Hornby (ex-Dapol) Hunslet Austerity (J94) Review

This marks the twentieth review published on Locoyard! To finish our theme on modern steam’s hero, we have a review of Hornby’s ready to run version. To see how this compares to other models, click here for Loco Model Reviews Page.

Class: Hunslet Austerity (LNER/BR J94)

Use: Shunting

Region: Military, Industrial, North Eastern

Era: J94’s: 1945 – 1967, Military/Industrial: 1943 – early 1980’s.

Locoyard Blog Posts: A Tribute to the Hunslet Austerity – Part 1 and Part 2

Preserved examples:

70 Examples!

“2183 – Wemyss Private Railway
15 Earl David – Preserved at East Lancashire Railway”
2857 – 75008 Swiftsure – Preserved at Strathspey Railway
2864 – 48 – Preserved at Strathspey Railway
5062 – 49 – Preserved at Tanfield Railway
2880 – 17 – Preserved at SRPS at Bo’ness
2890 – 10 “Douglas” – Preserved at Mid Hants Railway
7086 – 27 Norman – Preserved at Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
7097 – 9 – Preserved at Strathspey Railway
1737 – NS 8811 – Preserved at Stoomstichting Nederland, Rotterdam, Netherlands
1776 – Harry – Preserved at Horwich, Lancashire
3155 – Walkden – Preserved at Ribble Steam Railway
3163 – WD132 Sapper – Preserved at East Lancashire Railway
3165 – NS 8826 – Preserved at Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij, Limburg, Netherlands
3168 – Wheldale – Preserved at Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
7139 – 8 – Preserved at Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
7169 – 71515 – Preserved at Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
7170 – Welsh Guardsman – Preserved at Gwili Railway
1782 – LMR 118 Brussels – Preserved at Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
2777 – Alloa Area No. 7 – Preserved at SRPS at Bo’ness
5272 – Haulwen – Preserved at Gwili Railway
5309 – 68072 – Preserved at Colne Valley Railway
7289 – Fred – Preserved at Tyseley Locomotive Works (at 2003)
2215 – 68077 – Preserved at Spa Valley Railway
3686 – 60 – Preserved at Strathspey Railway
3694 – Whiston – Preserved at Foxfield Railway
3696 – Respite – Preserved at Ribble Steam Railway
3698 – Repulse – Preserved at Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
3776 – 8 Warspite – Preserved at Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
3777 – 68030 Josiah Wedgwood – Preserved at North Norfolk Railway
3781 – 1 “Thomas” – Preserved at Mid Hants Railway
3785 – 69 – Preserved at Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
3788 – Monckton No.1 – Preserved at Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
3790 – 190 – Preserved at Colne Valley Railway
3791 – 23 Holman F Stephens – Preserved at Kent & East Sussex Railway
3792 – WD92 Waggoner – Preserved at Isle of Wight Steam Railway
3793 – Shropshire – Preserved at Ribble Steam Railway
3794 – 10 Cumbria – Preserved at Ribble Steam Railway
3796 – 68011 Errol Lonsdale – Preserved at Stoomcentrum Maldegem
3797 – 25 Northiam – Preserved at Kent & East Sussex Railway
3798 – WD198 Royal Engineer – Preserved at Isle of Wight Steam Railway
3800 – 24 Rolvenden – Preserved at Kent & East Sussex Railway
3806 – Wilbert – Preserved at Dean Forest Railway
3809 – – Preserved at Great Central Railway
3810 – Glendower – Preserved at South Devon Railway
3818 – East Fife Area No. 19 – Preserved at SRPS at Bo’ness
3823 – Warrior – Preserved at Dean Forest Railway
3825 – “LNER 8009” – Preserved at Kirby Stephen East
3829 – – Preserved at Gwili Railway
3837 – 5 – Preserved at SRPS at Bo’ness
3839 – Wimblebury – Preserved at Foxfield Railway
3840 – Pamela – Preserved at Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
3844 – United Steel Company No.22 – Preserved at Nene Valley Railway
3850 – Juno – Preserved at Isle of Wight Steam Railway
3889 – 65 – Preserved at Rutland Railway Museum
3890 – 66 – Preserved at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Manufacturer: Hornby (ex-Dapol)

Motor: ex-Dapol motor

Power: Middleweight

DCC options: None

Locoyard Review

Detailing:

4/5

This ex-Dapol model fairs a little better than it’s A1X terrier cousin that shares a similar ancestry. It has sprung buffers, lamp irons, handrails (albeit over-sized) and some reasonable moulded detail. The cab is good for a model of its age but some way away from modern offerings. The moulded smokebox dart and poor chimney are probably the biggest minor points.

Outline/Looks: 4/5

The shape is about right and it looks squat as it should. The chimney is poor and the screw inside that holds the plastic body together is rather too noticeable. Different bunkers are produced for different variations of the class, as are different rear cab windows..

Finish/Decoration:

4/5

Difficult to create one score for all Hornby/Dapol Austerity tanks; as there have been so many variations! BR/LNER black versions are a little plasticky with a noticeable moulded seem. Industrial/military versions have been very elaborate, some look fantastic!

Running Qualities:

3.5/5

Pick-ups are fairly good for such a short wheel-base. The motor is low geared, making it ideal for shunting and although loud and rough sounding, the motor is quiter than on the ex-Dapol terrier, presumably because of the large metal weight that sits on top of the motor. The motor requires regular servicing to keep it running well.

Relative Power:

3/5

It can handle 5 bogey carriages around tight second radius curves with minimal slippage. A large metal weight is contained in the body that gives it a distinct haulage advantage over the A1X terrier. Bachmann’s 57xx proves that more power can be found in an 0-6-0 tank engine model, but overall Hornby’s Hunslet Austerity is pretty tough, if not as strong as the prototype.

Specification:

2.5/5

Sprung buffers, lamp irons and handrails, but no DCC provision, or NEM coupling pockets and an out-dated motor that requires regular TLC. DCC conversion isn’t too hard if you can solder however.

Value:

3.5/5

Retail prices are ridiculously high and similar to the far superior Bachmann 57xx. That said, Dapol and Hornby have produced this model for so many years and in so many guises that secondhand bargains are a plenty!

Overall Locoyardometer Score: 3.5

The model only just gets a four star award. The model comes in a variety of liveries and looks OK. The motor does the important stuff that a shunter needs to do well – it’s low-geared, with good pick-ups and has reasonable haulage capacity. The motor is noisy and requires regular servicing and it’s not DCC friendly. Whatever you do, do not pay too much for this model; £30 for a Mint example is about right.

Please note that a new version from DJ Models is expected soon. It will probably be worth waiting for this release, if you’re thinking of adding a Hunslet Austerity to your fleet!