Hornby Type 50 Restoration

[Railroader_Sailor_SSN-760]

I purchased a Hornby Freight set at the last NETCA meet last Sunday (21Sep08).

None of the cars have wheels, but that should be a quick fix, as the holes for the axles look as though spare Marx axles and wheels should suffice for the tender, gondola (truck), and brake van.

The engine is just a shell. She looks rather good, a few paint chips here and there, but a very nice looking engine. The side says that it is #60199, and there is a decal in the cab that says that it is a type 50.

From what I have looked up, the loco was a wind up. So far, I have not been able to find any workable replacement motors, so I am considering making this an electrically powered locomotive.

Any information on the loco and cars would be appreicated as well as any advice.

Here is the whole train:

Here is the cargo van and the brake van:

And the tender, I am planing in restoring this one, as most of the paint is damaged.

And here is the locomotive.  I have not decided how I will "transplant" a power source to it yet.

 

                                             

[M636C]

This was indeed a clockwork model. The black locomotive was in the colours of British Railways, the nationalised system which dated from 1948. The models were introduced about 1955, before then models were made lettered for the previous private railways.

The 50 series were the top of the Hornby line being to scale height and width although obviously much shorter in length than a scale model. The mechanism was a clockwork 0-4-0 with drive to the rear axle and coupling rods to the leading axle. There was a connecting rod attached to the rear axle which was connected to a piston rod that ran in the holes in the cylinders. The rods were plated steel. The wheels were die cast with open spokes, painted black. The mechanism was reversing, with reverse and stop control rods with turned brass handles projecting back out of the cab.

The hook and loop couplers identify this series of models, the smaller and cruder 20 and 30 series having simpler loop type couplers and being to a smaller scale (vaguely like US O-27).

The 50 series had a number of interesting features. There were two types of locomotive (on the same chassis), a tank locomotive and the tender locomotive seen here. The tank locomotive was the same lined black colour as the locomotive here, but a dark ("Brunswick") green version of the tender locomotive was sold as a passenger locomotive. The black, lined grey and red colour scheme was the British Railways "mixed traffic" scheme for locomotives used for both passenger and freight (in the UK "goods") trains.

The small projecting "hooks" on the front of the locomotive, three on the frame and one on the boiler front were to fit small (non working) oil lamps that represented the BR means of train identification. Two lamps on the frame, one each side indicated an express passenger train, one on the boiler top only indicated a stopping passenger train. All four positions filled was the indication of a Royal train. The lamps were die cast, painted matt black with silver lenses and were very small (and would not be allowed for children these days. Silver lamps with red lenses were used on the brake van on the rear of the train.

The open wagon and guards (or brake) van were pretty much scale models (given that they were just flat lithographed bodies. The open wagon was painted light grey, the colour indicating that it was not fitted with continuous brakes. The only brake was applied by the lever on the side of the frame, applied by hand in the yard to hold the wagon in place.

The brake van was painted brown (the colour was called "Bauxite" the mineral used to make aluminium) which indicated that it was equipped with vacuum brakes, as well of couse as hand brakes applied from an internal wheel.

The number on the left side of car (as viewed) is the car number, the "M" on the van standing for "Midland" meaning the "London Midland Region", that part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway in England (rather than Scotland). The number on the right side of the car is the tare weight in Imperial tons (and hundredweight =112 pounds), so 20:00 is twenty tons, no hundredweight.

The locomotive number 60199 is a blank number in the BR series but is in the Eastern Region series for express passenger locomotives. The "Flying Scotsman" was 60103 in that number series.

The vehicle wheels were originally pressed metal on plated steel axles. Later models had black plastic wheels on the same axles.

The track was two rail tubular track, generally similar to three rail Lionel.

Electric models with three rail track had been made before 1939, and generally similar models were made with the older company names until 1955.

There were two types of passenger cars, suburban cars, all red with side doors, and express passenger cars with doors at the end, in bright red with a cream window band. These were all four wheel.

Before 1939, near scale 4-4-0 locomotives and eight wheel cars were made but these are rare now, of course.

M636C

 

[Railroader_Sailor_SSN-760]

Thank you for the information.

I asked Hornby about the locomotive, and they said that their records did not go that far back, and did not cover the Type 50.

I love to collect trains, and I love to collect trains from different countries.

The other foreign train that I have right now is an HO scale freight set that I bought during my last deployment when we pulled into Brest, France. (Oh, boy, the jokes and snickering was quite a lot.)

I am going to attempt to get a replacement clockwork motor for it, but the way it looks, it will cost a lot to get a working / workable motor, so I think I will retrofit a motor pack from a newer loco to make it run. 

Now to find new decals for the tender....

[wallyworld]

Thank you for the information.

I asked Hornby about the locomotive, and they said that their records did not go that far back, and did not cover the Type 50.

I love to collect trains, and I love to collect trains from different countries.

The other foreign train that I have right now is an HO scale freight set that I bought during my last deployment when we pulled into Brest, France. (Oh, boy, the jokes and snickering was quite a lot.)

I am going to attempt to get a replacement clockwork motor for it, but the way it looks, it will cost a lot to get a working / workable motor, so I think I will retrofit a motor pack from a newer loco to make it run. 

Now to find new decals for the tender....

 

Go to the web page "Clockwork In The Garden", Also look up Dale Wesfields page. Meccanno which I think was sold (to Nikki?) still carried clockworks. If your main spring rachets but wont wind. It can be easily reterminated on the clockwork body itself. I did it and it was easy. If you go to Youtube you can see a clockwork Hornby train zooming around. I have two Hafners and these clockworks really grow on you. I cant paste links...sorry. My grandkids love them..they are pretty indestructable and easily repaired.If this doesnt work let me know or e mail me off line. .I branched out into clockwork tin toys which are fascinating to me. I can e mail links...in response. Good Luck.

PS Go to the yahoo groups TCS discussion page..click on Hornby.

[Jago]

Not really surprised Hornby couldn't help you, I think the modern company was originally Triang they bought Hornby in the 60's and about the only Hornby feature they used was the name. The whole Hornby range being deleted and sold off to Wrenn who carried on production of Hornby Dublo Items for some years.

The O Gauge items ceased production in the early 60's as Meccano/Hornby/Dinky struggled to remain profitable.

Can be found on ebay quite easily and a google search should turn up spares,decals, traders and enthusiasts clubs.

great fun restoring tinplate please post pictures of your progress

[M636C]

Looking at the current Lionel catalog, the Traditional O 0-4-0 switcher, apparently based on a PRR prototype, has a wheelbase and rods generally similar to the Hornby "No 50", and if a chassis could be obtained it might suit electrifying the present Hornby body.

The 4-4-2 chassis would be cheaper, and more numerous but the wheel diameter would be larger than the original. There were larger wheeled 0-4-0s available in both electric and clockwork before 1939, so this might not look as bad as might be first thought.

But that might giver you a good idea of what the chassis should look like.

M636C