[KingEdward1st]

Well guys it's the big 1000, pop's started the posts so I am carrying his tradition on. What are you favourite Tri-ang, Tri-ang-Hornby locos and why? Mine are the Blue Pullman, EM2, Jinty, and Princess.

Congratulations! You have carried on your farther's tradition very well.

My favourite and also my earliest memory is of the Tri-ang blue pullman. I must of been about 12 at a local exhibition and saw this yellow and red box taken out the boot of a car, as I walked into the hall. The man opened the box and inside was this imacculately presented blue pullman. Back then I never knew tri-ang existed let alone a blue pullman! it was magical for me! He got it running round the club layout and it was fantastic!

Anyway, that has since been my favourite loco.

Congratulations once again Paul. Long may it continue.

[KingEdward1st]

I will have to bring a Blue Pullman along to visit your layout Jake when I am down that part of the world sometime. The BP is a lovely model, got one for sale at the moment!

Keep the nostalga coming guys.

That sounds great Paul. Or I can come and see it when I visit your barn.

PM me with a price!

[Teleman]

I can't understand why people like the Pullman so much , mine is in the loft as its wheels grind along the sleepers and i'm not paying to get new ones or am i going to sell it ( its the all blue one)
As for a favourite ? it has to be the 'turbo car' from the battle space range . I had more fun with that than the rest of my trains , I had the one with the hard plastic nose and over the years and lots of crashies the body to broken to stay on .. but i still have the chassis and it still works the fan is very battered so that does not help the poor old motor .

[K9-70]

My favourite locomotive would have to be the "Lea Valley Enterprise" R357 Brush Type 2, later Class 31.
Why ?, well it was included in my first Tri-ang train set, the RS51 Freightmaster train set. (see photo)
The original train set bit the dust many years ago, but I was lucky to buy another original set on Ebay for £50.
http://irishrailwayimages.fotopic.net/p42967984.html
My first trainset! Cost my parents £9/19/11d in 1965, bought on Ebay for £50

As well as the above, I also have two other R357 train sets, 2x 1968 BR Blue versions, one of them unopened, and a RS651 produced in 1972.

I also have the complete collection of "Lea Valley Enterprise" R357 Brush Type 2, later Class 31 diesel locomotives bar one.
I'm looking for R357 D5578 in BR Green livery.

Photos of the above can be viewed at my Irish Railway Images fotopic site;
http://irishrailwayimages.fotopic.net these can be found in the Model Railway 1 & 2 albums in the More collections.

K9-70

[Teleman]

Its nice to see somebody knows a Brush 2 I like the Brush 4's myself and have a few of them to . I found ' R2013A' last weekend boxed to in good condishion in its box but the motor was a bit sad but thats all sorted now and even found 'County of Suffolk' mint and boxed but i'm waiting for that to come , there was only 600 of them made and its number 120

[K9-70]

Hi Triangman,
Yes, I still have the Class 31, sealed in the box, and I wouldn't sell it for love or money (so to speak).
Link to the photo below.
http://irishrailwayimages.fotopic.net/p44172942.html
note; someone at the Margate factory fitted the roof the wrong way round.

K9-70

[K9-70]

Hi Teleman,
Yep, I love them Brush Type 2's. Got examples of them manufactured by Tri-ang, Triang Hornby, Airfix, Dapol, Lima, and Hornby. All of them run well, but the older Tri-ang & Triang Hornby models don't like the nickel silver Peco track, nor do they like the two inclines on the layout. When hauling six coaches up the inclines they tend to slip a lot. So now they don't get used.

Here's a question for you,

What was the first British Mainline diesel that Tri-ang produced and also what was unusual about it ?

K9-70

[Teleman]

I think it might have been a Bo-Co ,I have seen 3 rail ones and it was a main line diesel and its bogie sets were odd , six wheels on one four on the other

[K9-70]

Hi Teleman,

Nope, not the Co-Bo, Hornby Dublo produced thie model.

It was the ("drum roll") R357 Brush Type 2 produced in 1962 in the Experimental Blue livery, #D5578. Also, it was the only model not to have the yellow warning panel applied. 4,000 models produced.

All diesel models produced by Tri-ang previous to this where off the Transcontinental type.

K9-70

[Stufiley]

What I do find incredible about the old Triang range, and the Dublo too, is how good the motors still are. Some of mine must be over 40 years old and they are still running strong, with great pulling power. The triang deisels run great and without traction tyres. I wonder in 40 years time how many of the modern Hornby range will still be running on original motors. Not many would be my guess.

[Teleman]

And try doing this to one when its 20 years old
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=roiKsvyJ7rY

[K9-70]

Stufiley wrote:

What I do find incredible about the old Triang range, and the Dublo too, is how good the motors still are. Some of mine must be over 40 years old and they are still running strong, with great pulling power. The triang deisels run great and without traction tyres. I wonder in 40 years time how many of the modern Hornby range will still be running on original motors. Not many would be my guess.

Got to agree with you about the motors.
The oldest locomotive in my collection is a 1951/52 Rovex Princess with plunger pick-up's and plastic driving wheels. It still has it's original X01 motor and brushes. Light engine, it runs well on old Super 4 track, but add a couple of coaches it will sit and spin the wheels. It's far too light and rather than devalue it by adding weight, it will spend the rest of it's days on display.

The Tri-ang diesels/steam locomotives do run well on Super 4 track, but not so well on the modern nickle silver track, due to the deep wheel flanges and also some of them use magnadhesion to help them pull heavy loads.

The oldest Triang Hornby Ringfield drive locomotive I have is a rare R264 BR Black 9f #92166 of 1972 vintage, (020572) Triangman knows what I'm on about. It was bought 2nd hand for £35, still has the original six traction tyres, It preforms well, in fact, a lot better than some of my mates more modern Hornby 9f's.

Enough waffle out of me, It's time for bed

K9-70