Hogwarts express

[Schuie52]

Hi hope some can help me how many versions did Hornby bring out and were they either dcc ready or dcc fitted as I wish to fit a dcc decoder also what service sheet would be the correct one as I can’t see an r number and is it easy to remove the body.

any help will be appreciated

regards

schuie

[Going Spare]

There have been a number of 'Hogwarts Castle' models since its introduction in 2001, both as free-standing items and in sets.

The Castle loco acquired from Dapol was used first, covered by Service Sheets 213-213H, no DCC socket or headlight.

Then came the addition of a DCC socket on the loco chassis and a headlight as per S/S 306.

Lastly, Hornby changed to the newly-tooled Hall as per S/S 448 with a DCC socket or a TTS decoder in the tender.

[ModelerXYZ]

I don't know how many there were. The correct model for Hogwarts Castle is actually a hall class not a castle. If its DCC ready it will have a normal Hornby 8 pin decoder sockets.

[ColinB]

Surely the first thing to look for is a cable from loco to tender, if it has one, it definitely is DCC ready. If it doesn't that is where the problems starts because it could be DCC ready with the socket in the loco, or not. Generally on most Hornby loco the body is held onto the chassis by a tab at the front or back and a corresponding slotted screw at the opposite end. So you unscrew the screw and lift the other ends tabs out of their respective slot. Alternatively some like the streamlined Coronation Class locos they have a slotted screw back and front with no tabs.

I don't think a service sheet is going to help much with getting the loco apart, it probably will tell you if it has a DCC socket, but it sounds like you don't have the loco number so opening the loco up is the easiest option.

[Fishmanoz]

Further to GS’s excellent reply:

The early model without light also has a Ringfield motor, those with light a more modern can motor. The with light model also came in more than one set with different Harry Potter book names on the box.

One thing to be extremely careful with - having removed the body, when re-assembling and re-inserting the screw that holds the tender to the body, be very careful you don’t over-tighten that screw as it strips out the plastic threaded hole in the body and can only be fixed properly with a new body.

Colin, pretty easy to tell which of the 3 types Schuie has:

• no light - non DCC ready Ringfield. You have to solder in a decoder with or without first fitting a socket
• older with light - remove body to find 8-pin socket
• latest with light - socket in tender and will have a 4-wire connection to tender via small plug and socket at rear of loco and front of tender. Remove tender body to install decoder

[ColinB]

Thanks Fishmanoz, I didn't realise Hogwards Express was old enough to have a ringfield. Mind you I purchased an A4 recently mainly for the loco and tender bodies and was really surprised how well it ran ,infinitely better than the old 1980s ringfield locos I had. It did seem a shame to strip it. Without looking at the tender wheels it is nearly impossible to tell a late ringield motor based loco, from the later loco driven one. On the one I purchased the valve gear looked virtually the same.