Hornby Hobbies L&SWR Diagram 1543 'Road Van' Review

Designed in Mar'18 and announced in Jan'19, Hornby Hobbies duly released their 'New Van' in-time for Christmas.

Using the same underframe as the previous 'Road Vans', Mr Surrey Warner (carriage and wagon superintendent of the former London and South Western Railway (LSWR) from 1906) produced seventy-five brake vans between 1915 and 1921 carrying L&SWR numbers between 387-15208. The 'New Vans' were initially rated at 20 tons, until Grouping in 1923, at which time all but two (54949 and 54987) were uprated to 24 tons by adding scrap metal into pockets cast into the underframe. At the time of uprating, the original spoked wheels were changed to solid wheels. Allocated to Diagram 1543 under the Southern Railway (SR) the uprated vans were numbered in the SR system between 55001-55017 and 55019-55074. Withdrawal of the type commenced after nationalisation in 1957 and by 1961 just two remained, 55006 and 55037, which lasted until 1962 and 1963 respectively.

Hornby's new tooling has sought to cover many variations including buffer shanks*, lamp brackets and fix lamps, disc and spoked wheels, document holders as well as rivetted and welded duckets.

*Note that only some buffers were strengthened, resulting in variations between individual brake vans.

Priced at £24.99, six variations are available: -

- R6911 20T 'New Van' (L&SWR Brown) No 9646

- R6911A 20T 'New Van' (L&SWR Brown) No 5359

- R6913 24T Diagram 1543-'New Van' (SR Brown) No 55062

- R6913A 24T Diagram 1543-'New Van' (SR Brown) No 55009

- R6915 24T Diagram 1543-'New Van' (BR Grey) No S55040

- R6915A 24T Diagram 1543-'New Van' (BR Grey) No S55032

Whilst initial reflections of my example (R6915) are positive, it is pertinent to start with the criticism of the livery applied to R6911, R6911A, R6913 and R6913A and the use of a shade of brown far lighter than appropriate; an error apparent upon release of the decorated samples (Sep'19).

R6911A

© Hornby Hobbies

Nonetheless, the model itself is made to a high standard and as already alluded to it is praiseworthy that variations between the L&SWR and SR versions have been considered. Perhaps the most noticeable are the fitted lamps present on the L&SWR iteration (pictured, above); on the SR and British Railways (BR) examples they are replaced with a solid plate and the addition of lamp irons.

Also of note is the inclusion of the sanding mechanism and pipes, the latter in wire form. Normally only found on locomotives, Hornby has found this was the best option to achieve the required finish.

The interior of Diagram 1543 is equally detailed with the handbrake and stove residing on planked flooring.

Despite the oversight in colour of the L&SWR and SR versions many will appreciate the addition of further pre-Grouping rolling stock to the ready-to-run market, especially at an RRP lower than Bachmann Branchline's SR 25T 'Pill Box'. Hopefully the 2020 Range Launch will bring with it a corrected version for those requiring LSWR and SR iterations.

R6915A

© Hornby Hobbies

Rails of Sheffield/Dapol SE&CR Diagram 1424 Review

Rails of Sheffield, in partnership with Dapol, have released their sold-out former South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SE&CR) covered wagon, later designated Diagram 1424 by the Southern Railway (SR).

Announced in April at the York Model Railway Show the 1:76 covered wagon has been researched, designed and produced solely in the United Kingdom utilising "cutting-edge technologies such as ultra-high resolution, super strong aeronautical grade PU with a design life exceeding twenty-five years". The build process uses "the very latest light technology and is infinitely flexible" offering low-volume production potential to cover most variants.

Each wagon is fitted with Alan Gibson split-spoke wheelsets.

Characteristic in style of earlier covered wagons, one-hundred and ten were built between 1904 and 1908 to an increased length of 16 feet. Several examples survived to British Railways (BR) ownership and the models produced reflect the later SR and BR condition.

