Hornby announce the ex SECR / SR / BR(s) Wainwright H Class 0-4-4 tank as part of their 2017 range

[cctransuk]

Then and now - WTF was an OHLE sticker doing on an H Class?They were never allowed anywhere near London SR in that era, so how would they have got north of the smoke?

 

Been there, done that - earlier in this thread; it is correct, though.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Colin]

The OHLE markings were probably applied on account of the DC overhead installations at various locations in the SE, colliery exchange sidings at Shepherds’ Well come to mind as an example. I believe said overhead was used for safety reasons where shunting took place, so staff didn’t have to encounter the third rail.

Apologies if this has been mentioned before!

[Robin Brasher]

There is a picture of H class 31308 with a late crest and overhead warning stickers with a Maunsell pull-push set at Dunton Green with a Westerham train on page 26 of South Eastern Steam by Rodney Lissenden. I am tempted to buy the model now unless I have missed it.

 

I suggest that when a post reaches 20 replies someone puts an index of the useful replies. In some posts there is a lot of waffle to wade through before coming to informative replies that we can vaguely remember. An alternative would be to keep a notebook.

[47606odin]

Hither Green yards had wires, as did Hoo Junction, so quite feasible that those H class running out to grain would be in the proximity of wires if they dropped into Hoo

[Shroomy]

Has anybody fitted Dcc sound to this yet ?

If so how did it go?

[Cor-onGRT4]

For the people who wants a BR version, but missed the boat on pre ordering, Hatton's has more than 10 in stock today but with a warning there is a limited stock , so it seems they managed to get more than their preorders that went sell out.

RRP 119,99, so if you want one get fast  

 

[JSpencer]

Has anybody fitted Dcc sound to this yet ?

If so how did it go?

 

You choos have here : http://www.youchoos.co.uk/Index-Resource.php?L1=Guides&Item=OOHornbyWainH

 

No connection just a happy customer (though yet to buy sound for my H).

[Chuffed 1]

For the people who wants a BR version, but missed the boat on pre ordering, Hatton's has more than 10 in stock today but with a warning there is a limited stock , so it seems they managed to get more than their preorders that went sell out.

RRP 119,99, so if you want one get fast

Ordered my H about a month ago from Bure Valley - £87.50. Got a call yesterday and paid for it.

 

On a different note, like many others I'd guess, geared up to scratchbuild an H using South East Finecast body, Bachmann C chimney etc., when Hornby announced these.  One problem with the BR versions of the H is that during their lives various fittings (mainly Chimneys and buffers) were not only swopped between locos but used components from scrapped C and LCDR R1 locos as well. For instance, rear buffers might be original larger pattern, smaller front type or the standard Southern stepped buffers, as carried in 1961 by 31324, amongst others.

Chimneys are a complete nightmare. There were at least three, possibly four types (tall, short, parallel barrel and maybe a medium type).  Some locos like 31530 in its final days had a stumpy (probably ex-R1) chimney, 31551 in the 1950's had a parallel type with barely perceptible taper which was changed by 1960 to the more common tapered barrel type. I believe that the first batch had parallel chimneys, yet these chimneys might turn up on a later build as they indeed did, later on.  Furthermore there were tapered barrel chimneys that clearly weren't as tall as those shown on Hornby's 31308.

My first choice is 31551, my very first railway memory at Gravesend Central in 1961.  To this end I have an order in with Rails for a train pack. To produce this loco in its final condition I only need to change the rear buffers, an easy job.

My second choice, however, would be 31324, which had the medium type chimney, clearly shorter than the Hornby 31308 (the original of which may also have had a medium height chimney.) Unless I use a Bachmann Southern C class chimney I'm not sure how I can change this. 

I have already let Hornby know of this, obviously too late for them to research the subject further, far too late for them to change the model.  I have spent a lot of time looking at H class photos, and please don't take my word for the above, research it for your chosen loco. It's an absolute minefield of bunker, air brakes, chimneys and buffers. After a few days of research you'll feel your head's about to explode!

[Unknown Warrior]

Has anybody fitted Dcc sound to this yet ?

If so how did it go?

Was lucky enough to get one of the three SE&CR liveried ones fitted with sound and renumber as the Bluebell loco for Warley by TMC. All three were sold, strangely enough! Sounds Great.

[John M Upton]

My BR Black one has arrived.  Just trying to get the OHLE flashes and the numbers off now before it becomes 31162.

[melmerby]

 

 It's an absolute minefield of bunker, air brakes, chimneys and buffers. After a few days of research you'll feel your head's about to explode!

I wonder how many locos are completely uniform, throughout the class for long periods of time?

Not many I would guess

 

Keith

[John M Upton]

You should try M7's.  Absolute minefield which includes phantom frame changes from shot to long and vice versa among other oddities.

[bagnall]

My BR Black one has arrived.  Just trying to get the OHLE flashes and the numbers off now before it becomes 31162.

