A Symphony of Stadler and Steam

In this month's Engine Shed, we look at the DCC functionality of the Class 755 ‘FLIRT, see which new sound profiles our audio expert Chris has been working on, and assess the latest decoration samples of some steam locomotives.

Class 755 ‘FLIRT’ - functions and features

In an ever-developing modern British railway system, the Stadler Class 755 ‘FLIRT’ is one of the newest trains to find service across the country. Over the past three years, Hornby have worked with Stadler and Greater Anglia to develop the preeminent 00-gauge model of this next-generation DEMU.

The development of this model has been well documented, featuring on Hornby: A Model World, in previous editions of The Engine Shed and on a dedicated video for the Greater Anglia YouTube channel. Watch a summary of the design process, following veteran designer Steve and sound engineer Chris, as they visit the Greater Anglia Crown Point depot in Norwich to measure Class 755 and record audio to be used in the DCC version model.

So far in the process, we’ve shown the first shot mouldings, first decoration samples and early running samples of the product. Now we will explore the features, electronic functionality and development of the sound project with Chris.

The Class 755 ‘FLIRTs’ on the rails of East Anglia today come in a ‘755/3’ three-car, and ‘755/4’ four-car version, distinguishable from the similar all-electric Class 745 with short ‘Power Pack’ (PP) unit in the centre of the train. The PP enables bi-mode operation for the Class 755, with diesel engines providing power on the un-electrified sections of the Greater Anglia network.

The real-life combination of electric and diesel power proves an interesting challenge when replicating the model in a smaller scale, especially when combined with a double driving end design and articulated bogies.

On his visit to Crown Point, Chris recorded the raw sounds of all aspects of the Class 755, including destination announcements, the pantograph in action and both horn tones. Once back in Margate, it is up to Chris to edit 1.5GB of audio data into a format compatible with our HM7000 decoders. The individually recorded sounds are blended, boosted and looped before being put onto the decoder test-bed for trials.

To mimic the prototype, the Class 755 PP will be responsible for the diesel sounds from the train. To facilitate this, and in a Hornby first, a third decoder can be fitted inside the PP with an ABR speaker to provide bassy diesel engine thrash. The 755/3 and 755/4 have slightly different PP design, with the three-coach version fitting two diesel engines whereas the four-coach version features four. This is represented on the model with the four-coach model having additional exhaust pipes fitted, but there is no difference in engine sound from each version, as in real-life.

The Class 755 will have two sound profile projects in the HM|DCC app: one for the electric sounds of the driving ends and another for the diesel PP. Using function masking on the HM|DCC app or consisting using traditional DCC control, the three decoders can be linked for seamless transitions between pantograph power and diesel driving.

DCC control with the HM7000 decoder offers advanced light and sound functionality with event sequencing, including:

• Day and night running lights, and prototypically correct start-up lighting procedures where the Class 755’s headlights automatically turn on in the brighter night-mode before dimming for daytime operation.
• Drivers cab light and cab step light, speed controlled to be off when moving and turning on again when the train is stationary. The cab light illuminates the intricately decorated console interior.

• Coach door lights, separately controllable between left and right side depending on where the platform is.
• Destination announcements, which can automatically be played with coach door opening and closing sounds and can cycle through station names after every stop.
• Headlight control when running multiple FLIRTSs together, which will require consisting DCC functionality. It is mechanically possible to couple two Class 755’s using the articulated Scharfenberg coupler on the DMS coach which enable multi-unit operation.​​​​

The Class 755 sound projects are still in development so the details above are subject to change, but we’ll produce an instructional video highlighting these features and more when the sound profiles are available. The projects are due to be released Q1 2025, so keep an eye on Engine Shed for more updates.

R3963 Greater Anglia, Class 755/3 'FLIRT' 3 Car Train Pack - Era 11

R3964 Greater Anglia, Class 755/4 'FLIRT' 4 Car Train Pack - Era 11

Other Sound Projects

Sound Engineer Chris has also been hard at work developing sound profiles for the L&MR’s Lion and Tiger, and the J36. Both are now available to download on the HM|DCC app and install to your decoders today!

Lion & Tiger (SD056)

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway’s pioneering locomotives 57 Lion and 58 Tiger were built by Todd, Kitson and Laird of Leeds in the late-1830s based on designs by railway forefather Robert Stephenson. Originally carrying freight in competition with Manchester Shipping Canal, these two plucky locomotives have a storied history which continues today as Lion is preserved in the Museum of Liverpool.

Both Lion and Tiger models come pre-fitted with a sugarcube speaker in the tender and accept an HM7000 Next18 decoder in the firebox.

R7345 HM7000-N18TXS: Bluetooth® & DCC Sound Decoder (Next18-pin)

J36 (SD071)

First built as the North British Railway C Class and later reclassified as the LNER Class J36, this 0-6-0 steam locomotive will also receive its own sound project. The first Hornby model was released in 2018 with an 8-pin decoder socket, which has been present in every release since. However, as part of the 2024 release of the J36, we are upgrading to our HM7000 21-pin decoder socket. Please carefully consider which decoder and speaker pack is correct for your locomotive:

Models prior to 2024: R7336 HM7000-8TXS: Bluetooth® & DCC Sound Decoder (8-pin)

Models from 2024 and beyond: R7322 HM7000-21TXS: Bluetooth® & DCC Sound Decoder (21-pin)

For the full function list for both sound projects and further instructions for our HM7000 decoders, check out the HM|DCC guides. 

Delicious Decoration

ROD J36

Development of the J36 is a project on two fronts as we have received the first decoration sample of ROD 5662. Originally built for freight work in the North of England in 1891, this specific engine was acquired by the Railway Executive in 1917 to help the war effort. 5662 was sent to the Western Front in the Railway Operating Division livery as seen below.

Overall, the decoration is generally up to standard but there are some key areas that need to be improved. Most obviously, the Khaki livery applied across the body is incorrect and must be slightly greener. Fortunately, we have already received a bodyshell with the correct Khaki colour which has since been approved.

The wheel colour does not match the body colour. However unlike the body shell which is sprayed, the wheels are moulded in their final colour. This will require a slightly different mix of pigment granules in wheel moulding tool to ensure they are the closest match to the body as possible.

Other minor inaccuracies with the livery application include the colour split of the handrail which does not match the colour split between the smokebox and boiler, and the cab control gauges have not been printed with their dial markings.

R3735 ROD, J36 Class, 0-6-0, 5662 - Era 2

B1 ‘Mayflower’

LNER Thompson B1 Class No. 61306, named ‘Mayflower’, is one of two of the class to have survived into preservation. Currently owned by Locomotive Services Group and operating on rail tours and steam galas, our One:One Collection B1 ‘Mayflower’ model depicts the locomotive in early British Railways use.

This is the first decoration sample model and is quite good, but it requires two amendments.

Firstly, and most importantly, the level of sheen of the ‘Darlington Green’ body shell needs to be increased to better represent the reflectiveness of the metal boiler. 

Secondly, the separately applied ‘Mayflower’ nameplates aren’t fitted straight on both sides of the smokebox. Unlike on other models where these are accessory bag items, on ‘Mayflower’ these will be factory-fitted due to the difficulty of neat customer application on the curve of the smokebox. Additionally, the first three letters on the nameplate are darker than the rest of the letters and looked as if they were faded. Senior Painter and Decorator Nick has suggested the factory use their 00 spirit level and polish when the next sample is produced.

R30358 BR (Early), Class B1, 4-6-0, 61306 'Mayflower' - Era 11

Overall, both the ROD J36 and Mayflower decoration samples are good progress in the right direction. All issues highlighted are simple corrections and will be easy to incorporate in our future samples. Please check back for future editions of Engine Shed where we’ll share our approved sample for all ongoing projects discussed.

Upcoming Model Railway Shows

We’ll be attending two model railway shows in October and we’d love to see you there! Visitors can meet the team to see the latest models and hear the most up-to-date news on the progress we are making. Please visit us at:

• Great Electric Train Show (Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes) on 12th and 13th October 2024.
• Great British Model Railway Show (British Motor Museum, Gaydon) on 26th and 27th October 2024.

For more information on these and future shows, check out our events page.

We hope you enjoyed reading about our latest selection of samples. Please email marketing@hornby.com for any questions or comments that you have. See you next time!

Follow Hornby on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram to keep up to date on all the latest news and product updates. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Hornby YouTube channel and tune in to our Beyond the Buffers podcast.

Happy modelling!

The Engine Shed Team

© Hornby Hobbies Ltd. All rights reserved.