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Hornby W1 Hush Hush

9K views 48 replies 13 participants last post by  kristopher1805 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone I have just bought my first Hornby model for over 45 years. I liked the look of the model and as i travelled a lot on the LNER in the 60's behind Deltic's I thought I would treat myself to a British Brand for a Change.
Has anyone have this model yet. I do know they have had issues with the smoke Deflectors breaking in Transit and they are addressing them as I phoned my order they assure me things will be okay. Babs
 
#3 ·
...but after watching Sam's video, I going to have to check mine again.
I wouldn't rely on Sam's videos if I was you. Some of his latest videos are really weird and going 'off the rails' !
You are likely to get far better results with your own evaluation of the model you have in hand!
 
#4 ·
You are right some of his latest videos are definitely "off the wall" but some of them are usually pretty right. A lot of the reviews he has done I have compared with the same loco I own and he usually right. On this one he definitely got a bad one it kept stalling and not going right. Fortunately mine doesn't do that. He is right about the front steps they fall off incredibly easily, mine did just that by putting it back into the "ice pack".
 
#5 ·
The most reliable assessment of models is the general feedback online. You know up front that this covers a spread of owner expertise and expectations, and it is usually quickly obvious if there is a major problem or problems, some minor issue(s), or essentially trouble free: and this isn't restricted to 'at release' alone; emerging problems like mazak rot, wear out and other failures, are picked up over time. Better yet, the more informed participants typically analyse problems, and propose or even specify and/or demonstrate solutions.
 
#9 ·
The W1 as it finished service, yes, that will be BR green late crest as it was when withdrawn. (To be succeeded on its regular London-Leeds return duty by the gorgeous Feench blue Deltic prototype loaned to ER by EE, while the production series order was processed and constructed, there was some quite significant redesign to meet BR(ER) requirements.)

But the P2's were all vandalised before BR was formed, so never saw BR green. What I want is a streamlined P2 as it might have appeared in a fictional BR lined green late crest livery. (I am prepared to put 9MT on the cab side sheets myself, or maybe 9P10F; as the mood takes me. :D ) Hopefully Hornby can be persuaded so I won't have to pay a specialist painter for this job.
 
#11 ·
Oh you so must!

I first saw this machine as a boy in short trousers as it first announced itself by the rapid wa-ah-wa-ah-wa-ah engine beats, and then came into view in low strong evening sunlight which made the body appear deep lilac, and rather fabulously appeared to be floating, (the bogie frames must have been dirty) and woof! past it went on the way to KX. Subsequent sightings revealed that the body colour varied according to ambient lighting. I took the NRM model up to Welwyn tunnels to see if it matched the cornflowers there in morning sunlight, as the prototype did, and BINGO!

Magical, almost compensation for the loss of Doncaster's wide firebox traction; ER should only have equipped with Deltics for all express traffic, in a livery scheme devised by EE, rather than BR's boringness. Sigh.
 
#12 ·
it first announced itself by the rapid wa-ah-wa-ah-wa-ah engine beats
Something like this?



I didn't go looking for it, it got suggested ....

David
 
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#13 ·
My Grey W1 arrived 10 days ago Babz from Cheltenham MC after the cancellation by Rails when they lost the franchise. I have also ordered the Apple Green version direct from Hornby as I joined the Collectors Club with the 10% discount and free shipping all the way to SW France. Having seen the unboxing on Sams Trains (who I skip the inane videos), I have emailed Hornby Customer Service, Marketing and Coll Club Editorial to ask them to explain how these will be packaged as my gut instinct is they are removed from the China cartons in the Goods Inwards, then chucked across the aisle and stuffed in individual boxes for shipping out before xmas and to get the billing done. I hv not yet received any reply...
 
