Your Projects

Public·7 members

Dublo West Country.... maybe

I was thinking what other locos did Hornby Dublo make and a Dublo 'Barnstaple' locomotive looked promising - a large 4-6-2 Pacific. Still the wrong region for me, but it's what we have.....

The 4-6-0 Castle looks interesting, but is way above my current skill level, but member David is currently making a superb conversion....

A West Country body from Fleabay was purchased ....

The boiler is narrower than the Duchess, so an A3 looks likely to be the doner drive system..

50 Views

Joe_MCMLXI

5 days ago

2026 .... hello fellow Live Steamers

WC front and trailing bogies have arrived....

A4 tender is stripped, Proxxon milling machine is ready - just need to get a few parts together, to assemble a clamp, to hold the boiler tube down.

Acouple of Brass sheets have arrived..... so I think we're good to move on.

Joe

David & Val

October 14, 2025

A Castle !?!?

Some time ago, probably last year, at a club roadshow, we commented that there were no GWR live steam locos on the club layout. After some thought, I decided to try and convert an A3 into a Castle, based around an old Hornby Dublo cast body. I've finally made a bit of progress, so here are some photos etc.

I started the tender first, but the Hornby boiler is too tall/wide to fit into the Dublo casting. I bought some 25mm copper tube (Hornby boiler is 32mm) and added a set of live steam parts to convert it into a smaller/longer boiler that stood a chance of fitting inside the Dublo tender once I had machined it out as much as I dare.

ree — New boiler, smaller but longer, 2/3 capacity.

I haven't bothered with a new frame to space the wheels correctly, but just cut down the Hornby plastic and threw away the trailing axle. It wil…

105 Views

David & Val

Dec 21, 2025

Hello Joe,

As it happens, I haven't cut that pipe, just routed it in a long distance way to take up the slack (see photo).

I have cut then before and resoldered using a close fitting tube/sleeve. I used lead free solder and it seems to work OK (good to 220C) without the need for special high melting point solder (350C).

Good luck with the Proxxon - the only thing I found is you need to watch the vertical slide doesn't move when under vibration. It can slide down and dig in to the surface, so use the locking screw every time!

David

Joe_MCMLXI

October 1, 2025

DUBLO DUCHESS - restarting the build

So, this build started several years ago, but got left behind when I got to starting the tender conversion....I didn't have the tools to do it..... so I have recently bought a cheap drill, for tackling the tiny holes that need drilling for some of the threads required...

ree — Current loco conversion - Tender is an original H/Dublo......

The drill is very basic, but has speed control and can hold drills from 0.4 - 4mm ( though I doubt it has the power to drill much above 3mm - depending on material )

ree — The Drill - the vice is a S/h Proxxon bought on Flebay

First up was to drill and tap the threads for the heater electrical connections/

As the Stanier tender has totally different axle spacings to the Gresley tender, the electrical pickups needed modifying.

82 Views

Joe_MCMLXI

Dec 21, 2025

Dublo Duchess - where we are....

Fox transfers, for Lining & numbers.

Needs a coat of Satin varnish to match the tender better, then we are about finished.

Now I have the little milling machine, I an tempted to try a MkII version... we'll see.

Joe

jan_chris1

February 12, 2025

Bittern Double Tender In Service

I am enclosing a picture of BDT. The 3D printed second tender performs without problems. Also I have decided to use the Hornby 20mm magnetic hose couplings. These also perform without problems, able to haul a 9 coach train without the train separating. My track circuit uses set track 3 & 4 radius curves and the consist runs around with no hint of anything going wrong. Poetry in Motion!!