Hornby LSWR M7 245

[SRman]

I have just taken delivery of my LSWR M7 and upon unpacking was very happy with my purchase. It is very well finished, looks very smart. However, fitting a DCC decoder is defeating me. Has anyone managed to do this?

 

Firstly, the instructions in the box say to remove two screws and then release the chassis from the body carefully freeing the two brake pipes that connect the two parts together. The instructions say these are clipped into the body and should come away with the chassis. Unfortunately mine were glued to the body so snapped. Secondly there is no room in the body to fit a decoder, at this point the instructions are of no help, they say to insert the decoder and refit the body to the chassis.

 

I had a look on Hornby's website and there is a detailed description of how to do this with photos. This suggests that the weight in the left hand water tank can be removed by releasing a screw hidden under the filler cap. I removed the filler cap but there was no screw, the weight appears to be glued in.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

 

I have fitted three previous M7s with TCS DP2X-UK direct plug-in decoders and I have the new LSWR 245 on the way from Hattons as we speak (or type!). These just fitted in without modifying anything but I have been led to believe TCS have changed more recently produced DP2X-UK decoders and they may be slightly wider - not good for the M7. I will be trying one of the DCC Concepts direct plug-in decoders for 245.

 

Getting the bodies off is a challenge as they are a very tight fit. If you have undone the right screws, firmly rock and pull the body on the chassis from each end and it should start to lift as you go. You will need to use a bit of force and a lot of bravery! Be careful how you handle it while doing this - I managed to dislodge the whistle and it's pipe on one of the BR ones every time I tackled it.

[Butler Henderson]

If all else fails it has to be one of the simplest locos to hard wire, 3 brass terminals ready to hand and just one soldered and insulated joint to make. Removing the dcc socket and Hornbys excessive wiring gives a lot of space.

[Matabiau]

I have fitted three previous M7s with TCS DP2X-UK direct plug-in decoders and I have the new LSWR 245 on the way from Hattons as we speak (or type!). These just fitted in without modifying anything but I have been led to believe TCS have changed more recently produced DP2X-UK decoders and they may be slightly wider - not good for the M7. I will be trying one of the DCC Concepts direct plug-in decoders for 245.

 

Getting the bodies off is a challenge as they are a very tight fit. If you have undone the right screws, firmly rock and pull the body on the chassis from each end and it should start to lift as you go. You will need to use a bit of force and a lot of bravery! Be careful how you handle it while doing this - I managed to dislodge the whistle and it's pipe on one of the BR ones every time I tackled it.

Have you had any luck fitting the DCC concepts decoder? I have tried the Hattons direct 8 pin plug and that is too wide. I have also tried the Gaugemaster DCC29 8 pin direct decoder and that is too tall. Anything bigger than a simple 8 pin plug seems too large.

[Bulleidboy100]

I very recently fitted an M7 with a recently purchased TCS DP2X-UK, and it did fit. I had read about the slight variation in size of the latest TCS decoder before fitting mine. It is a tight fit, but it went in. It's a lovely loco, but the last thing you should do is remove the weights. I do have the LSWR M7 but have not fitted a decoder yet. 

[SRman]

Have you had any luck fitting the DCC concepts decoder? I have tried the Hattons direct 8 pin plug and that is too wide. I have also tried the Gaugemaster DCC29 8 pin direct decoder and that is too tall. Anything bigger than a simple 8 pin plug seems too large.

 

No the DCC Concepts decoder was too wide. I ended up doing a few swaps to recover a DP2X-UK decoder from another locomotive where the fit was less critical (a Hornby Schools with the decoder in its tender - that now has a Lenz Standard+ in it).

[Matabiau]

I have just ordered a TCS DP2X-UK. It should be with me before the end of the year so hopefully I shall have it up and running by then. Hornby have supplied me with replacement brake pipes that snapped when taking the body off (they were glued onto both the body and the chassis!).

[Matabiau]

I have just ordered a TCS DP2X-UK. It should be with me before the end of the year so hopefully I shall have it up and running by then. Hornby have supplied me with replacement brake pipes that snapped when taking the body off (they were glued onto both the body and the chassis!).

TCS DP2X-UK chip received and fitted. The chip fits perfectly in the very limited space provided by Hornby. Initial running is a little shaky but it will need running in and and oiling. 

 

Thank you to all who have helped me on this one.

[Robin Brasher]

LSWR M7 245 and an LSWR coach at the National Railway Museum at York. A couple of LSWR coaches would be ideal companions for the LSWR M7 and the T9.

[Guest]

As my Mum has always told me, money burns a hole in my pocket.
I showed just how big of a hole it does burn, by sending £120 up in smoke just a few days after Christmas, when I impulse bought one of these. I am now eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

[SRman]

As my Mum has always told me, money burns a hole in my pocket.

I showed just how big of a hole it does burn, by sending £120 up in smoke just a few days after Christmas, when I impulse bought one of these. I am now eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

To be fair, it hasn't really gone up in smoke, as you still have something tangible to show for the money ... unless you blow up the decoder, in which case it really will have gone up in smoke!

[Guest]

To be fair, it hasn't really gone up in smoke, as you still have something tangible to show for the money ... unless you blow up the decoder, in which case it really will have gone up in smoke!

