Smart Restorations

Smart Restorations Hornby Dublo and Wrenn locomotives professionally restored

Hornby Dublo and Wrenn locos repaired and restored by a professional restorer in West Sussex with 40+ years experience of modelmaking.

Corgi Classics 1910 Daimler model from the late 1960s: the standard open tourer, and my conversion to landaulette body s...
02/11/2023

Corgi Classics 1910 Daimler model from the late 1960s: the standard open tourer, and my conversion to landaulette body style almost complete, using the spare bodywork from the Corgi Classics Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, which instead got the open tourer body from the Daimler (previous post).

A bit more progress since the last post - one picture shows the standard Corgi Classics Rolls Royce Silver Ghost (behind...
22/10/2023

A bit more progress since the last post - one picture shows the standard Corgi Classics Rolls Royce Silver Ghost (behind) with fully-enclosed coachwork, and in front, the same body, but converted into a 'sedanca de ville' and modified to fit the Corgi Classics Daimler (yet to be completed). The other picture shows the primrose yellow Ghost, now wearing the open tourer body from the Daimler, and also the standard Corgi Classics Daimler tourer (in red). With both Rolls Royce & Daimler producing only chassis at this time, which were sent out to coachbuilders with owners' instructions, anything is possible in the modelling world. All donors and original models were purchased for under a fiver each from fleabay.

The Corgi Classics Rolls Ghost of 1960s never appealed to me or my father as model subject - we preferred the 'Matchbox'...
13/10/2023

The Corgi Classics Rolls Ghost of 1960s never appealed to me or my father as model subject - we preferred the 'Matchbox' open tourer registered AX 201, the factory's original publicity car of 1907. I recently decided to rob the Corgi Classics 1911 Daimler of its open bodywork for the Rolls. The result is the primrose car, while behind in red/black is my evocation of C.S. Rolls' 'balloon car'. In turn, I'm currently working on giving the Daimler the enclosed coachwork from the silver Rolls at the back of the picture, more appropriate since Daimler had the Royal Warrant up to the time of the late Queen, and Royal cars were invariably enclosed.

Not much left on the bucket list now. I wanted a Hornby Dublo terminal station with a decent-sized concourse on which to...
25/04/2022

Not much left on the bucket list now. I wanted a Hornby Dublo terminal station with a decent-sized concourse on which to have a couple of Airfix/Dapol kiosks, so I designed & fabricated new platform sections. All original parts, now 57 years old, remain unmodified. It all assembles with Meccano screws & captive nuts as per original. Using 4 broken Dublo engine shed walls, I built a loco heavy repair shed - the height & style of roof implying that there's an overhead travelling crane inside. Locos? A Southern Railway Q1 class 0-6-0, and a Great Western Railway 'King' Class 4-6-0.

Hand-built Southern Q1 class loco for Hornby Dublo 3 rail running. One of these has been on my wish list for 20 years - ...
05/02/2022

Hand-built Southern Q1 class loco for Hornby Dublo 3 rail running. One of these has been on my wish list for 20 years - it uses a hugely modified Dublo chassis with superstructure from a recycled Keyser white metal kit plus 7 months work. I first saw one of these aged 9 in my Observer's Book of Steam Locomotives, and wondered why cereal packets had been used to make them. The ugliest steam locos ever were built in 1942, and yet some survived until 1966, because they were so damn good. Welcome to the fold my gawky friend.

Princess Coronation Class 'City of Stoke on Trent' in B.R. express passenger blue for Hornby Dublo 3 rail system. Total ...
01/06/2021

Princess Coronation Class 'City of Stoke on Trent' in B.R. express passenger blue for Hornby Dublo 3 rail system. Total mechanical & cosmetic restoration & conversion of donor 'Duchess of Montrose' loco from circa 1953, one of a hundred that I used to have, from which I cherry-picked the best donors. The motor now has a new rewound armature, new commutator + Super Neo magnet & new brushes & springs. £95.00 plus postage. I have 10 other Hornby Dublo Princess Coronation locos available for sale in B.R. green, B.R. London Midland maroon, post-War LMS lined black & as well as B.R. blue.

30/05/2021

Video of the sixteen Duchesses currently available for sale. Contact me for more details.

16 completely restored Hornby Dublo Duchess locos manufactured 1946-56, finished in liveries not available at the time a...
30/05/2021

16 completely restored Hornby Dublo Duchess locos manufactured 1946-56, finished in liveries not available at the time and with uprated motors which can pull tree stumps out.
All are currently for sale - contact me for details.

Further to my July post showing construction complete, here's proof that it took five times as long to paint as it did t...
23/08/2020

Further to my July post showing construction complete, here's proof that it took five times as long to paint as it did to make. My computer is confused by the task of printing white text on black background for the destination boards that go below the roof lights - it only prints in pale blue. All I want is 'MALDON' on one end & 'WITHAM' on the other, about 2mm high! Guess I'll have to build them up with individual letter transfers.

Spade work all done on my railbus for Hornby Dublo 3-rail running. In 1950s, B.R. Eastern Region purchased 5 German Wagg...
18/07/2020

Spade work all done on my railbus for Hornby Dublo 3-rail running. In 1950s, B.R. Eastern Region purchased 5 German Waggon & Maschinenbau chassis to be fitted with bodies by bus coachbuilder Park Royal - 4 still exist, including the one that took me from Witham to Maldon in 1964, final year before the line's closure to passenger traffic. I had the joy of sitting in the seat next to the driver's cubicle, making me a virtual 8 year-old driver! Photos with paint, glazing & detailing to follow. Motor unit comes from the Lima centre-cab diesel shunter; body is from the Dapol/Airfix kit, much modified.

Joe Lyons has upgraded his fleet: from the unglazed cab of the Guy Otter truck behind to the glazed Guy Warrior in front...
13/04/2020

Joe Lyons has upgraded his fleet: from the unglazed cab of the Guy Otter truck behind to the glazed Guy Warrior in front. Now his delivery drivers don't get flies on their teeth when they deliver their Swiss Rolls! The Warrior van started life as a loose chassis of the 432 pale green flatbed truck that had lost its red body. Restoring it as such didn't appeal, as it would've been identical to the Atlas replica, worth £5-£10. The brown high-sided truck started life as the derelict loose chassis of an early 513 grey flatbed, and was in atrocious condition - the high-sided body is repro, making it a copy of the 511 Dinky Toy.

I bought the pictured green & brown Bedford artic as a donor to provide original parts to restore one I've had since a c...
26/10/2019

I bought the pictured green & brown Bedford artic as a donor to provide original parts to restore one I've had since a child (posted 29th September). What to do with the bare cab and trailer castings that were left over? I hatched a plan. First, I bought a scruffy Commer breakdown truck for £6. I then used the Commer cab and the Bedford trailer to make an exact copy of the moderately rare grey-and-yellow Commer articulated lorry, complete with correct wheels & cab glazing. Left with the breakdown truck body and a Bedford cab, it was an excuse to bring the 2 together and refinish in original brown & green, creating what I think is a better-looking breakdown truck.

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