Hornby S15 Question

[KVT]

Hi All

 

I recently bought a like new R3327 S15 how do I know it is not faulty or the motor is not going to give up on me, I gave it a test yesterday and it seemed to perform fine no real motor noise, able to haul 4 coaches fine at 70% power (using gaugemaster combi and did not try with more coaches), how many coaches should this model be able to haul at a good speed? is it a certain batch of s15's that are known to go wrong?

 

Your help is most appreciated.

[Mallard60022]

I've got 5 of these. Every one is sweet as a nut. I'd say eight Coaches (Baccy Bulleids) easily, or maybe more if (say) Hornby Bulleids or Maunsells, if your curves are not too tight.

No idea about going wrong batches...sorry.

In my patch, at Seaton Junction, they were mostly Goods and sometimes Milk, maybe Parcels and local Passenger (Yeovil/Templecombe) and sometimes as far as Salisbury and return. Usually a 3 Set and maybe a Bogie Van or two.  Sometimes 5 or 6 on a busy turn. Great engines and versatile.

Phil

[KVT]

36 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

I've got 5 of these. Every one is sweet as a nut. I'd say eight Coaches (Baccy Bulleids) easily, or maybe more if (say) Hornby Bulleids or Maunsells, if your curves are not too tight.

No idea about going wrong batches...sorry.

In my patch, at Seaton Junction, they were mostly Goods and sometimes Milk, maybe Parcels and local Passenger (Yeovil/Templecombe) and sometimes as far as Salisbury and return. Usually a 3 Set and maybe a Bogie Van or two.  Sometimes 5 or 6 on a busy turn. Great engines and versatile.

Phil

 

Thank you, yeah I tested with 4 Bachmann bulleids, as I only have a small space I used Radius 3 curves but it does not seem to be affected, I wanted to ask the community regarding this as I really like this Olive Green livery but I do not want to have to source a spare motor if it dies on me which is why I thought I would ask if there is any trouble signs to look for, when you say 8 Bachmann Bulleids at what speed would you say it should be able to haul them at, when I tried 4 it seems to go fairly fast?

 

Many Thanks

[RFS]

I've got 2 of these and they work absolutely fine. Being DCC, I had to remove the capacitors to prevent them causing interference - one's wired across the motor wires and the other is across two of the DCC sockets. Having the DCC socket in the tender means the loco has been well weighted as space does not need to be left free for a decoder, plus it also has a flywheel to improve smooth running. 

Edited March 17, 2023 by RFS

[KVT]

Thank you both I thought most if not all S15's have issues, I can now at least run mine in confidence knowing hopefully it should not fail.

[GWR-fan]

Due anecdotal evidence I have purposely avoided both the S15 and the B12.  I know a squeaky axle gets the most grease (you never hear about the quiet axles) but I am not prepared to risk purchasing and getting a possible dud.  From memory,  the models reported as failing all started off just fine but then after seemingly very little running the locomotives stopped and the motors possibly overheated and failed, drawing considerable amperage.   I suppose the only way to know if you have a dud is to run it and hope that it does not fail.

[SRman]

I only have two S15s, but both are great haulers and smooth and quiet (well, one has sound fitted but is quiet when sound is off! 😁).

The sound-fitted one ran around DougN's figure-8 layout on test when fairly new, with 31 wagons. It slipped to a halt only at the very top of the rise, but coped OK with 30 wagons, and ran without fault for quite a long time. It continues to run reliable to this day, as does the other S15. I haven't tried it on passenger train but did have it pulling a mixed parcels and milk train, roughly equivalent to nine or ten bogie coaches (it included several 6-wheel milk tanks and some 4-wheel CCTs).

Edit: I almost forgot I did this too, with it hauling a long container train (yes, it was mixing periods, it was a test).
 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by SRman
Added video link

[Right Away]

I have three Hornby S15 4-6-0s, the first one was purchased when the model was released, the last in 2020; all are lovely runners.

