hornbyandbf3fan Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 I suppose this means I'm now going to be inundated with questions like "is that a Hornby model?" NO!!!!!!, and "How did you convert it to EM?" "I didn't, I built it that way!!!!!!!" 20140709_213948.jpg 20140709_214005.jpg Phil Nice, were the (what I assume to be anyway) tarpaulin supports part of the kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 What a prototype!... Every hope that it does the business for Hornby, and gives a clear signal that this is a niche they should exploit more vigorously. The small and very attractive machines built by so many of the pre-group companies supplied so much in the way of essential 'locality character' almost to the end of steam, and they have the potential to carry an 'eye-candy' livery or two once the first rush of sales is past. I notice that Hornby have run the GNR livery on the N2 again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilM Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Just got mine in early BR crest. All I can say is she is an absolute beauty and runs very well straight out of the box - even tender first on some pretty poorly laid track. Must start saving for a second! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold toboldlygo Posted February 18, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2015 Just got mine in early BR crest. All I can say is she is an absolute beauty and runs very well straight out of the box - even tender first on some pretty poorly laid track. Must start saving for a second! My second one has just arrived.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1626 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I am impressed with the J15. However a word of caution. The early BR model should have a vacuum ejector pipe running down the right-hand side of the boiler just above the handrail.( Eric Sawford - Steam Locomotives 1955 - page 115) It is correct prior to Feb 1933 (with the exception of the livery) It was unique in that it was one of seven converted from steam brake to vacuum, although 5 of them were fitted with side window cabs. They were all fitted with balanced wheels when converted in 1930's. The photo does not show the wheels as balanced, so they may have been swapped at the 1943/5/7 when it had a general overhaul. If you want an easier choice of early numbered loco it is probably easier. Buy a later model and change the emblem/number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGC Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Nice, were the (what I assume to be anyway) tarpaulin supports part of the kit? I'm sorry to say I can't recall - the loco was built about 12 years ago and my memory isn't good enough to recall 12 minutes or 12 days let alone 12 years! Apologies. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornbyandbf3fan Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 I'm sorry to say I can't recall - the loco was built about 12 years ago and my memory isn't good enough to recall 12 minutes or 12 days let alone 12 years! Apologies. Phil No problem then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I am impressed with the J15. However a word of caution. The early BR model should have a vacuum ejector pipe running down the right-hand side of the boiler just above the handrail.( Eric Sawford - Steam Locomotives 1955 - page 115) It is correct prior to Feb 1933 (with the exception of the livery) It was unique in that it was one of seven converted from steam brake to vacuum, although 5 of them were fitted with side window cabs. They were all fitted with balanced wheels when converted in 1930's. The photo does not show the wheels as balanced, so they may have been swapped at the 1943/5/7 when it had a general overhaul. I It was unique in that of the seven it was the only one that did not have steam heating. Before 1933 brakes would be right but cab roof would be different so not that simple. Just seen the models and find that I am in luck as I want to do a steam brake only version and the early BR model saves me the trouble of removing the pipe. Looking at the two versions it seems that Hornby have used the same cab back plate. I will look into things and report back but a quick survey would seem to indicate that the Westinghouse fitted version needs an extra brass hand wheel to the right of the existing one above the fire box door and a gauge above this. Smaller than the one on the left. Hornby do appear to have produced a cracking portrayal of the class. Nice to see both types of tender frame. Even got the bent front vac pipe correct, though a touch of red paint will improve it even further. No sign of the pipe work going along the buffer beam and round the end but that would not have been an easy item to replicate. Not difficult if you really want to do it. Another point to watch if renumbering is the variety of shapes on the boiler side pipe work. Note that the accs. pack contains some parts that are not required on all versions Any body up for a challenge? I look forward to a seeing conversion to 65462. Friday I can have a play. Pulling a couple of horse boxes it should look the part. Loaded with Suffolk Punches of course. Hornby have not just got their mojo back. They have advanced into new territory. Bernard 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold toboldlygo Posted February 18, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2015 My second one has just arrived.... ..aside from having the wrong detailing pack - Hereford Model Centre put their hands up to this (got swapped when they tested it), correct one in the post already! Runs flawlessly and had it pulling 6 coaches with ease (I didn't want to tax it too much) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr.king Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) Has