[Delboy744]

I'm moving to Spain next year, and after many years of having my Hornby Dublo collection packed away, with just the locomotives in a wall cabinet, I'm finally going to have a dedicated railway room in the basement of our new villa

I have a fairly large collection (most of what they produced, with only a couple of locomotives still to get), and intend to build a combined 3-rail and 2-rail layout to display it all.
It's nearly twenty years since my last combined layout, and at that time I used Peco flexible track on foam underlay for the 2-rail, which gave a height very similar to the 3-rail metal track, so it looked good running side by side through stations etc, and enabled me to have a four-track main line using the two fixed radii of the 3-rail on the inside and the flexible Peco on the outside two tracks. Obviously the hobby has moved on, so what track would be suitable now for the fairly coarse flanges on the old Dublo wheels, and would connect easily to the small quantity of old Dublo 2-rail that I still have? (On the old layout I used new Peco for all the high speed sections, including new Peco points, and the old Hornby track for sidings, so am planning to do similar this time). Also, what would be recommended to get the height of the track to match the 3-rail (foam underlay, cork??), as the old foam underlay disintegrated after a few years use - has it improved?

 

[34C]

Sounds like a good plan for a display layout. I am pretty sure that you will be OK using a code 100 rail track system, like Peco streamline. All the Dublo I have bought has a wheel profile which works happily on code 100, and what two rail rolling stock I have, proved fine on Peco code 75, until the wheels were replaced with metal tyred sets. H-D in this as in so much else, were well ahead of the commercial competiton in using a relatively fine scale wheel standard.

Talking to a chap displaying a Hornby Dublo collection some years ago, he told me that he only used the H-D track at exhibitions, because people want to see the complete system. At home he used Peco streamline, which he fitted with a centre rail himself. This was simply for the larger curve and point radius, and the better running obtainable on modern track. Of course that's only possible if you don't want the look of the three rail track system, which does have a charm of is' own.

Regarding foam underlay, to the best of my knowledge it always perishes, sooner or later. The unpredictability is a particularly unwelcome aspect; it can last a long time, or only 4 or 5 years, probably somewhat dependent on environmental factors. Cork would be my choice.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (34C @ 11 Dec 2008, 10:46) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Talking to a chap displaying a Hornby Dublo collection some years ago, he told me that he only used the H-D track at exhibitions, because people want to see the complete system. At home he used Peco streamline, which he fitted with a centre rail himself. This was simply for the larger curve and point radius, and the better running obtainable on modern track. Of course that's only possible if you don't want the look of the three rail track system, which does have a charm of is' own.

Good advice from 34c.

Taking this a little further you could build the whole layout using code 100 track with an added third rail - with a little suitable switching you could then run all of the stock everywhere at different times.

I would also go for cork to raise the trackbed - I've also found that most foams (except maybe the denser ones) disintregate in time.

 

[Delboy744]

Thanks for the quick response and useful information. It was Peco streamline that I had used in the past, but couldn't remember which code.

My entire collection is packed away in storage at the moment pending our move, so can anyone tell me what thickness cork is needed to bring the finished height of the 2-rail up to Dublo 3-rail height, as I have no track to hand to measure? I'd like to take enough down with me to do the major part of the layout as we have spare space in the removals van, rather than trying to get it sent out later or source it in Malaga!

 

[Delboy744]

Thanks for your comments as well Brian.

Nice idea, but I do like the 'classic' look (and sound!) of the old 3-rail Dublo track - I grew up with it!! I'll just have to endure the somewhat erratic performance of it!