Dublingham Goods Station

[76043]

I must admit I hadn't thought of using other motors, the 1001 is exactly the same size as the Dublo half inch motor, it just needed an extra hole drilling underneath and both holes tapped 6BA to be a direct replacement.

I am going to get a rewound Dublo armature from Scalespeed to see how it compares.

In terms of originality, the 1001 feels more cricket, so with the Romford wheels and gears is more of a spiritual upgrade.
Tony

 

[76043]

Next show for the layout is Longfield, looks to be a busy show. I've got some further detailing to which may or may not get done by then...

EMRS - January Show

Tony

 

[76043]

Next show for Dublingham is this weekend, the Ashford Festival of Railway Modelling.

Ashford International Model Railway Education Centre

aimrec.co.uk

Tony

 

[76043]

Ashford came and went without a hitch, was a very good show and I finally met @simond - nice to meet a WT person in real life. Paul Merton also was seen at the show, I overheard him say my layout was well presented.

The next show is the new Key Model World show at the NEC in a couple of weeks, should be interesting as it's multidisciplinary.

Dublingham Goods Sidings three-rail shunting layout

Tony Harris set out to see if he could follow the railway rulebook accurately as a Hornby Dublo three-rail model collector. Dublingham is the result which will be displayed as part of the Double Gauge Association presentation at Model World LIVE 2024.

www.keymodelworld.com

Tony

 

[simond]

You never know, maybe Paul Merton is hiding pseudonymously on here too!

it was nice to say hi, and see the layout in the flesh.

There is something quite curious about “anomalies” if I might so describe your third rail, and, on Sheepbloke’s layouts, the TL couplers. In some places they jar terribly, in others they’re almost invisible unless you look. They just fit. I don’t know why or how. Anyway, IMO they just fit!

atb
Simon

 

[76043]

Thanks Simon, that's very kind of you to say. Many have said to me that they didn't even notice the third rail.

It would be funny if there were some celebs on here lurking!
Cheers
Tony

 

[76043]

The Key Model World show has come and gone, was an interesting show, definitely a worthy successor to the Warley show I think. I didn't really have much time to see the non railway stands, but some of the aero work was very impressive, especially when I overheard someone saying these massive aero models are classed a planes in CAA terms.



I still think other modellers have it easy considering there's no track, electrics and scenery. LOL!



Lovely O gauge layout, Grindley Brook.



Here's the big layout...



And finally me setting up, was my first ever show where I could park my faded red Vauxhall next to my allotted stand. I found the NEC organisation to be very smooth and everyone was very helpful.
Tony

 

[76043]

Small things please simple minds. 15 shows under my belt now, with bookings into 2026. Next show is Sevenoaks in July.



Tony

 

[AJC]

I must admit that I had forgotten about the Sevenoaks show. Cricket commitments permitting I might manage to make it to that one.

Adam

 

[76043]

I must admit that I had forgotten about the Sevenoaks show. Cricket commitments permitting I might manage to make it to that one.

Adam

Here's the flyer Adam, if you do make it, say hello, would be good to put a name to a face.
Cheers
Tony

 

[40057]

They are van Riemsdyk, made in the early 1950s and retailed through Bassett-Lowke’s London shop. I’m pretty sure the wheels used are Romford, but since I am not familiar with the ranges of parts then on offer in 00, the wheels could be some other manufacturer.

The locos are plain but dimensionally accurate models (based on works drawings) of Peckett tank locos:

View attachment 200821

Hello again Tony

Based on your advice, I invested a few pounds on buying some oddments of modern 00 track from rummage boxes at a show yesterday. I don’t have the basis for a continuous oval of track to test haulage capacity etc — yet. But the little van Riemsdyk’s wheels are indeed quite happy on modern 00 track. Tested by just pushing the loco a short distance back and forth, the above loco was fine on 505mm-radius Hornby track, on Peco Code 75 bullhead track and running through Peco Code 75 Streamline small radius points. I think that means the locos will run on pretty much any layout laid with current ordinary r-t-r track? There isn’t much clearance between the flanges and the chairs of the bullhead track, but they don’t touch. Considering no.90 dates from around 1950/51, that says a lot for the scale approach to the model by the builder.

Here is no.90 on the Peco bullhead track:



The loco has a very sophisticated clockwork mechanism, with a fine adjustment speed control (by turning the larger wheel on the back of the cab), forward and reverse (pulling out/pushing in the other control behind the cab). The winder is in the cab doorway and takes a 1/8” square male key. Written on the ‘box’ (actually a tube) is a price of 66/-.

Sorry for using your thread for this, but it doesn’t really fit anywhere else — given the previous correspondence.

Martin

 

[76043]

Hello Martin, @40057
If we could see the wheels in full, we might pronounce on their origins, they are looking like Romfords, but until the centre of the wheel can be seen, it's not conclusive.

Looks an intriguing loco, can we see the mechanism too?

