Hornby Schools Class

[robmcg]

Not many photos of the Hornby Schools Class about, at least as far as I have seen, so I offer this below.

 

TMC-weathered and at a good price compared to recent releases, I have wondered how well the various Schools Class locomotives sell.

 

In any event I have photographed 30932 'Blundell's' with what is almost certainly a fireman driving, a not-uncommon event in any steam-age life, the sartorial elegance of the gentleman concerned being common in the 1960-ish era. I have no idea whether Blundell's got  a late crest by say 1959.  Let us just say the event was written about a great deal in stories of the careers of footplate men, but is rarely modelled or photographed.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

 

edit; changed the signal to 'on' as our fireman is backing stock, headed by Maunsell 3rd, backwards. With great aplomb, it must be said, while the driver takes the photo... curiously, the engine is in forward gear, but that's the kind of thing which bemuses historians...

Edited April 25, 2013 by robmcg

[toboldlygo]

Blundell's stayed in black and on early crest until withdrawal. Though her original tender did receive a late crest and Lined Green in a mix up at works!!

[roundhouse]

Not much use for my South Western Devon / Cornwall stock but as these locos used to be based at Redhill I ought to get one.

[robmcg]

In the 'Southern Counties Main Line Steam' book by Ian Welch there is a lovely picture of 30901 'Winchester' just near the LSWR underpass in the Blackwater Valley... p55  It's a superb book, very inspirational for my pictures!

 

The last days of the class in 1962 were quite interesting by the looks of it.

 

Rob

[robmcg]

Here is the erstwhile fireman at work.... the sun always shone in those days, this is a Reading-Redhill service or maybe one of the Waterloo 12.54pm Salisbury trains regularly worked by a Schools?  Getting to grips with 10-on into afternoon sun.

 

 

file named 'summer wine' out of respect for the TV series and the last days of the Schools class in BR around 1962...

 

 

Edited April 29, 2013 by robmcg

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi Rob

Superb pictures I also have this loco and shall be weathering it soon I hope. Doubt my pictures will be of the same quality as yours tho,

 

Scott

[Horsetan]

Not many photos of the Hornby Schools Class about, at least as far as I have seen, so I offer this below....

I think the Hornby "Schools" is one of those models that is so essentially right that nobody makes a fuss about it. Just like the Heljan Hymek.

[Oldddudders]

I think Blundells was one of the very first to be withdrawn, with Harrow, the only one I didn't see.

[robmcg]

To me they are the quintessence of the sad events of 1963 ...   at least the sudden disappearance of so many fine locomotives all around BR between 1960 and 1965 was sad for we young watchers.   It happened everywhere, although I guess for some working on railways it was nice to have cleaner work.   

 

Of course these years co-incided with my age 9-14, and I was 17 when the last BR steam ran. I grew up in NZ where a similar radical change in the nature of railways occurred, from double-headed 4-8-4 steam express trains to English Electric or EMD diesel electrics.

 

Mostly I liked the Schools because of a Kitmaster 'Harrow' and reading lots of Ian Allan books and many magazines, Meccano, Model Railway News, several British Railway magazines, and being a Wellingtonian , where intensive suburban services mix with long distance, just like SR Waterloo, I was always going to be hooked.   A love of photography and my mother being born in Guildford didn't help... Guildford being the last shed of so many Standard 5MTs ...  David Shepherd's 'An Artist Among the Ashes' poignant book says everything about those days.

 

That's not to say I didn't get a thrill when a New Zealand Railways driver of a 1425hp 'Da' class EMD with no silencers and an eight-total non-stop Auckland-Wellington daylight express got the bit between his teeth running 30 minutes late and trying to make them all up in the 50 mile run from Palmerston North to Paekakariki...   air-braking into curves so that luggage nearly fell off racks, and accelerating away notch 6 with lurches in the couplings.  It wasn't unlike the experience when I was a little older riding British motorbikes very fast... I'd mention that to my friends but only a few 'got it'.

 

Rob

Edited April 27, 2013 by robmcg

[jjb1970]

Great pics!! This is one of my favourite models as it is a superb model of a wonderfully elegant design. The 4-4-0 arrangement can seem a bit archaic (well if we're honest steam locomotives are archaic anyway) but the Schools were a glorious looking machine. The Hornby model is a corker, I prefer Southern to the BR liveried options but they're all nice.

[robmcg]

please note; I edited the picture of the Schools just now, just added a bit more blur to wheels and motion.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

[G-BOAF]

Is the cab on the Hornby schools a separate moulding to the boiler/running plate? i.e. could (glue permitting) cabs be swapped between boilers (as per Hornby A3, castle etc)? I can't tell.

I'm kicking myself. Bought a schools 'Westminster' when hattons were selling them at 50% off, to renumber as 30928 Stowe.

I now notice that Hornby have (correctly) got the earlier cab on Westminster, which is incorrect for later locos. I'm normally so careful at identifying detailed differences.

I'm wondering if I should try to source a scrap body to swap cabs if possible.

[Hroth]

I got "Westminster" when it was cheaper than the Railroad version at Hattons too.

 

The only problem is that its so fragile, bits fall off when you just look at it!

[G-BOAF]

I got "Westminster" when it was cheaper than the Railroad version at Hattons too.

 

The only problem is that its so fragile, bits fall off when you just look at it!

OK, but do the 'right' bits fall off - i.e. cab (as my above question), or possibly the smokebox so I can swap large and small chimney versions?

[Forester]

Brought up in Schools country next to the Hastings line.

 

They all became personal friends and later would take me each day to - well -  School, actually.

 

Remember the shock of seeing the first one in BR green. So well-justified livery-wise as an express engine, when given the opportunity to run on a decent piece of track.

 

Cheap as chips now, and such a good model too, if rather fragile. Hardly worth changing cabs when you can buy a nearly new one with the correct cab or chimney for so little.

[Dunsignalling]

OK, but do the 'right' bits fall off - i.e. cab (as my above question), or possibly the smokebox so I can swap large and small chimney versions?

I'm pretty sure, looking at mine, that the cab is a separate part.

 

However, Murphy's Law states that any bit you want to come off, will be superbly well-attached.

 

John

[Big James]

I’ve only got 34015 Brighton in green. Got to echo other people

Sentiments. Such a handsome engine but extremely fragile. I’ve seen them for as low as £70 now. Which makes me wonder will we see another realease any time soon?

 

Big james

[Forester]

Is the cab on the Hornby schools a separate moulding to the boiler/running plate? i.e. could (glue permitting) cabs be swapped between boilers (as per Hornby A3, castle etc)? I can't tell.

I'm kicking myself. Bought a schools 'Westminster' when hattons were selling them at 50% off, to renumber as 30928 Stowe.

I now notice that Hornby have (correctly) got the earlier cab on Westminster, which is incorrect for later locos. I'm normally so careful at identifying detailed differences.

I'm wondering if I should try to source a scrap body to swap cabs if possible.

 

Ooops! Sorry! I now see your problem.

 

Hornby hasn't produced a single-chimney, lined BR-green, later cab version to renumber as Stowe.

 

If you take the Lemaitre chimney off a Brighton it wil leave a large hole. The cab is a separate moulding but deeply integrated into the structure and doesn't just pull off, and cutting off the smokebox is difficult with the weights inside.

 

I don't see an easy way out of this other than a complete repaint of a Blundell's or similar.

 

But the difference in the cab-sides is so minimal even to someone steeped in the Schools class, it is barely visible. (In my view Hornby have not put the low-window as low as it should be - there being no low-window surviving Schools to measure or scan).

Is anyone going to notice? 

[G-BOAF]

Thanks All

I know see from various online pics that the smokebox is a seperate part from the boiler. Assuming that the boiler/cab can be removed from the running plate, this might be easier than trying to get the cab off the boiler. Only problem is the weight. Given the bargain nature of 'Westminster' I'm tempted to have a fiddle (i.e. risk destroying) before splashing out any more for another model to rob for parts... Sadly there are no green, later cab, models at £c.70 prices.

[Steamport Southport]

 

 

Is anyone going to notice? 

 

The problem is when you know its wrong then your mind automatically concentrates on it. Most people would let it pass, but some of us get bugged by "Insignificant" details.

 

 

 

Jason

[phil-b259]

I’ve only got 34015 Brighton in green. Got to echo other people

Sentiments. Such a handsome engine but extremely fragile. I’ve seen them for as low as £70 now. Which makes me wonder will we see another realease any time soon?

 

Big james

 

I hope so - in Southern Olive WITH smoke deflectors this time.

 

Unfortunately in the past with Olive SR locos, Hornby seem to have simply churned out more of the same (then wondered why they are slow sellers). The initial Olive release of 'Charterhouse' was followed by the identical 'Dulwich' while in the King Arthur series we have yet to see any variation with respect to tenders (watercart / 6 wheeled) or a non-smoke deflector version.

 

The acid test in some ways will be the S15 - if they release another in Olive will it be different from the already released 824 (i.e. tender style).

[Big James]

I wonder if we will ever see a release of an N15 with a watercart tender. I do want to get another schools class. Probably be another late crest in green which is the livery they wore when they migrated west onto the former LSWR.

 

Big james

[phil-b259]

I wonder if we will ever see a release of an N15 with a watercart tender. I do want to get another schools class. Probably be another late crest in green which is the livery they wore when they migrated west onto the former LSWR.

 

Big james

 

Hornby did release a single example (BR Early crest) as part of their Waterman collection a few years ago but that was the only one.

 

Similarly they did an Olive Arthur with a 6 wheel tender as part of a train set a few years ago - but again this was the only example. (Yes BR liveried ones have appeared with 6 wheel tenders in the main range, but not a lot of use if you want an Olive one)

[Big James]

I remember that one. And me in the excitement of new year forgot I had one Sir meliagrance. But it’s such a random name to use when they had quite a few others that are a little bit more awe inspiring like king sir galahad. Who I renamed mine to.

 

Big james.

[Iltman]

I wonder if we will ever see a release of an N15 with a watercart tender. I do want to get another schools class. Probably be another late crest in green which is the livery they wore when they migrated west onto the former LSWR.

Big james

Well admittedly it’s in early BR green but Hornby did release an N15 with watercart tender in the Pete Waterman collection

Sorry just caught the posts above, I have to admit I have several Arthurs in various guises. Oh and as regards the Schools on the South Western Section there’s a YouTube clip showing Basingstoke in 1949 with a newly out shopped Schools working a Waterloo bound stopper

Edited December 31, 2017 by Iltman