The Hornby Dublo 0-6-2T

I was going to call this thread “The Dublo N2” but then Dublo never actually claimed their model to be an N2, although they gave it various N2 numbers (2690, 9596, 69550 and 69567).

The 0-6-2T was first released in 1938 in electric and clockwork versions and in the livery of all four companies. The Dublo model might have looked pretty much like an N2, but it didn’t really look a great deal like the other releases from Meccano Ltd, a GWR 56xx (6699), an LNWR 0-6-2T (4917) or an LBSCR E5 (2594).

World War II saw Dublo production cease for the duration. The 0-6-2T reappeared in 1947 with a few changes. The main one was the fitting of the Sydney Pritchard designed automatic couplings, now standard across the Dublo range. This necessitated a cut out at the base of the front buffer beam. The LNER version was renumbered 9596, the GWR livery was updated to GWR rather than the earlier “shirtbutton” logo and, the following year, the green LNER version and the LMS version were given sans-serif lettering, and the Southern version was given “Sunshine” lettering. An improved mechanism, with an AlNiCo magnet replacing the original horseshoe type came out in 1949.

The British Railways version replaced all of the earlier versions in 1953. Numbered 69567, initially in gloss black, this became matt black a year or two later.

With the introduction of Dublo’s 2 rail system, a 2 rail version of the 0-6-2T was introduced in 1959/60 and numbered 69550 with the later ‘BR totem. Later models of both the 2 and 3 rail 0-6-2T had an enlarged base for the safety valves to accommodate a larger top bearing.

The model continued into the Wrenn era, with the original design of chassis replaced with one derived from the Dublo R1 0-6-0T.

here are a few of mine: