# Playcraft D6100



## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

Out here in the wild, wild west, you get what you can find. 
I traded for this rugged old Playcraft and enjoyed it ever
since. She has a beast of a motor and transmission. Great
piece.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

That's a real period piece and rare too, don't think I've ever seen one before. Its a class 21.Have you researched it? I should thing it's likely from the sixties. These were later made by Jouef the French manufacturer. Its in the early green livery of British Railways and is quite correct with the crimson suburban coaches. Nice find.

Wonder how it got to Texas, although the car I've just bought came from Fort Worth.


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

http://www.playcraftrailways.com/images/advert3.jpg
Thanks for the 411, I do appreciate. It is a kick to find
out it dates from the '60's, when I got my first taste 
of British OO. I recollect I traded "up" for this piece from
some fellow in Georgia- I traded out a vintage Tyco piece. 
Always felt I got the better deal!

The coach is another story- it came as a set of four I 
got off Ebay. Come to discover that pre 1964 Hornby was
three rail, as when I set three of the four on the DC 
tracks, off went the power. Finally sold those to some 
chap in Wyoming for but a few farthings, and kept the remaining
DC coach seen in the picture. I'd surely like to get a second.


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

*Vintage Triang Railway R120 OO Gauge British Railways Suburban Brake Coach*

Can anyone tell me if this Triang piece would be 
set up for AC or DC? I have learned, the hard way, 
that some of the 1964,and earlier, Hornby pieces, 
that look a lot similar, are AC and will short out DC 
in two seconds flat. It's being advertised for about
$33 on eBay. Is that too much?


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

You can buy Hornby wheelsets as replacements. a
member here found new ones on ebay to retrofit his Hogwarts coaches


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I don't think Triang ever offered AC, they were all AC two rail. I know Hornby Dublo had three rail.


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

I probably should have researched more than I did. With not too much work I could have indeed swapped out the wheel sets. At that time, unfortunately, I had not been corresponding with OO Forums. Brother, I sure am now! 

I am relieved to hear that Triang did not go into 3 rail,some of those vintage piecesare really interesting. 

What has come back from my inquiries is that Hornby made a 3 rail, but it utilized DC to create a strong communication of electricity through the car bodies back to the locomotives to overcome the eternal bane of model railroaders: dirty track and oxide.

In seeing some examples of that 3 rail Hornby range, it is 
really beautiful stuff. Were that I had unlimited funds I would 
become a mad collector of it. Colorful, rugged, with its own
proportion. Quintessentially British. 

As to the conversation of dirty track, I found my solution in an 
obscure article by the noted UK professional modeler and author, Lionel Strang. He recommends this stuff. I thought he was bonkers, until, in desperation, I tried it. Now I swear by it:


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

This might be a bit of help; North British diesels were notorious for mechanical finickiness! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_21


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

You might be interested to know that when Hornby Dublo ceased manufacturing the tooling was bought by Wrenn who carried on making all the all Hornby stuff for a few years under their own name.
In 1970 the company was rebranded Triang Wrenn until 1972.


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## EMD_GP9 (Jun 19, 2012)

Hi all.
To clear things up let me explain further.
Tri-ang trains were always 2-rail DC starting with the Rovex models made for certain department stores. The early models had roller or plunger contacts with plastic wheels.
Hornby Dublo was at first a 3-rail DC system but changed in 1959 to 2-rail DC operation. Hornby Dublo never used AC but I believe the much earlier 0 gauge system did.
Rolling stock before and slightly after 1959 for the 3-rail system would have un-insulated wheels as there was no need to insulate them.
To continue further - Trix had a system called "Trix-Twin" which although having 3-rails was really a 2-rail system where 2 locos could be controlled separately on one section of track with each outer rail controlled and the centre rail the return !
The stock for the trix system had insulated wheels.
Trix in the early days used AC but later changed to DC control.
Hope this helps.
Colin.


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

Wow, this is getting more mysterious than an Agatha Christie novel! But thank you for the in-depth report. It certainly invites more study. Another example of British ingenuity.


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