#14 ·
Somebody (34C) please clarify.......
I was always of the impression that the nickname 'hush hush' was something to do with the weird noise it made.
Others are now saying it was called 'hush hush' because its 'development was secret' - but this is highly unlikely given that plans were drawn up in 1927 or so, and it wasn't completed until the early 30s.
Come on 34C enlighten us.
I saw it at Kings Cross in around 1958, I remember the day with clarity, end of platform 10 at the head of an express.
6991
 
#15 ·
...I was always of the impression that the nickname 'hush hush' was something to do with the weird noise it made.
Others are now saying it was called 'hush hush' because its 'development was secret' - but this is highly unlikely given that plans were drawn up in 1927 or so, and it wasn't completed until the early 30s...
I am far to young for direct knowledge! The writings available are pretty consistent. Gresley went to Harold Yarrow, prop. of the engineering business of that name in 1924, and between them a water tube steam loco boiler design was secretly worked up and constructed over the three years to 1927, and patented jointly in Yarrow and Gresley's names: that was the 'hush-hush'* aspect. The complete compound loco emerged in 1929, and was constantly experimented with until rebuilt in 1937, emerging as a conventional Doncaster 3 cylinder simple with a fire tube boiler.

The water tube boiler was not scrapped, went to Darlington and was used until 1966 for plant steam supply. This suggests that as a static steam raiser it was a good performer.

*The term 'hush-hush' = secret, keep or kept secret,was much in vogue in the 1920s.
 
#16 ·
OK so as per the Hornby boss Simon Kohler in his launch of P2 the background picture shows a later version which was built with Bugatti streamlining as by then Gresley had become very friendly with Etore Bugatti, so if this was not intended for P2 then why have this as a background blow up? so yes a ficticious late BR P2 Bugatti would do for me along with the late BR W1 an excellent pair of locos but really more than 1 - I think not1
 
#17 ·
Hi Ok i love steam engines but some are just ugly it may be just me but this loco In my opinion is ugly . The A3, A4, just look beautiful if a steam engine can be described as such and most of the rest of LNER engines are good looking as well . I know this may well be a little of topic as the talk is about the model and not the actual engine but for me Steam engines are what inspire me about the railways . What do you think is any one else have any thoughts on this?
 
#19 ·
... love steam engines but some are just ugly it may be just me but this loco In my opinion is ugly ... any thoughts on this?
The incomparable Douglas Self can aid your relative assessment with his wondrous 'Loco Locomotives' compilation. The W1 appears in the section 'The Pressure is on, etc.' and for my money is one of the tidier design outcomes from trying to get a water tube boiler onto a steam locomotive.

The other sections are worth a look too...
 
#18 ·
I don't like the look of the W1 either but it was a prototype and a lot the shape is governed by the boiler.
For looks, the V2 with internal steam passages to the cylinders is my favourite.

David
 
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#22 ·
Be careful running the original water tube boiler versions of the W1 on a layout with platforms or other structure close to the track, as it is well over scale width. A slow speed test under observation wherever it is to operate would be a good plan.

For reasons known only to Hornby the cylinders are set too wide (unnecessarily, their Gresley pacifics have them correctly positioned) which in turn means the width over the valvegear is too great, and this prototype had the very awkward feature of the front footsteps to rear of the cylinders, and thus over the valve gear. This feature was never going to be possible at scale width in a RTR OO model, but having the model's cylinders and valvegear unnecessarily wide compounds the problem.

Hopefully Hornby haven't boobed in like fashion on the rebuilt W1, or the front end proportions won't be right, and while we no longer have this loco to look at, the A4 has the very same front end styling....
 
#24 ·
... can I install a smoke Generator or is this not possible...
Once upon a time Hornby interior construction was very predictable, but no longer; so it is a matter of exploration with the body off the mechanism. I have yet to see anyone showing what the interior of their new W1 purchase looks like. You would hope that this relatively capacious body shell would present some usable internal volume...
 
#27 ·
well being Hornby it will doubtlessly be fitted with an 8 pin in which case mine when I get around to having one on shed will get a DCCC 8 pin nano as these are guaranteed to fit anything pretty much, are widely available, have a good warranty and works well with Z21, who knows maybe Hornby will come out with a 17 pin new socket - more sales as a result.
 
