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

Graham_Muz

By Graham_Muz,
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Wickham Green

Wickham Green

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Happy Christmas everyone.

 

Re the SECR H class, now its arrived for Christmas I note that it has smaller buffer heads at the front than the rear, is this prototypical?

Yes that was correct when built - and was standard for many S.E.C.R. tank locos at the time .......... oddly the converse was NOT true and the 4-4-0s didn't carry larger buffers ..................... needless to say, the fitting of Maunsell buffers to some locos confused everything later in life. 

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Chuffed 1

Chuffed 1

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Yes that was correct when built - and was standard for many S.E.C.R. tank locos at the time .......... oddly the converse was NOT true and the 4-4-0s didn't carry larger buffers ..................... needless to say, the fitting of Maunsell buffers to some locos confused everything later in life. 

It wasn't that the front buffers were deliberately small  - at the time when there were still four and six wheel coaches in service and bogie coaches had moderate overhang, the forward distance from the centre of pivot allowed small buffers, especially for suburban tank locos.  Even the contemporary T9 express locos had buffers that were small by later standards.  On the rear, with quite a swing from the centre of pivot, larger buffers were required from new.

In later years buffers seemed to be swopped round on a seemingly ad hoc basis, 31263 for instance, having large buffers front and rear and 31324 had the later Maunsell stepped pattern.  A similar thing happened with chimneys, and by the early sixties there were probably only five or so locos (31005, 31278, 31263 31308 and 31543 spring to mind) with the tall/thin type as carried by Hornby's model, most of the rest having slightly wider, slightly shorter chimneys as carried by 31263 shortly before withdrawal and into preservation (but not now).

31543, incidentally would make probably the best contender for a Hornby H in early crest as it carried this through to withdrawal in 1963, had the right chimney, bunker type, buffers, etc.,.

31278 of course, had the non-flared bunker.

For some locos, a later C (or LCDR R1?) type chimney was carried from Southern days, 31530 being a classic example.

 

FWIW, I believe Hornby have done an absolutely superlative job with the H:  Truly outstanding. And mine runs like the proverbial sewing machine too!

Edited by Chuffed 1
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roundhouse

roundhouse

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I have the late BR crest version. Superb model but yet to run it. I have had the chassis off the body and space for the 8 pin decoder looks tight. What decoders have people used so far that fit?

 

Also you can se the brass flywheel quite clearly down the chimney so. I will paint the flywheel black but also may add a small lead cover within the chimney to add a bit more weight.

 

Also does anyone know what H is the closest match to renumber the current Hornby late crest version as I will be running it alongside a friends H at in the future and quite happy to renumber mine

Edited by roundhouse
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Chuffed 1

Chuffed 1

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I have the late BR crest version. Superb model but yet to run it. I have had the chassis off the body and space for the 8 pin decoder looks tight. What decoders have people used so far that fit?

 

Also you can se the brass flywheel quite clearly down the chimney so. I will paint the flywheel black but also may add a small lead cover within the chimney to add a bit more weight.

 

Also does anyone know what H is the closest match to renumber the current Hornby late crest version as I will be running it alongside a friends H at in the future and quite happy to renumber mine

 

Hi Roundhouse,

 

Good luck with fitting your decoder, it's pretty tight in there!

 

Off the top of my head I'd go for 31308 or 31005, though it's possible the latter had a shorter chimney fitted just prior to withdrawal in 1963. My personal choice for 1962 is 31005. I'm also getting the train pack with 31551, my first ever railway memory but one that requires what became the 'standard' latter-day chimney, fitted I believe, in early 1961.  These chimneys puzzle me somewhat.  There are pictures with H's having them in Southern days, and there are photographs which appear to show either a 'cut-and-shut' or a filler piece inserted in a shorter chimney.  I've measured the ratio between width just below the cap and the height from saddle top (i.e. top of smokebox) to rim edge and the figures come out about 55% for the earlier, Hornby type to around 75% for the later 'standard' type.

31263 clearly had the 'standard' type upon withdrawal but after it's 90's overhaul now has the earlier 'tall' type as per Hornby. I don't know what the story was, but at the time (mid-to-late 50's) this change started, a lot of BR loco departments were providing wider chimney apertures as part of better draughting, with Manors, Counties, Castles and Kings all benefitting on the Western, whilst the Southern was putting BR standard chimneys on N, Q, Ivatt tank and S15 classes.  Perhaps they did the same with the H class by creating or altering a suitable chimney?

Edited by Chuffed 1
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roundhouse

roundhouse

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Hi Roundhouse,

 

Good luck with fitting your decoder, it's pretty tight in there!

