OO 279, Rovex Princess Royal & Coaches

Welcome to my two hundred and seventy ninth video on my work with OO gauge.
This video feature a real piece of model railway history - a Rovex Princess Royal class locomotive and LMS coaches. I did discuss the Rovex Princess Royal in some detail in my previous video on the modelling of the Princess Royal class, Part 71 in this series. But at that time I didn’t have an example of the original Rovex Princess Royal to show - they’re not that easy to pick up these days. So when a Rovex Princess Royal and various other bits and bobs appeared as a lot on eBay recently, I didn’t hesitate much before clicking ‘Buy It Now’. So in this video I’ll actually be working with original Rovex models.

[@mikehebdentrains]

Good to see one close up, thanks! You probably know this, but for the benefit of others: The original Rovex track had steel rails on a moulded grey base, and the ends were alternately male and female and there were no fishplates. Triang adopted this as their 'standard' track, changing the joint tabs to a male/female connecter at each end and adding metal fishplates and there is a lot of this track about, however, much of it warps reducing the gauge and the models still won't run on it so care is needed finding good examples. The later Series 3 / Super 4 track has the same profile and is generally more successful. The original Rovex couplings were different too - there was a large hook on the back of the tender, and an oval loop on the first coach. A hook on the other end. The point of the hook pointing upwards. I think Triang probably introduced the M2 couplings you have - which suggests to me that you either have an original Rovex loco and all the rest is early Triang in Rovex boxes, or that you are lucky enough to have one of the very early (and very rare) Triang sets. Nice to see though :o)

[@kleedhamhobby]

Both coaches and the tender have the earliest Tri-ang style of tension-lock coupling. There are no maker's marks of any kind on the loco, tender or coaches. The brake van is marked as Tri-ang. I'd tend to assume that the Rovex items were made around the time of transition, as production was adjusted after the Lines brothers' take over. I have now bought an apparently complete Tri-ang R0 set, which appears to be basically the original Rovex set, but with Tri-ang couplings, and metal wheels on the loco (no plungers). The set I have bought (not delivered yet) is supposed to have all of the original track and the battery box... so when that arrives, I'll try the plunger loco on that track.

[@lendusaquid]

Its good to see another one of these. I have one which i had to do quite a bit of work to get the thing going. The wheels were very warped so i put them on a mini lathe and got them a bit more round. While i was at it i reduced the flanges so it would run on modern track. The body was very warped so i put it in some very hot water and carefully bent it back into shape. I have managed to get the thing running at speed but they truly are terrible.
czcams.com/video/rmCjThjhwQ4/video.htmlsi=LYbg6ZjYRfsSBX9K

[@ajivins1]

I've a couple of the locos, one in polyurethane but neither with those plungers! Have to find a tender.

[@jimmanyk]

Mr Snooze &/or Oscar Paisley are worth a look at, & possibly Dusty Shelf Collectables.

[@kleedhamhobby]

Yes, I watch all of those. And OOBill does a great range of servicing videos (and some interesting layout building stuff). And of course Ronald Dodd and Barrie Davis.

[@jimmanyk]

@@kleedhamhobby I was thinking of Plunger specific Vids. Barrie is back BTW, he turned up missing a few months ago. Forgot about Ron.