interests in Southern Electric, London Undereground,, heavy goods trains and industrial railways. All in all it could be considered an obsession. I also carry out research into British Railways goods rolling stock and prepare scale drawings of railway wagons. I have already published a few books and magazine articles with others in preparation. So whether you have a simple oval round the Christmas tree or a massive scenic layout it doesn't matter one fig. Enjoy your hobby.

Meccano bolts I believe are 5/32" Whitworth. They do get used in both Hornby clockwork and Hornby Dublo rolling stock.

Google of "Dublo Spares" should find something.

Good idea Andy. Triang used to make one with the gates operated by a wire which when heated by an electric current pulled the gate over. It was not all that reliable, and if you forgot to turn it off it melted the plastic roadbed . I would expect with modern miniature motor technology it might be much easier. If it wasn't possible to put the motor underneath the road it should be possible to hide it under the gate keeper's hut.

New trains advertised as OO (4mm to 1 foot scale) will generally speaking all work together. A few words of caution about mixing trains of different makes, especially if buying second hand. Trains made before 1980 will probably have wheels made to coarser standards than those made today, and may give trouble passing through points on the modern layout. Standards were improved with the appearance of Airfix and Mainline in the 1970s, with finer wheels and rails. Lima which appeared at the same time used thin wheel flanges, but these were deeper than Mainline or Airfix and could cause problems. The three big makers before 1965 were Triang, Hornby Dublo and Trix. Triang was always a two rail system but Hornby Dublo and Trix used a centre conductor rail and power pick up skates under the locomotives. This was called three rail. Hornby Dublo originally use metal uninsulated wheels which cases short circuits on two rail layouts. In 1958 Hornby Dublo started to put nylon wheels under their rolling stock and in 1960 changed their main product range to two rail so it would run on a Triang layout. Trix used a system called Trix Twin which allowed two locomotives to be controlled on one track. This worked by the centre rail being common, and the skates on to the running rails touching either the left or right rail to determine which controller worked which train. Triang and Trix also used wheels with deep and thick flanges which are what causes trouble running on modern track. Trix were particularly bad. Hornby Dublo were somewhat finer, but it wasn't until the nylon wheels appeared when they became suitable for modern layouts. Triang and Hornby Dublo operated on 12-15 volts DC but at first Trix used AC current. They later adopted DC but it is essential that this is checked before introducing Trix to your layout. After 1965 Hornby Dublo folded and was absorbed into the Triang system, becoming Triang/Hornby. Some of the Hornby Dublo locomotives were then made by G R Wrenn, as expensive collectors items. Gradually Triang/.Hornby standards improved, spurred on by the appearance of Airfix and Mainline in 1970s. The subsequent history of train manufacture from about 1980 onwards is complicated and hard to describe accurately in a few words. Airfix lasted until 1980, when its tooling passed to Palitoy who already produced Mainline. In the mid 1980s Dapol took over the Mainline range. The Chinese firm Kayder had produced the Mainline range in Hong Kong bought the American model railway firm Bachmann in 1981 and in 1990 started producing British outline models using former Mainline tools. Dapol did not have the Mainline tools but on the other hand was now using former Hornby Dublo tooling to produce wagons, and having sold all of the former Mainline models it still had, started producing new locomotive models of its own. By 1990 Hornby had pretty much adopted finer wheel and track standards. There was a complicated swapping of former Airfix tooling with Dapol producing some only for these to pass to Hornby in the 1990s. Hornby later aquired the Italian model train maker Lima and in 2005 added some of their models to the Hornby range. As a general rule however Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol all work happily together, use similar wheel and track standards and have couplings that generally all work with the others.

Running in is recommended by all the train manufacturers EXCEPT Hornby. Most manufacturers recommend running the locomotive at a gentle speed without any train attached for 30 minutes in either direction. This allows the gears, bearings and pivots to 'bed in' . A simple circle or oval of track is all that is needed , although if you have a rolling road this can be used to run in a new model. Hornby trains do not need to be run in but some modellers prefer to do this as it can iron out and early stiffness. The instruction sheet which comes with new locomotives shows where lubrication may be needed. New Hornby locomotives should NOT need to be lubricated as they are done before they leave the factory. However a locomotive that has been stored for a considerable length of time will need a tiny drop . As has already been said if you can see it you have put too much on. Use a very light model railway oil and apply with a pin, by dipping it into the oil and stroking the part to be lubricated with the tip. Never never never use WD40, 3in1 or motor car oil as these attack and disolve plastic even in tiny amounts.

Although they all do more or less the same job couplings on Hornby (and other makes) trains come in a variety of types. This depends upon the age of the model, the value group they belong to. As a general rule all the couplings consist of a loop roughly D shaped and a hook which is pivoted so that it drops on to the rounded bar of the loop and engages with the loop on the next vehicle. Modern Super Detail mini coupling (NEM pocket attachment) - Top end models nowadays usually have mini couplings attached to the locomotive or carriage by a plug in fishtail into a rectangular housing . The rectangular housings are called NEM pockets which allow a variety of couplings to be used. If this coupling is damaged it can easily be removed and replaced with a new one, purchased as a spare. /media/tinymce_upload/973d371947501ea6744b74123ce5398b.JPG Cheaper Starter set and RailRoad Models- These usually have the plastic coupling moulded into the chassis although the drop hook is often a metal part which clips into a slot in the coupling. The drop hook can be replaced easily but if the D loop is broken it will require major surgery to replace. /media/tinymce_upload/0e679ebd1a9a0a4a2b9548fe979034fa.JPG Older metal Tension Lock coupling Fitted to models made 20 years ago and to some cheaper models made nowadays. These are a metal coupling with the loop and drop hook attached by a rivet. The coupling is fixed to the vehicle by either a small self tapping screw, or by a brass rivet. Some on cheaper models were attached by plastic spigots which were heat welded. You can buy these as spares but you then need to find a way of attaching them. Those which are attached by self tapping screw are easy if you have a small screwdriver aqnd haven't lost the screw. The ones rivetted on may need to be re-attached with a new self tapping screw. Those plastic welded on will need some surgery. /media/tinymce_upload/715a2cedd54da2045397ba18c63d0f5b.JPG There is also a plastic version which is screwed on. Mainline / Airfix type plastic couplings Not found on Hornby models but sometimes on Bachmann and Dapol. These have a fishtail type fixing which uses a seperate plastic clip to hold it in place. Can be bought as spares from Dapol but can only be used on compatible stock. The drop hook is a seperate item and you can get spares to clip in. /media/tinymce_upload/de720902cdcf80830979921bddcd2285.JPG There will be other types but these are the more common ones.

Unwrapping the box was a big part of the magic. However sometimes (very nearly always) the picture was much grander than the contents. Hornby pre-war had paintings showing the Flying Scotsman or the Royal Scot despite the fact the contents might be a M0 clockwork non-reversing 2-2-0 and tender and two open wagons. Post war the cover painting might be a Britannia, with a No 30 clockwork loco inside with a couple of 4 wheel red and cream carriages.. Hornby Dublo boxes tended to be more appropriate, but not always!