No worries about the thread hijack.
Cheers
Tony

 

[40057]

Hello Martin, @40057
If we could see the wheels in full, we might pronounce on their origins, they are looking like Romfords, but until the centre of the wheel can be seen, it's not conclusive.

Looks an intriguing loco, can we see the mechanism too?

No worries about the thread hijack.
Cheers
Tony

Thanks, Tony

The wheels are the same as these (mechanism sold for use in home construction):



This mech is essentially the same as in the Peckett side tank (but this one has a female key). The wheels have the same slotted nut in a recess for securing them to the axles.

This is the mechanism in the ‘other’ Peckett, a saddle tank:



(Model of Peckett works no.1952 built for the Port of Tyne Authority). In the saddle tank the spring is at the front, in the side tank the spring is in the cab. Apart from being ‘the other way around’, the mechanisms are the same.

Right way up, the saddle tank looks like this:



I had to give it a front coupling as it didn’t have one when I got it.

Being used to larger scales, these little 00 locos are very charming. Despite their small size, they are very heavy. They have proper frames and are very definitely proper locos.
Martin

 

[76043]

Hi Martin, @40057
The wheels in the first shot look like Romfords for sure, the brass nut, the general look and feel. But the second shot wheels look much wider and coarser than Romfords, again, can't see the axle nut to confirm.
Cheers
Tony

 

[40057]

Hi Martin, @40057
The wheels in the first shot look like Romfords for sure, the brass nut, the general look and feel. But the second shot wheels look much wider and coarser than Romfords, again, can't see the axle nut to confirm.
Cheers
Tony

Good point which I hadn’t checked. There is no retaining nut on the saddle tank’s wheels. They are force fitted (apparently) to the axles. So maybe of different manufacture? More to the point, maybe also of a coarser profile, as you suggest. It hadn’t occurred to me the wheel standards might be different on the two Pecketts, so I will do a separate test for the saddle tank on the bullhead track etc.

It’s not a great picture but you can see the saddle tank’s wheels in this shot. Very square-section spokes. Meant for something LNW?



As a very small volume manufacturer, van Riemsdyk will have bought in wheels, axles etc. as required for each model produced.

 

[76043]

Hi Martin,
Those saddle tank wheels are definitely not Romfords, but I reckon the four coupled are, look to me to be around 26mm diameter over the treads? I've got some like that.
Cheers
Tony

 

[40057]

Hi Martin,
Those saddle tank wheels are definitely not Romfords, but I reckon the four coupled are, look to me to be around 26mm diameter over the treads? I've got some like that.
Cheers
Tony

Gosh — you have a very good eye. Look on the lid of the box! In pencil, left side, it says ‘26mm 35 SPACING’ — presumably written by John van Riemsdyk. So you are exactly right. The price of the motor is also on the box lid — 41/-.

The 00 motors for scratch builders were produced in 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-coupled versions. I can’t imagine the 10-coupled motor would have been a great seller — but I would love to see one. The 6-coupled motors were made in much larger numbers than the others.

The wheels on the 4-coupled motor and the Peckett side tank are clearly of identical make. So I have noted those as definitely Romford. Thank you.

Any suggestion as to the manufacturer of the saddle tank wheels? I am terribly ignorant about vintage (and current) 00.

Martin

 

[James Spooner]

Gosh — you have a very good eye. Look on the lid of the box! In pencil, left side, it says ‘26mm 35 SPACING’ — presumably written by John van Riemsdyk. So you are exactly right. The price of the motor is also on the box lid — 41/-.

The 00 motors for scratch builders were produced in 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-coupled versions. I can’t imagine the 10-coupled motor would have been a great seller — but I would love to see one. The 6-coupled motors were made in much larger numbers than the others.

The wheels on the 4-coupled motor and the Peckett side tank are clearly of identical make. So I have noted those as definitely Romford. Thank you.

Any suggestion as to the manufacturer of the saddle tank wheels? I am terribly ignorant about vintage (and current) 00.

Martin

One possibility for the saddle tank wheels might be Hamblings. I still have a wheel press I inherited from my father for pressing their wheels onto axles.

Nigel

 

[Overseer]

Another possibility is the saddle tank wheels are Romford wagon wheels with added cranks and weights. Maybe a special batch with only half the holes punched out. I have some old Romford wagon wheels somewhere that look similar, with punched spokes about half the thickness of the turned brass wheel. Are they plated or aluminium?

 

[40057]

Another possibility is the saddle tank wheels are Romford wagon wheels with added cranks and weights. Maybe a special batch with only half the holes punched out. I have some old Romford wagon wheels somewhere that look similar, with punched spokes about half the thickness of the turned brass wheel. Are they plated or aluminium?

I think they are aluminium (or similar light weight silvery coloured alloy). Curiously, van Riemsdyk used a lot of aluminium to construct the models. The buffers on the 00 and 0 gauge locos, but also the chimneys and domes on the 0 gauge models are turned aluminium. Later production 0 gauge locos have aluminium sheets in place of tinplate for some of the body pressings. Also the firm’s trams have aluminium wheels and other parts.