Only one issue and that was with the last one bought, when a valve gear pin fell out and was lost. I repaired using an “N” gauge track pin.

[D 844]

I have three S15s, they are trouble free and they are lighter weight than the N15s. Well balanced but for heavy freight need some weight in the right place, perhaps over the motor rather than fill the smokebox. I bought my last one without the tender as I wanted to couple to a Schools class tender but the loco plug had to go in the wrong way round so I had to swop round the tender pickups to make it work, very fiddly unless someone has a better idea?

[DCB]

4-6-0 locos are a bit tricky to weight effectively as I have discovered in that getting enough weight at the back can be a problem.  I have several Hornby Halls and the like with lead crammed under the cab around the footsteps and behind the motor to improve traction and on occasion I have tried extra weight in the smokebox and actually decreased haulage as it takes weight off the rear wheels.   The S15s were the Southern's premier heavy freight locos for most of their lives, some seem to have done Reading to Redhill locals in their  final years when replaced by BRCW Type 3s (Class 33) .   The Southern liked to run fast vacuum fitted freights as a much larger proportion of traffic than other railways and their use was rather like the GWR 47XX class fast fitted freights and some passenger work, Summer Saturday extras  and deputising for Light Pacifics on locals when the Light Pacifics were hauling Summer Saturday extras.  Policy was for the first train of a series to have the best loco, sometimes they ran in 5 parts, so the Pacifics were first choice and the S15s behind the LNs and N15s on the grounds that tie lost by the first train affects every other one while the last one can lose masses of time without affecting anything.     Not many modellers run a train in 5 portions at 5 minute intervals at scale 60 MPH.
That's actually a pity as a WC with 13 on following a MN with 16 on with an  N15 on 13 following and an S15 behind that with maybe  an H15 on 12 behind that would look rather spectacular......
I run my trains in portions but only have 3 southern sets..

[Robin Verth]

I have two Hornby S15's, one early crest and one late crest, I pre-ordered both, they were both run in on a rolling road and then DCC fitted, after a short time I noticed that one was speeding up and slowing down at random (I can not remember which one), looking on the web I found out that there was a problem with some S15's motors failing the first signs being speeding up and slowing down before eventual failure, I sourced replacement motors for both models, as of yet I have not replaced the problematic motor,  a change in my modelling meant that the largest engine in use would be a N class, I think the problem maybe with the early production models, I seem to recall the Box Shifters offering big discounts on the S15's not too long after its introduction.

[Mallard60022]

On 17/03/2023 at 20:24, KVT said:

 

Thank you, yeah I tested with 4 Bachmann bulleids, as I only have a small space I used Radius 3 curves but it does not seem to be affected, I wanted to ask the community regarding this as I really like this Olive Green livery but I do not want to have to source a spare motor if it dies on me which is why I thought I would ask if there is any trouble signs to look for, when you say 8 Bachmann Bulleids at what speed would you say it should be able to haul them at, when I tried 4 it seems to go fairly fast?

 

Many Thanks

Only just seen this. Ref the speed. The main line west of Salisbury had really fast stretches. I'd say 60 on the flat(ish) between (say) Templecombe and Yeovil . However S15 Locals were often held in Loops at Stations or even sidings for quite long periods, to allow the stream of fast Expresses to pass on Summer Saturdays.

However that would usually only be 3, or maybe 5 Coaches.

Phil

Edited September 16, 2023 by Mallard60022

[D 844]

Hornby S15 follow up, I have added some weight without spoiling the balance. using shaped lead, one in the cab, two at the back of the boiler and one under both flywheels, there is space for more but as it is now it hauls 16 coaches whereas before it was just managing 12. The layout in part is 2nd radius curves and it has no problems with that, well worth doing it

[Il Grifone]

There is space in the tender for weight attached to an extension of the drawbar or the  tender can rest on the drawer with the first and second axles or front bogie just 'going along for the ride'.

 

I would expect a 4-6-0 to be able to  shift at least 15 modern coaches fitted with pin-point axles.