Hi Jenny. It's always great to see the old timers back in action, and to demonstrate they can be DCC fitted.

the insulation material can be found on ebay as fish paper

DCC converted my 1961 "Britannia" after giving her a full service as she runs "as new", Now, a year later, going to swap the decoder for a HM7000 (pity it's not called a HM 70000)! now that the Britannia sound file is available. Enjoyed last nights Monday club Jen.

Hi Jenny. I am surprised that you do not have one of Ronald Dodds truly excellent remagnatizers. They are worth their weight in gold for remagnatizing older motors. Still an enjoyable video to watch.

I just purchased 23 dublo wagons last exhibition. This is extremely timely for me. Thank you, now i need to purchase several decoders of this size.. although i do have an hm7000...

I used heat shrink tubing combined with a suitably sized drill for insulating one of the brushes of my Wrenn Sir Nigel Gresley. It runs very well.

I always liked the simple Hornby couplers like two cupped hands clasping each other. I use filed down Kaydee couplers which operate in the same way.

Hi Jenny.. What a fantastic video. All the more better as I have exactly that model. Now that I'm retired I am just about to venture big time into setting up a layout, but 1st step is to build a large shed in my backyard in the form of a train station. Lots of work ahead 😊 Once again thanks very much for a very informative vid and your layout looks amazing. I will now look forward to going through your previous vids to see what they have for me

I use nail varnish for insulating these soldered joints as the wires are more flexible. It is also good for stopping screws backing out on valve gear and still retaining the ability to remove screws for maintenance.

Hi Jenny, Back in 1979 I was given a 2nd Hand Trainset with a Hornby Triang Princess Elizabeth In LMS maroon, and an even older Triang Jinty 47606 (with the solid wheels), needless to say theres some sentimental value in these two. They are now running very successfully using a Zimo MX600 in the Jinty, and a HM7000 TXS decoder in the Princess with Stay Alive (for the same reason as your loco, it only picks up on 4 wheels). I have struggled a little with decoders limited to 0.9 or 1 amp with these locos, however most Zimo/Lenz/Gaugemaster have peak limit of 1.5-1.7 amp and run the older locos with aplomb. The new Hornby TXS is 1.5A Peak, (unlike the older TTS, and None sound Decoders) and therefore runs the old XO4 motors brilliantly.

Great video Jenny. This is ideal especially for those who are buying older models because of price who want them to be DCC fitted. Its made me think about converting some of my older Triang and Hornby models in my collection if I decide to go DCC.

Quite a re-fit and great result, especially with the stay-alive...I know a few DC loco's could do with one, but needs the regulation of the new circuitry! I was thinking of the Neodymium magnets for the DC locos, to give them a new start anyway. Great video and the conversion made easy too. Thanks for taking the time Jenny. Keep safe now. Cheers!

Using a smaller diameter heat shrink helps

I have both the 8F and rebuilt West Country class ‘Barnstaple’. They are beautiful runners. I think it would be nice to DCC them.

Great stuff ...... gives a massive extension to rhe hobby. Thanks Jenny

My first loco! Fifty odd years of memories. And smells, it always smelt of electrics / motors slightly (like Scalextrix did).

Given the ridiculous prices of new models, this is an obvious way forward for those of us on a tight budget.

I was unaware of a Stay Alive. Years ago I fitted something similar under my 4mm tramway which boosted the current collection from the overhead wire to the tiny trolley head/skate (but it does not work now). I might get one for my modern type controller (not the rheostat one that I used ).

Thanks Jenny for the video verry informative

Cool as always. 👍

Great Work Jenny Keep it up

Thanks for another informative video😅

Brilliant train

I hate to be the bringer of bad news but that model could be even older than you thought, the Hornby Dublo 2-6-4 was introduced in about 1954. this might not be a project for the purist, but These models are robust and would work well in a garden railway, especially if the railway is always in the sun, You could probably even fit a sound chip and a smoke unit as well.

If you're going to take one of these apart be careful when taking the armature out because there should be a tiny ball bearing inside the bearing housing - which you will never find if it drops to the floor!

Excellent. I suppose you could do the same with a 3-rail Dublo loco, but I think they are more likely to cause a short with the metal trackwork. If it did cause a short would this blow the decoder? Can you get overload protection that would cut the power before it blew the decoder?

Cool.

Hi, what is the estimated cost of doing such a conversion?

Jenny: interesting as always. Yes, heat can build up as current increases due to various reasons; the worst being a dead short. As I understand things, you are now asking a brush spring to carry not only the traction current, but also any increased current as above. There is a risk of the brush spring heating like a radiator element (see link to Warbonnet Trains below). Look at boring the housing out a little more so a metal sleeve can be inserted into the inside of your new insulated bushing. The metal sleeve contains the brush and spring, as happens on the opposing brush as factory set. The supply 'plug' now goes into the new sleeve, your new insulated sleeve isolating it from the frame. This setup means not even dead short conditions can heat the spring as it does not carry current in any meaningful way. On current through brush springs I have found Dave Ramirez kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e5uHY9uql7mxqYE.html VERY helpful. The whole video is brilliant, especially after the 7:22 mark. Another related problem with the asking the brush spring/s to carry traction current in general, and current in general is it implies contact with an insulated bushing. This is common to most HD/Wrenn DCC conversions as around here practised. As the spring heats and burns the insulation material, what gases are given off??????????????????? You can be sure HD knew exactly the chemical profile of their insulation materials, especially as they heated. ALWAYS MONITOR MODELS FOR HEAT BUILDUP, AND RUN TO A REALISTIC DUTY CYCLE. And yes, I have had a brush housing (not HD/Wrenn) melt (MY FAULT, just like everything else around here), and being suspicious, I did very deliberately test run a common non- Brit brand loco to what it should have taken, and it catastrophically overheated. Too bad if it happens to a kid! Finally, it might help if one of the folk on the model engineering side of the interest area could suggest an accessible way of supporting the chassis while being bored. If that drill grabs a nasty injury will result. These things can wrench a work piece right out of a vise clamped to a drill table. Hands and face away, and use a face shield. I'm not sure about mazac/zamac, but my guess is it drills like brass???? Does anyone know? See 'Clickspring' kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pqeemq55rsDLqXU.html As I keep saying: Everything we do moves the mechanism from factory settings, and the there is no such thing as a model electric motor. If I have said anything wrong, please call the alarm, and Jenny, please scream loud. I don't mind a slap over the knuckles, what I do mind is me or anyone else finishing up in hospital casualty. I mind that a lot. Now go and watch Ramirez, and spread the word. Thanks Jenny, wonderful site; thanks to Daviddorel; your site has a new subscriber. Hope this reads OK. Why is something so simple so hard to write!

Jenny Are You Going To Model Rail Scotland On Saturday Because I am

Hmm, why was my link to Dublo and Wrenn DCC conversions at Platform 1 MRC website deleted? Jim

What happened to all the hornby dublo 3 rail

I have both analig and digital. But i am a Märklinist that focusses on the older stuff. "Made in Western Germany"