[bagnall]

I see that Hornby have chosen the two BR lined black members of the class 31518 and 31551 to have the later BR emblems with the forward facing lion on the r/h side tank with overhead warning flashes, this being correct for these locos. A quick look through some books also finds 31308 in the same condition and 31162 with the lion facing forward but no flashes, the photo of 31162 appears to show the yellow spot below the number denoting it being fitted to take the water softening briquettes. One H that intrigues me is 31542, this loco was at Stewarts Lane in 1961/62 and was withdrawn in November 1962, occasionally used on the “Kenny Belle” the train that ran two round trips morning and evening between Clapham Junction and Kensington Olympia. Photos taken at this time show it running with the later BR emblem on the l/h side tank and the old original cycling lion on the r/h side tank, l have tried to find out on other forums if any one knows how this came about but to no avail. l can only think that it’s original tank either leaked or was damaged and one from a withdrawn sister loco replaced it, this was one that was not PP fitted. I hope this information is of some use to those who are going to renumber.

[JSpencer]

The further back in time a design goes, the more rustic and changes we can expect to find. The long gone generations before us were far more "make do" with what they had than we are.

[toboldlygo]

You should try M7's.  Absolute minefield which includes phantom frame changes from shot to long and vice versa among other oddities.

The sadistic joys of renumbering M7's - such fun....

[John M Upton]

Is it me or does that photo of 31162 above have a OHLE flash on the boiler?  There appears to be something in the right place beneath all the muck.

 

My primary reason for choosing 31162 is because my Father in Law photographed it in about 1959 on a Box Brownie camera on Horsham shed along with early crest 31530 (the subject for a second one of these if a cheap one happens - unlikely though it may be - to come my way).

[leavesontheline]

Well mine arrived today (R3539 - kudos to Derails for a super service and also for honouring the pre-order price!) - another miniature marvel from Hornby! I have only run it up and down a straight test track so far so don't know how the 0-4-4 arrangement performs over setrack pointwork etc but it seems quite sure footed, smooth running and 'weighty' for its size. Seems like it will benefit from a little running in as the mechanism seems quite 'tight' out of the box. Only minor negatives so far are the quantity of oil in places (cleaned up with a cotton bud) and a small area where the lining is missing along the lower edge of the frame - similar to the one in the video on the Hornby website, but not quite as bad as that one. I may try and rectify it. These are far outweighed by the positives though!

[47606odin]

Is it me or does that photo of 31162 above have a OHLE flash on the boiler?  There appears to be something in the right place beneath all the muck.

 

My primary reason for choosing 31162 is because my Father in Law photographed it in about 1959 on a Box Brownie camera on Horsham shed along with early crest 31530 (the subject for a second one of these if a cheap one happens - unlikely though it may be - to come my way).

Looks like it could be

[Brian Indge]

Has anybody fitted Dcc sound to this yet ?

If so how did it go?

The January 2018 Hornby magazine also has an article by Mike Wild on how to fit sound to this model.

[Shroomy]

Anybody had any running issues with this

I've put a ZN8D direct 8 pin in but on track stops starts not even complete rotation of wheels most of the time in both direction

[gz3xzf]

After 8 months of expectation, I am now the proud owner of a R3539 from Rails, still awaiting Hornby to produce an example without push-pull and an early BR crest.

I still have to finish my SEF kit, once painted I will see how they compare.

 

What DCC chips are people fitting, anybody tried a 8-pin direct plug?

 

Edit:Just had a look at the BR Database and it appears from their listings that 31518 was never fitted with Auto-gear, anybody got any other information sources to corroborate this?

Edited December 7, 2017 by gz3xzf

[Shroomy]

Anybody had any running issues with this

I've put a ZN8D direct 8 pin in but on track stops starts not even complete rotation of wheels most of the time in both direction

  

After 8 months of expectation, I am now the proud owner of a R3539 from Rails, still awaiting Hornby to produce an example without push-pull and an early BR crest.

I still have to finish my SEF kit, once painted I will see how they compare.

 

What DCC chips are people fitting, anybody tried a 8-pin direct plug?

 

Edit:Just had a look at the BR Database and it appears from their listings that 31518 was never fitted with Auto-gear, anybody got any other information sources to corroborate this?

I fitted a zen as above but not good results for me yet but will wait for advice and persevere

[gz3xzf]

  

I fitted a zen as above but not good results for me yet but will wait for advice and persevere

I had some issues with both a TCS and later a Gaugemaster decoder over the last year and I did a factory reset on them which corrected the problem.

Generally it entails entering a value into CV08, lookup for the decoder in question for correct information, but you will lose any options you have set; I am guessing more care would have to be taken with sound decoders, I have no experience with them.

[Shroomy]

I had some issues with both a TCS and later a Gaugemaster decoder over the last year and I did a factory reset on them which corrected the problem.

Generally it entails entering a value into CV08, lookup for the decoder in question for correct information, but you will lose any options you have set; I am guessing more care would have to be taken with sound decoders, I have no experience with them.

The zen is not a sound decoder just a normal Dcc decoder. Will do a reset on it though

But will put blanking plug back in try it on DC rolling road first if all else fails will take the orange cap out maybe or send it back before I do lol