Hornby Dublo – Andrew’s 3 rail track

Andrew’s been in touch with his Hornby Dublo layout:

“G’day Al from ‘Down Under’

I am delighted that you are continuing to run your magnificent blog, so many ideas to try and I now have several of your buildings on the layout. The Tudor House is my favorite.

Two years ago I was fortunate to get an opportunity to purchase more Hornby Dublo 3 rail track, locomotives and rolling stock from a new friend here in Oz.

His, like mine is 60 to 65 years old and in working order. and this enabled me to enlarge and rebuild my layout, a task that has given me many hours of enjoyment and it is fully operational.

Unfortunately I do not have the equipment and skills to send a video so attached are photos of my layout Mark 2.

Now it is finished (??) I am ready to dismantle and start again and to try some of the new ideas I have from your contributors.

Thanks for all you do.

Andrew

Cooroy, Queensland, Australia”

hornby dublo track plan

hornby dublo station

model steam train freight

model train level crossing

hornby dublo model railway

hornby dublo layout

hornby dublo control panel

model railway sidings

hornby dublo turntable

model railway

model railway passenger bridge


model railway passenger train

model steam train coal freight

A big thanks to Andew for sharing his Hornby Dublo.

Now on to Jose.

“Wanted to share my HO layout that I have been working on. I built everything by hand, except the track and electrical power station.

Jose”

simple oval model train loop

train track oval

elevated model train track

model train track curve by substation

scratch built substation

scratch built signal box

Jose has made that all important start – and that’s what this hobby is all about.

A big thanks to Andrew and Jose.

That’s all for now.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to get going on your very own layout.

Best

Al

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.


30 Responses to Hornby Dublo – Andrew’s 3 rail track

  1. Dave Bower says:

    Nice to see some HD 3 rail, I still think it’s the best. Lovely layout Andrew.

  2. Ed Martin says:

    Please tell Andrew to use his cell phone to video his trains and layout in operation and great layout.

  3. Hi Andrew, what a great layout and I love the operational possibilities you have
    It’s great to see the Hornby Dublo kit still viable in hands other than my own. Is the dark roofed signal cabin original? I haven’t seen one like it before and in the UK it would be a real collectors item.
    I’m working on my own DUBLO 3-rail layout right now but it will be a while before its anywhere like up to your standard.
    Great work Andrew,
    John

  4. Andrew Aves says:

    Hi John, Thank you for your kind comments, yes the signal box is a Hornby Dublo building. Given to me as a present in the 1950s when it had the original orange roof and which I painted matt black in 1969 when I first tried making my toy train set into a model railway. The trains and track were packed into a trunk in 1970 and did not see the light of day until I retired and in 2014 migrated to Australia.
    Andrew

  5. Mike says:

    This is interesting, the fact that 3 rail is still being used. I wonder how many other modellers do?

  6. Good to see the old Hornby Dublo 3 track still working , I had a set of this at 10 years old …long long time ago ..Dangerous Dave

  7. Please tell us the size of your layout. Great job.

  8. Thomas Meleck says:

    Yours is the first layout I’ve seen in any scale that incorporates a believable station parking lot. Most will paint spaces for possibly two or three cars,(including my own) but yours is totally realistic. Thanks for posting.–T.

  9. Andrew Aves says:

    Hi Thomas,
    Layout is in a shed in the garden 7 feet X 12 feet
    Andrew

  10. Richard R. Duld says:

    that is a big layout looks realy nice.

  11. Love it. 3 rail makes life so easy. Lionel 3 rail is for me.

  12. Rod Mackay says:

    Loved my old Hornby Dublo, I made a Nu-Cast O2 kit once for a layout and a show visitor asked if it was Dublo, I was really flattered!

  13. Mike Childs says:

    Jose, You are off to a great start on your layout. Hopefully you will post more photos when it is complete.

  14. dan robinson says:

    Bought a Hornby Dublo set couple of years ago at an auction, wife not impressed oh well, haven’t set it up, 2 remote switches 2 manual, passenger set, and some box cars, maybe I’ll get her set up, I’ll be a bit of a winter project for me I’ll be over loaded with the HO and N projects in the works. Dan

  15. Andrew — Very nice layout.
    Good to see (and read) Hornby Dublo sill has its fans.
    Jose — Great start!

  16. Erick says:

    Nice Layout. Mine going to look something like that when i get done with it.

  17. Bill Smith “WILD BILL” says:

    Very nice. I like what you have done here. Very realistic, I hope to see more.

  18. Dannofive0 says:

    Great setup. Don’t dismantle. Dream up a few ways to add to it.
    And keep on adding to it. That is half the fun. Finding ways to add to it.
    And use every inch of what you have open. And then find more room.
    And build up. And on it goes!

  19. I am a newby. My brother and I each received a Lionel train set with “magna tractiont”. for Christmas 1950. After I left for collage and got married my brother packed all items up and into storage until a couple of years ago. I have 2 engines, one is not working, some one with electrical knowledge my make it
    work. One set was a :”work train” car with a spot light, a log car (with the log dump feature) and assorted cars. I want to set up a model rail layout, but I have to go to HO, because of space limits.
    I need to sell, or trade?
    Any suggestions on my next steps?

    Brad MIller

  20. Doug says:

    Jose
    Your setup looks great. It’s a wonderful hobby eh! Money, time and space are the only drawbacks.

  21. Larry Dalton says:

    Love three rail layouts! It reminds me of the 50’& 60’s when I was a child growing up. Great and fun times running trains with my two best friends.

  22. Gerald Edgar says:

    If you’re having fun, age of a layout is immaterial. it is a HOBBY! 🙂

  23. Erick says:

    Nice layout.

  24. RICHARD D ZINK says:

    it looks like it could be the basis for an actual live steam club layout. Some people have been attracted to making models of such things verses standard or narrow gauge usual models. All in all, I do like the plan as it is presented.

  25. Jerry Hogue says:

    Jose, I love that you have scratch built everything! That is the most accurate substation I have seen. I would like to see some photos of the distribution circuit reclosers you made on the other side of the sub. Very well done!

  26. Old Ben says:

    Question for all of you… Is there such a thing as a wireless switch machine?

  27. Craig says:

    Awesome layout Andrew! Gives me some More ideas, Thank you. Keep the pictures coming

  28. Jerry says:

    Good job Jose. Please post more pictures.

  29. rocco maley says:

    Hey Andrew, I love this layout. Can you please tell me what is the radius of this layout? Thank you. Rocco from New Jersey USA.

  30. John Hasler says:

    I am in Australia too and have a Hornby Dublo 3-rail and 2-rail layout. It is 10ft x 5ft 6ins.

    Andrew, you have certainly built up a great model railway using Hornby Dublo as a basis. I had HD 3-r 2-6-4 Tank and Bo-Bo Diesel as an early teen in about 1959 on the Sunshine Coast.

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