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A Pre-War French O Gauge Three Rail Layout

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Posted by M636C on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 6:16 AM

I've found two more French O Gauge videos, which include many of the post WWII models by Hornby and some by the competing firm JEP (Jouets de Paris). Some of these models were at an exhibition I visited recently, as I mentioned in the German thread...

I went to a local model exhibition recently and they had French Hornby O gauge 3 rail running. There was a very nice die cast electric, either a CC7100 or the CC7001 prototype in two tone green, and a less realistic die cast (somewhat compressed) BB12000 in light blue, and a four wheel tinplate loco representing a BB8100 in dark green. That was the highlight of the displays for me.

These models are seen in the first of two videos, and indeed, the model was of the CC7001 prototype and not the production CC7100...

Réseau trains anciens Jep et Hornby - YouTube

and including older trains...

Les trains jouet 1930 à 1960 - YouTube

In the first video, a version of the BB8100 in tinplate is seen early on, painted in the colours of the larger CC7100. I saw one of these in the correct dark green. There are much more accurate die cast models of the BB8100 in dark green also seen in the first video.

Peter

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Posted by M636C on Sunday, September 24, 2023 9:21 AM

While a little off topic for this thread, this video gives a lot of useful information on Hornby Clockwork O gauge.

Clockwork Action With Some Old Hornby O Gauge Items And A Quick Update On The Princess Royal - YouTube

The video mentions the two sizes of Hornby track, 12" radius (24" diameter) and 24" radius (48" diameter) The smaller diameter was used only by the basic sets types M0 and M1. The small green tender locomotive is an M1. Most of the other locomotives are early post war "No 1" series 0-4-0s. I had a red LMS tank like the smaller red tank locos shown, and a green LNER tender locomotive, similar to the Southern Loco illustrated. I had two LMS red coaches and a red LMS baggage van like that shown in the video. I recall a green cattle wagon and a grey hopper wagon.

Peter

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Posted by M636C on Saturday, September 23, 2023 5:03 AM

pennytrains

Check out this cool layout!  Big Smile

https://youtu.be/yRszCj3fqJ8?si=lYba36CWNQJU9HoO

 

For some reason I am reminded that three houses in my immediate neighbourhood when I was a kid had three rail O gauge layouts in their garages, which were all under the houses concerned, due to the hilly nature of the area. These were all "U" shape to allow a car to be parked in the open area. One of these belonged to my uncle, but I never saw the layout in use. I remember one of the neighbours showing me how to make an O gauge wheel using sintered iron on a die. These were all Hornby layouts, but Hornby O gauge elecric trains were not sold after WWII. My own house dated to 1931, but never had a layout in the garage.

The Maerklin steam train in the linked video was a model of the "Rheingold", in its distinctive colours of violet and cream. This was the train introduced in 1928, and an O scale model was made by MTH a few years ago.

Here is a documentary which shows some detail of the 1928 train but concentrates on a later train introduced in 1962.

RHEINGOLD - eine Legende wird 80 [SWR 2008] - YouTube

This is in German, but you can select a translation into English of the subtitles.

I have HO models of both the 1928 and 1962 trains...

Peter 

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Posted by smokey1 on Friday, September 22, 2023 9:00 PM

that was very cool

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Posted by pennytrains on Friday, September 22, 2023 8:03 PM

Check out this cool layout!  Big Smile

https://youtu.be/yRszCj3fqJ8?si=lYba36CWNQJU9HoO

Big Smile  Same me, different spelling!  Big Smile

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Posted by cnw1995 on Monday, September 18, 2023 7:50 AM

Very nice. I have always been a fan of French Hornby trains.

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by fifedog on Sunday, September 17, 2023 8:15 AM

Sacrebleu! Cool Good stuff.

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Posted by CPO7 on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 3:50 PM

Beautiful! New to me.

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A Pre-War French O Gauge Three Rail Layout
Posted by M636C on Monday, September 11, 2023 5:13 AM

As a dedicated Francophile, I have no words for this.

The trains are the "top of the line" that would have been available. The streamlined locomotive represents Nord 231C18 which was used for the Royal Train of King George VI in 1938.

And the music....

Tinplate Rhapsody (HD 720) - YouTube

Peter

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