anybody taken any decent colour close-ups of the LNER version of this model please - the production one as sold, rather than any taster images from Hornby or the big retailers who may have had access to the pre-production example? There seems to be some debate about the colour, size and alignment of the insignia applied by Hornby. Edited February 19, 2015 by gr.king Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted February 18, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2015 Every hope that it does the business for Hornby, and gives a clear signal that this is a niche they should exploit more vigorously. The small and very attractive machines built by so many of the pre-group companies supplied so much in the way of essential 'locality character' almost to the end of steam, and they have the potential to carry an 'eye-candy' livery or two once the first rush of sales is past. I notice that Hornby have run the GNR livery on the N2 again... These small locos were the bread and butter of the British railway companies. 0-6-0s were the most common wheel arrangement, whether tank or tender. The GWR maintained a stock of around 1000 pannier tanks over much of it's later existence IIRC around a third of it's total steam locos and the LMS and LNER had a great many 0-6-0s, far more than all these glamorous passenger engines which Hornby, in the past, seemed to think are the mainstream! Big engines are nice for appearance but not prototypical unless you are modelling a main line out of a big passenger station (with one or two exceptions, of course) More please Hornby and Bachmann and Dapol etc. keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I had a quick look at mine tonight, re: the tender pickups. Briefly, my l/c version is a beautiful runner. However one of my electrofrog points ia "as laid" with no frog switch wiring yet, so on occasions the blades/frog are dead. Hesitiation over this point led me to believe the pickups were at fault, so I upturned it on the workbench, and applied test leads to each wheel in turn. This proved that one side of the tender was not live; also one of the loco drivers was intermittent with the axle pushed to one side. The latter was a simple tweak to the relevant pickup. However, there appears to be an open circuit connection somewhere within the tender wiring, which I have proven but not finally located the fault. So, back to the original plan, hinted at in my earlier post. Rip out the unneccessary DCC socket and subsitute simple 2-wire from motor to pickups. Job for another evening though. Stewart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bigcheeseplant Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I posted these photos earlier in the thread I was comparing the photos with my model that arrived yesterday and notice that 65390 has a pipe down the boiler side missing on the model, and the tender handrail or height seems different, plus were the reversing rod enters the cab seems to be missing a box cover. As someone who knows nothing about J15 locos can someone point me what variant 65390 is? David 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) David The pipe is for the vacuum ejector. This was fitted around May1933 according to the Green Book. This loco was also fitted with steam heating at the same time so would have the usual hanging down pipes below the buffer beam. As for the missing box, probably a local short term change. I have seen photos with various parts of the casing for various pipes missing. Bernard Just to add to the above. The LNER did not give separate part class numbers to the J15s so trying to identify a variant is rather difficult other than by the details or photos. Just noticed. The example in your photos has fluted coupling rods. Easy detail to get correct, these were introduced in 1906. Wrong, they swapped them in later years. Edited February 19, 2015 by Bernard Lamb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilM Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Thanks Bernard and Andy for inf on the BR early crest 65356. Are you able to provide a bit more advice please? Early crest and shed plate 31A (Cambridge) are perfect for me. I have checked my library and cant find any photos of this loco but I assume it could have turned up on the CVHR or the Stour Valley which are my main interest. If the other vacuum brake fitted J15s were mainly the side window cab version was this something to do with the needs of the CVHR and similar branches? So I think my choices are: Most likely for an easy life - Keep it as it is and live without the vacuum ejector pipe (maybe fit one in the future if someone provides an easy fit part). With and oval layout I can only see one side anyway! Only fit the brake pipe on the bufferbeam. Goods only. Change the number to a steam brake only (any advice on suitable 31A numbers?), or live with a wrong number. No pipes on the buffer beam. Unfitted goods only. Buy a late crest westinghouse fitted version for passenger work! Thanks for any help you can give. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orford Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Bernard - Here is the prototype cab. Hornby have (reasonably in my opinion) provided a 'reasonable' representation of the cab fittings, rather then trying to put in every single fitting, which would doubtless have increased the cost. This is the actual photo which I supplied to Simon Kohler at the time...... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornbyandbf3fan Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'm still quite interested in modelling that tarpaulin rail on the front of the tender, does anyone think paper-clip wire would be suitable? If not I have some handrail wire about somewhere but I'd rather use paper clips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'll bet I'm not the only kiddie at heart when it comes to model locos, and I should avoid these threads like the plague! To put things in perspective, if there were no railway forums I would not have half the locos I have. But sadly for me these loco threads are a magnet and I have have my work cut out preventing that same magnet from drawing coins of the realm from out of my account..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pint of Adnams Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Back on page 2 of this thread I posted a list of most of the differences, although omitted the steam and vacuum pipes along the footplate. Ideally you need RCTS 'greenie' volume 5, Yeadon volume 35, Locomotives Illustrated 142, Railway Bylines Summer Special Number 3 and GERS Journal 133 to make any sense of the numerous individual variations. Unfortunately the last, written and drawn by Lyn D Brooks, professional illustrator, GERS Locomotives Co-ordinator and the person who worked with Hornby on this and the D16/3, is only available to members of the GERS. Oh, and photographs of your intended prototype at the period in question... As to the most recent posts: Backplate fittings varied by build and subsequent modifications; restored locomotives do not always reflect those fitted whilst in service. The tarp rail on the tender had vertical flat bar at either side and a rod between them, so a paper clip will not quite do the job. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornbyandbf3fan Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 The tarp rail on the tender had vertical flat bar at either side and a rod between them, so a paper clip will not quite do the job. I'd never noticed that, I reckon I could do the vertical plate somehow though with a scrap bit of metal 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold toboldlygo Posted February 19, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 19, 2015 These J15's look very sad and lonely on their own - they're better in the company of another 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Bernard - Here is the prototype cab. Hornby have (reasonably in my opinion) provided a 'reasonable' representation of the cab fittings, rather then trying to put in every single fitting, which would doubtless have increased the cost. This is the actual photo which I supplied to Simon Kohler at the time...... I can understand the need for compromise to keep costs to a realistic level the case for some simplification is indeed reasonable. However where fittings are symmetrical I find it odd that one side is modelled and the other is not. That photo I presume is of the preserved machine. Bernard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 In the last photos above, 65445 is dual fitted? It should have the vacuum ejector pipe along the boiler as David has already highlighted in post 263. I believe it should also have a front-to-back vacuum pipe just below the running plate. If steam heat fitted (seems likely for a fitted loco) then there would be a similar lagged pipe running along the other side. For PhilM, the side window and tender cabs were fitted for the Stour Valley where the locos ran as far backwards as forwards. Off the top of my head there were only a handful so fitted (as few as 4?). I can't agree with Pint's advice about photographs strongly enough, these little locos are a minefield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold toboldlygo Posted February 19, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 19, 2015 In the last photos above, 65445 is dual fitted? It should have the vacuum ejector pipe along the boiler as David has already highlighted in post 263. I believe it should also have a front-to-back vacuum pipe just below the running plate. If steam heat fitted (seems likely for a fitted loco) then there would be a similar lagged pipe running along the other side. For PhilM, the side window and tender cabs were fitted for the Stour Valley where the locos ran as far backwards as forwards. Off the top of my head there were only a handful so fitted (as few as 4?). I can't agree with Pint's advice about photographs strongly enough, these little locos are a minefield. My bad, got carried away sticking the detailing on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted February 19, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 19, 2015 In the last photos above, 65445 is dual fitted? It should have the vacuum ejector pipe along the boiler as David has already highlighted in post 263. I believe it should also have a front-to-back vacuum pipe just below the running plate. If steam heat fitted (seems likely for a fitted loco) then there would be a similar lagged pipe running along the other side. For PhilM, the side window and tender cabs were fitted for the Stour Valley where the locos ran as far backwards as forwards. Off the top of my head there were only a handful so fitted (as few as 4?). I can't agree with Pint's advice about photographs strongly enough, these little locos are a minefield. Hi Jonathan, sorry but I beg to differ! The vacuum ejector pipe appears to have only been fitted to the steam brake only engines which were fitted with vacuum train brakes by the LNER. 65445 was indeed dual fitted and several published photos of the real engine (e.g. in the MGNJRS publication 'J15s Remembered' and 'Locomotives Illustrated 142') show that it didn't have the pipe seen on 65390 in post 263. To my mind, Hornby have modelled the steam and vacuum pipes running along the running plate on this loco. The RCTS Green Book lists the engines which were vacuum fitted by the LNER, of which there were 7, 5 of which had side window cabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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