Model Railway Forum

Anyone interested in buying a sizeable collection of Hornby Dublo 3 rail? While I have nothing elaborate, it is a good start for anyone interested in 3 rail. I have 7 locos, 29 coaches (A few are 2 rail which is the same as 3 rail but with plastic wheels), over 50 wagons (Though 8 are Trix Twin and some are Hornby Dublo 2 rail) and just over 230 pieces of track which include both electric and manual points, diamond crossings etc. Also included are signals, station buildings etc.
Buyer has to collect due to the weight and size of the collection so one will need a car with rear seats and a boot free to collect (Depending on the size of the car). It is not a prestine collection and the oldest loco is a non runner as it has a weak magnet and needs brushes ad springs (The other six locos ran well the last time I tried them as they have new magnets fitted).
I am asking £650 which I feel is quite reasonable and certainly a lot less then I paid when I went to enlarge my dads old collection about a decade ago. I don't mind if the collection does not sell as I will one day make a layout with it if it doesn't. I am in no desperate need to sell. It is more that if someone wants to try Hornby Dublo 3 rail this is an easy way to do this and will be a project less for me. (I have enough 7mm scale projects to keep me busy for a while!)

MG, nice lot. I have large 3 rail collection, and run 3 loops, daily. I was delighted to see the value you placed, as it is considerably above what i imagined mine were worth. Must look to raise my insurance.

A few photos.
Yes, they can be difficult to price. I started out with two locos, three wagons and two coaches my dad passed down to me. About 15 years ago I was earning good money so I extended the collection. Coaches cost me from £10 to £20 each as I haggled to get more reasonable prices. Locos I haggled to get them down to £100 each for the larger ones and found they didn't even run. Hence I spent a further amount to get them to run. With the new magnets they don't half pull well! I didn't get to repair the oldest one as in those days the old horseshoe magnets were not available as replacements.
I also have a few rarer items of track like quarter and half straights. In a way the collection could do with a new owner as I am finding it difficult to keep them in a dry environment. It is fairly dry but not ideal.

In recent years things have changed a lot. 3 rail used to be cheap and Dublo 2 rail was expensive. It has turned around now and one can get bargain 2 rail locos from Dublo as Wrenn. Who would have thought that the last few Wrenn locos which were retailing at prices in excess of £500 each are now selling as low as £75 each. Yet in those days one could buy a 3 rail loco from a model railway dealer for £25 and up.

To me the real excitement of running 3 rail is the sound. There's nothing like a 3 rail loco thundering down tinplate track. Somehow it feels more realistic then running modern plastic trains.

mg, totally agree about sound, nothing like it. Seems a shame not to get it up and running. I have 20 locos, some 20 coaches, 40 wagons, buildings, and boxes of track. Will never part with mine, far too sentimental. If i laid all mine out like yours, would cover the lawn. john

NOW that's a layout I'd like to see.

Glencairn

If you want to see a good 3 rail layout, look at Ronald Dodd’s, website. He is the guy who makes the magnetisers. His layout, is the cream de la crème. John.

How about £600?