In recent years I have been buying the items that I once proudly owned, including the Bo-Bo diesel shown on the left. Hornby Dublo model railways were first announced by the Meccano company in the December 1938 Meccano magazine, as "The perfect table railway" and they almost certainly were. The models were 00 gauge to a scale of 4mm to the foot with three rail track, the centre rail is to pick up the 12 volt current. The locomotives were highly detailed, die cast metal, the wagons and coach bodies were litho tin printed with die cast under frames and boogies. When they were re introduced in 1947 following the second world war Hornby Dublo trains quickly became popular but soon a cheaper rival came along, Rovex Tri-ang later Tri-ang Railways with a two rail system and plastic construction. The other main rival was Trix like Hornby Dublo with a three rail system, Trix had been introduced several years before Hornby Dublo but at first they had a rather crude toy like appearance, but later were very much more detailed and very similar to H.D. In 1959 Meccano announced they were introducing a two rail system, much to the disappointment of myself, just starting my collection and all those who already had the original track system. This was no great surprise as Meccano had started producing "Super Detail" plastic wagons in 1958 for "two or three rail running." At the time of the announcement of the introduction of two rail Meccano stated, they would carry on producing the three rail system as long as there was a demand, in fact it lasted until 1964. The huge investment involved in changing over to the two rail system was partly responsible for the collapse of the Meccano company. Production of Hornby Dublo trains ceased in 1964 following the take over of the Meccano Company by Lines Bros., makers of their greatest rivals Tri-ang Railways , the two systems were merged under the name of Triang Hornby in 1965 with very little of the hornby Dublo product surviving. More information about Hornby Dublo and Hornby gauge "0" can be found at The Hornby Rail Collectors Association web pages. My own "Table Top Railway" is shown in the photographs below I do enjoy getting it all out of its boxes and setting it up in different ways.
|
Above a BR standard class 2-6-4 tank locomotive departs from the station loop, bunker first with a train of suburban coaches. The station buildings and foot bridge are Hornby Dublo , made in the nineteen fifties using die cast aluminum. Below the BR standard class 2-6-4 tank locomotive runs around the station loop with an empty freight train bound for the yard. Waiting to depart is a three coach train of E.R. stock headed by a 0-6-2 L17 tank loco. The bottom picture shows a general view of my table top layout photographs taken in January 2010.
|
 |
April 19 2009 |
Although my main interest is Meccano building I also have a modest and slowly growing collection of nineteen fifties Hornby Dublo. It was in 1959 that I purchased my first Hornby Dublo model railway this consisted of a Bo-Bo diesel locomotive, two brownl open wagons and WR guards van these were the latest Super detail products. I ran my train on an oval of Wrenn flexible track, I bought this because it looked more realistic with its separate fibre sleepers, than the Dublo tinplate track. I seem to recall that when it came to extending my oval the Wrenn points were more expensive than Hornby Dublo and much harder to find so I started buying the Hornby Dublo tinplate track as pocket money permitted.
On the left is the c1954 EDG17 set I bought a few years ago that really re-kindled my interest in Hornby Dublo model railways. As with all Meccano products of that time it is beautifully presented in a strong heavy board box and must have delighted who ever received it .
Back to Alan's Main Meccano page.