Priced at £27.99, six variations had initially been available for pre-order: -

- RL-1424-001 (SR Brown w/ British Railways Lettering) No S45374

- RL-1424-002 (SR Brown w/ British Railways Lettering) No S45382

- RL-1424-003 (BR Grey) No S45358

- RL-1424-004 (BR Stock Grey) No S45427

- RL-1424-005 (SR Brown) No 45374

- RL-1424-006 (SR Brown) No 45455

The hefty timber framing which characterises Diagram 1424 is perfectly captured however special mention is reserved for the handles and hinges on the double doors which are particularly fine, as are the brake linkages and hangars. Whilst it has been suggested that the overall finish is not as smooth as injection moulded plastic, only the push-fit roof shows any considerable evidence of this on my example (RL-1424-005) with the edges noticeably coarse when inspected at close quarters.

Decoration is simple and the lettering clear, though does lack definition in places. Noticeable is the weight (38g) despite its diminutive size - the height being considerably lower than the 12T vans familiar on most layouts.

Rails of Sheffield should be commended for embracing the technology now readily available and with demand for pre-Grouping stock apparent, further releases will hopefully follow in the near future.

© Rails Holdings Ltd

Hornby Hobbies SECR H Class 0-4-4T Review

The long awaited Hornby Hobbies Collector Club exclusive, former South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SECR) H Class 0-4-4T No 263 R3648, is now available having initially been expected in Oct'18.

R3648

© Hornby Hobbies

The H Class has already proved extremely popular having been introduced as part of the 2017 range - the initial release consisted of three versions which have all subsequently sold-out. R3648 is a limited edition of 1,500 with only one per customer currently permitted due to expected popularity. Between November 1904 and the end of 1915 sixty-six H Class locomotives were constructed at Ashford Works to meet the continual growth in traffic at the beginning of the twentieth century. Initially allocated across the SECR region from Bricklayers Arms to Hastings, allocations and duties remained constant through to grouping in 1923. Post-grouping services expanded to include Brighton, Eastbourne, East Grinstead and Horsham however the commencement of World War II saw passenger workings condensed and the introduction of carriage piloting/shunting duties. The loan of three engines to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) also occurred, receiving the 2P designation for Arbroath local services. Wartime conditions led to the write-off of two locomotives for use as spares, however the remaining sixty-four entered service with British Railways (BR) at nationalisation in 1948. Withdrawals of D3, R and R1 classes in Mar'49 led to a shortage of locomotives available for motor-train services and therefore salvaged equipment was fitted to the H Class between 1949 and 1961. Nonetheless, with widespread introduction of suburban electrification in Kent, withdrawals began as early as 1951 with the majority following in 1959. The area of operation narrowed to the Three Bridges and Tunbridge Wells West line and by Jan'64 the final three engines were withdrawn. A single example was saved for preservation, No 31263 (formerly No 263), built in 1905 – at withdrawal she was estimated to have run 1,849,668 miles during the course of her fifty-nine year mainline career. The H Class Trust purchased the locomotive directly from BR, basing her first at Robertsbridge and then the Ashford Steam Centre prior to the Bluebell Railway in 1976. Ownership was transferred to the Bluebell Railway Trust in 2008 which funded her most recent overhaul commencing in 2009. Hornby Hobbies have encapsulated the character of the prototype well - the pagoda-style cab, a recurring feature introduced by SECR's chief mechanical engineer Harry S Wainwright, immediately prominent along with the polished brass effect dome. Detailing throughout is to a high standard however a small section of pipework in front of the cab is absent, as are two prominent areas of rivets from the smokebox. An array of tooling variations have been considered, one of which includes differing bunker styles; prior to withdrawal No 263 was fitted with a flared bunker which was retained in preservation and is rightly included. Livery application is crisp and compares well against the Hattons Model Railways P Class however two small sections are missing on the flanks of the cab roof, as is the cab’s red lining. Deemed to be its most complex livery to date, it is unclear as to why either element has been excluded. Provided within the accessory/detail pack are two etched brass headboards worn at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2017 when No 263 was in attendance. The five pole motor and all-wheel electrical pick-up ensures a smooth performance, even at low speeds, whilst remaining exceptionally quiet. It is a shame that the only difference between No 263 R3648 and the original release of No 308 R3538 in 2017 is a simple renumber, especially considering the delayed arrival. Whilst the aesthetic issues can be overlooked, it is to fair to make comparisons with the recent release of the former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) Class A1/A1X Terrier 0-6-0T where detailing and livery has come under scrutiny. It is debatable whether this is budget or competition driven (prevalent more so to the Terrier), but simple oversights undermine what could be one of Hornby Hobbies' benchmark locomotives.