 

Off the top of my head I'd go for 31308 or 31005, though it's possible the latter had a shorter chimney fitted just prior to withdrawal in 1963. My personal choice for 1962 is 31005. I'm also getting the train pack with 31551, my first ever railway memory but one that requires what became the 'standard' latter-day chimney, fitted I believe, in early 1961.  These chimneys puzzle me somewhat.  There are pictures with H's having them in Southern days, and there are photographs which appear to show either a 'cut-and-shut' or a filler piece inserted in a shorter chimney.  I've measured the ratio between width just below the cap and the height from saddle top (i.e. top of smokebox) to rim edge and the figures come out about 55% for the earlier, Hornby type to around 75% for the later 'standard' type.

31263 clearly had the 'standard' type upon withdrawal but after it's 90's overhaul now has the earlier 'tall' type as per Hornby. I don't know what the story was, but at the time (mid-to-late 50's) this change started, a lot of BR loco departments were providing wider chimney apertures as part of better draughting, with Manors, Counties, Castles and Kings all benefitting on the Western, whilst the Southern was putting BR standard chimneys on N, Q, Ivatt tank and S15 classes.  Perhaps they did the same with the H class by creating or altering a suitable chimney?

Thanks for the info.

 

Now looking up photos of those two. Ideally I am after one that ran on the Oxted area / Three Bridges to East Grinstead lines.

 

WIll post photos of the renumbering once completed.

 

Ian

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Shroomy

Shroomy

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I have the late BR crest version. Superb model but yet to run it. I have had the chassis off the body and space for the 8 pin decoder looks tight. What decoders have people used so far that fit?

Also you can se the brass flywheel quite clearly down the chimney so. I will paint the flywheel black but also may add a small lead cover within the chimney to add a bit more weight.

Also does anyone know what H is the closest match to renumber the current Hornby late crest version as I will be running it alongside a friends H at in the future and quite happy to renumber mine

This is what I fitted first worked ok

http://www.digitrains.co.uk/ecommerce/search/z360-8-pin-direct-decoder-with-s-a.aspx

Don't make the mistake of getting a lenz direct 8 pin they don't fit

Then I decided to try and follow the Hornby sound fitting guide and blew it up not for the faint hearted blew a sound decoder

Edited by Shroomy
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roundhouse

roundhouse

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Thanks for that Shroomy. Having had the same issue with direct plug in boards before, that's one reason for my post. It's not a loco that I will use much at the moment so just want a fairly cheap decoder and that looks good.

Edited by roundhouse
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G-BOAF

G-BOAF

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In case nobody's noticed, Hornby have announced No.263 as preserved ( Collectors Club ), today ...... surprise, surprise ............... and a flat-bunker 31265 in Early Crest livery ( genuine surprise ).

Where, and how do we buy one (263)? can't find it on Andy's release, nor on the Hornby website

Edited by G-BOAF
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JSpencer

JSpencer

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Graham Muz got wind of it somewhere .............. I'd better not suggest that he might be in the club !

 

There were strong hints last year, tied to the new club. I'm hoping they add "abroad collectors" packages as I want to join the new club (which looks great) and get this model.

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greatcoleswoodhalt

greatcoleswoodhalt

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On 08/01/2018 at 12:14, Pre Grouping fan said:

Its the collectors club exclusive so likely available when that relaunches later in the year

 

Here's hoping!

 

With No 263 on the horizon I registered interest in The Collector long before Christmas, but nothing received as yet...

 

Edited by jafcreasey
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Bluebell Model Railway

Bluebell Model Railway

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Its been on the cards for a while... shadowed images on the website, then a little bit of is it or isn't it happening, especially with their Warley centre piece... sort of gave it away but announced nothing at the time... however still nothing on the website in regards to the club, however I think I am probably the only one who doesn't want it to happen...
37774024565_520d895af8_b.jpg



  Edited by Bluebell Model Railway
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Chuffed 1

Chuffed 1

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In case nobody's noticed, Hornby have announced No.263 as preserved ( Collectors Club ), today ...... surprise, surprise ............... and a flat-bunker 31265 in Early Crest livery ( genuine surprise ).

Surprised Hornby have gone with 31265 as their first early emblem version as it was withdrawn in 1960, whereas they could have done their current model as 31543 (withdrawn 1963) and brought out the flat bunker type later on as late crest 31278 (withdrawn 1964). That way they could have increased their potential market for each variant.

 

Also puzzled by the choice of Lord Rodney as their early emblem Lord Nelson, as it was late crested in 1957 and was of the Maunsell cylindered type.

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