#29 ·
I watched the Sam's trains video and this is a bit worrisome, clearly some associated quality issues which for something so expensive is not acceptable, hope Hornby fix this asap because this could start the snowball on failing quality, thinking more about it I might still be tempted and renumber 10000 as 60000 it might work that way as a neverwasser but I want to hear some good reports coming out.
 
#30 ·
Duff locos are unfortunately a fact of mass production with minimal testing and checking. What Sam should do is that any sane person would do and return it for a replacement. Instead the clown proceeds to review the thing and then criticises it - the Bachmann ROD 2-8-0 was a classic example of his stupidity - broken tender coupling.
 
#31 ·
Kristopher 1805 & Butler- Henderson. I watched Sam's video I was horrified and that was before mine arrived.
It did arrive intact not very well packed compared to the German arrivals.
On the rolling Road it performed quite well so I set up my radius 2 test track on the dining table Piko 100 ballasted track it performed flawlessly no issues and very quiet indeed so orderd zimo sound decoder with sound on board. I am no expert but I was expecting a few horrors as per Sam's video. Maybe I got Lucky who knows. Babs
 
#34 ·
Yep see my thread elsewhere but I got mine for £217 plus pennies. which is a bit more realistic I think it is an A4 plus a bit so it should be nearer to £190 in my view but it is too new to expect anything less than £199 and even that would be a rare find, the Yarrow boiler earlier version has less curb appeal so being radically different from everything else in the looks department, anyway it runs well but as the 203rd loco on my ipad it has clogged up the sytem and I have to clear off 10 or so locos to get the system to work again.
 
#35 ·
Anyway with the Z21 fixed I got down to running some trains and principle amongst these was the W1 and this then set the pace, at a scale speed of about 70 miles/hour it ran circuits for over an hour without fault, maybe the nicest out of the box performance I ever had, cannot say the same about the coach couplings but the loco was truly excellent, the A2/2 worked the opposite main line and this too was running very well, so it looks like a good 'un
 
#37 ·
I availed myself of the late crest version which other than the tender crest is as Kristopher1805's model in appearance. Definitely looks right, and everything I have measured is accurate; and the livery is good for a cleaned loco in service sometime after a works repaint. Coal in the tender and a light dusting of track dirt and exhaust in the right places and that's a good looking model.
...maybe the nicest out of the box performance I ever had...
A decent sized flywheel in the driveline with what looks like Hornby's standard 'black can' motor X4026 delivers this. Immediately good on resistance controller DC, and in went a Lenz standard decoder and the drive is all it should be. Traction is adequate for a dozen coaches; because I need mine to reliably restart a full train all standing on a gradient, mine has an extra 150g of lead inside. (Ample space inside to arrange this so that the model still balances on the centre coupled wheel.)

Really pleasant surprise, Hornby have made a better job of the cast rear frames under the cab compared to their earlier arrangements on the A1/A3/A4 and Brit. No extensive carving required to fit the flanged wheelsets, just clearance for the tops of the flanges, and it would then run easily down to 30" minimum radius which is fine for my layout. (That's where the good news ends, it made the loco really noisy when running - rattle, rattle, rattle - but half a glass is better than none. Future project: chop out the axle mountings and make a 6' wb bogie to take the rear carrying wheels, which will then run silently.)

Had to fiddle with the front bogie to obtain upward travel, filed down the boss on the bogie top so it can now rise relative to the coupled wheels about 0.5mm. Took the ballast out of the tender, eased pick up 'brakes' away from tender wheelbacks, and made a replacement drawbar to bring the loco and tender to correct overall wheelbase. As ever 'closing up' loco and tender to scale really makes the most of an already good model; fall plate lies on the tender step and the cab doors fill the side gap.

Lastly, one oddity. Normally Hornby are good on NEM coupler pocket position, but the tender pocket is further inboard than standard relative to the buffers. As is needs a Kadee #20 for reliable magnetic uncoupling, fixing the buffers retracted on both tender and coupled on vehicle as appropriate would probably enable #18 or 19 to be used, owner experimentation to determine what's required on their layout.
 
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