It is currently up in smoke, as I am waiting for the model to arrive.

[Guest]

Mine has arrived today! Very pleased with it, although it does seem that the whole engine is slanting downward toward the bunker...

[Robin Brasher]

LSWR M7 245 in 1988. I forgot to note where I had taken this picture but it looks like it was on the Mid-Hants Railway. It also visited Woking and Waterloo in that year.

[Guest]

LSWR M7 245 in 1988. I forgot to note where I had taken this picture but it looks like it was on the Mid-Hants Railway. It also visited Woking and Waterloo in that year.

While I can't tell you where it is, I can tell you that it is stabled next to a rebuilt Bulleid pacific...if that helps...

[BristolBill]

Has anyone tried motorising the Wainwright C Class 0-6-0s from Issue 25 of GBL? I am interested in doing so and would like advice on what chassis and motor to use please.

[papagolfjuliet]

While I can't tell you where it is, I can tell you that it is stabled next to a rebuilt Bulleid pacific...if that helps...

 

It was the Mid Hants, and if memory serves it was run dead on a couple of trains as a dummy pilot engine for one of the line's S15s. 

[Nile]

Has anyone tried motorising the Wainwright C Class 0-6-0s from Issue 25 of GBL? I am interested in doing so and would like advice on what chassis and motor to use please.

This is an odd place to post such a question.

You might find an answer in the GBL topic here:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69535-great-british-locomotives/page-174

[Guest]

A quick photo of mine, taken a few weeks back now.

[robmcg]

Looks a very good  model so thanks to Rob et al for the pictures of this. The BR M7 I've had for some years is excellent imho and this version looks very tempting.

 

Like Robin I've also got the HRMS livery register for LSWR colours.

 I looked up the Drummond passenger engine livery. The HRMS book says that the formula for Drummond Engine Green as used before WW1 was:

4 parts cypress green (a deep brunswick green) with 2 parts zinc white and 1 part of lemon chrome. This apparently got more yellow as the years went by.  I'm doing a T9 conversion to the original unsuperheated condition and interested in any  commercial paints to use that are known to be authentic (we are talking colours over 100 years ago of course!) But otherwise  mixing colour to the above formula would be worth a go.

 

However matching the Hornby LSWR green on the M7 may be the way to go if it is similar to the NRM paint.

 

Book also mentions that the green colour changed in WW1 because lemon chrome was made using lead nitrate, then needed to make explosives.

Very interesting post thankyou. The reference to WW1 is interesting because the LSWR passenger green applied to the first 10 H14s of '486' class didn't last long, all being in dark goods green by the mid 1920s and most before that, with early works visits. The Irwell 'Book of the H15 and S15 4-6-0s' quotes the LSWR passenger green of the time as 'grass green'. And several other descriptive names.

 

I have guessed in my edited pic of H15 486 first built of the class in 2/1914.

 

https://www.facebook.com/brsteamphotos/photos/pcb.417284511770553/417281198437551/?type=1&theater

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

[Jenny Emily]

Just to let people know that Arcadia in Shaw still has stocks of the LSWR M7 at £113. I bought one today, and Tim said he had around ten left in stock. A very nice locomotive indeed.

[01001]

Just to let people know that Arcadia in Shaw still has stocks of the LSWR M7 at £113. I bought one today, and Tim said he had around ten left in stock. A very nice locomotive indeed.

Very nice I love the LSWR Livery .I hope you will doing one of your videos on this locomotive.

[Richard Lee]

The LSWR liveried ones look really great.  If I had better kit building and painting skills, then I think I might have gone for one.  Unfortuneately, I can't imagine that there will ever be suitable ready to run coaches for them, or even plastic or resin kits.

[01001]

The LSWR liveried ones look really great.  If I had better kit building and painting skills, then I think I might have gone for one.  Unfortuneately, I can't imagine that there will ever be suitable ready to run coaches for them, or even plastic or resin kits.

Pitty the new Hornby coaches are of rebuilds not the oringal LSWR design .

[Flood]

I picked up a LSWR M7 for my Dad a couple of months ago to complement the PC Models coaches that he made back in the 1980s. I thought a few people might be interested in seeing a photo of the rake:

 

[Edwardian]

Dear All, so what if there are no RTR carriages, it is a very pretty model on its own.

'CHL'-manufactured, nice paint, someone might tell me if in LSWR days it was lighter or darker. I guess the most reliable guide might be good oil-paintings!

 

Img_5365abc_r1200.jpg

 

This certainly looks the part, and is a welcome addition. The Urie sage green version, whilst also very attractive, was not a good fit for me.

 

While not an expert, by any means, this release does appear to be suitable for the pre-Grouping period, as opposed to the usual lack of utility that comes with "as preserved" releases necessitated by Hornby's apparent determination not to allow any but BR-era compatible tooling.  Here do I dare to imagine that we have been lucky?

 

An early batch, short front overhang, splasher sandbox version in what looks like a very good rendering of Drummond livery.  There may be minor inaccuracies or anachronisms that have passed me by, but it does seem a suitable locomotive for pairing with those salmon and brown coaches.  At last.