The LNER Encyclopedia

Does anyone know how the Graham Hughes J50 fits together? I've had this kit for some years now and at some point lost the instruction sheet. In a fit of madness I tried to assemble it last week, but could not decide whether the spectacle plates and roof or the bunker/buffers came first. I tried the latter. Luckily the epoxy and superglue was as old as the kit, so it fell apart and I can have a second go.

Peter

Since no-one answered with the instructions, I built the kit last week. First the frame and cab roof, then the spectacle plates - the wrong order, but least the frame is fairly true. It took me two hours to get the front plates to fit though. Today I've been tackling the chassis, which is a Farish 1119, not the 1109 foreseen. The wheel spacing is better. You can see the results below. The chassis needs to go a bit backward and the motor is snagging on the back spectacle plate, but with a bit more filing, it should be OK.

Does anyone know where I can get transfers for the cab numbers? I'm looking for Part 2 numbers (68902 -68939), preferrably an Ardsley engine.

J 50s were always known as U Boats at Darnall

Any ideas why anyone?

I've heard the name before - I thought it was because someone thought they looked like submarines with their prominent rectangular tanks?

Richard

We had some of these engines at our shed, very strong but not as nippy as a J72 for shunying or even shunting. The cylinders had to be empty of steam before you could pull the reverser over and you just couldn't slam the reverser over there were too many teeth in the quadrant. But still a nice engine.
Horses for courses maybe.(my J50 is number 8908) but that is in 0 gauge.
Jim brodie.

Since the thread has popped up again, a little progress report. I got the chassis to fit and run properly, added the handrails and spayed on the primer. At that point I decided the handrails didn't look that great, so ordered some handrail knobs from the N Gauge Society. Needless to say, they got lost in the post. I'm now waiting for the replacements to arrive - fingers crossed! Here's a picture - sorry about the fuzziness, but it was taken with my mobile.
Peter

James Brodie: Well they were meant to be strong engines with good grip - intended to be capable of handling trip workings in the West Ridings (steep gradients and tight curves).

Richard

Our trip workings were usually with seventy on. J21-25-26-27-Q6-J39. J94s. The J50s were always on shed coal yard duties. The J71s-2s-7s Goods Yard, Cargo Fleet-Tilery-Docks-.Between Thornaby Station and Todd Point it was fairly level but the freight worked on permissive block and no brake vans at the rear of the train. The guard rode on the engine with us.

Is this kit still available, anywhere?

Rlangham wrote:Is this kit still available, anywhere?

Sadly not new, although I've seen this kit appear several times on a certain auction site. Expect prices to range from £35 to £70 depending on who is bidding.

I've been doing a little CAD work on this locomotive however I'm nowhere near ready to try and get a 3D print made yet... Scratch building this loco isn't too difficult though and you can get J50 fittings from N Brass.

Looks good.

For transfers try HMRS. I prefer Pressfix but the Methfix can be made to work. I just get a headache from Mrs BB nagging about the smell of meths!

Failing that, both Fox and Modelmaster do numbers for N.

They're all DIY numbers, I'm afraid but, seeing as you got that kit together nice and square, you'll have no probs. Try using a bit of masking tape to help with the alignment.

Funny, I brought home the company camera this weekend with a view to updating the thread and changing the headline - I've got a half completed J6 to follow! So here's a quick&dirty picture. I painted the J50 satin matt, which afterwards I found polishes up with a cotton bud. The transfer is from the N Gauge Society Modelmaster range: I took the number on the transfer sheet because I could not be bothered to fiddle around chopping up transfers - it seems 68910 was a Wakefield loco at sometime in its life, so that's OK. The BR lion&wheel is from an old Cavendish methfix sheet, fixed with grappa (I was in a hotel when I did it!)

Next steps are to try to add vacuum pipes, a whistle, lamps and maybe cab windows and driver. Then another coating of matt varnish and a bit of weathering.

Graham Hughes also did a J11, but unfortunately when I ordered one many years ago, he had run out. The J6, J11 and J50 were all intended for a Farish 1109 chassis, but I think you'll agree the 1119 chassis is a bit nearer the mark for the J50.

Peter

Hi Peter,

The J50 looks fantastic, well done. I've not built my own J50 kit yet prefering to scratch build it (it seemed easier at the time!).

Interesting to hear you've got a J6, in my experience they are rarer than hens teeth! How does the kit look? I'm looking at either scratch building or doing some CAD work for one...

Looks like a J50.

Say no more.

Here's the J6 -I have not worked on it for several years: Again on the Farish 1119 chassis, which meant quite a bit of filing at the back. I want to put pick-ups in the tender and add handrail knobs, now that I have some from the N Gauge Society - the original kit supplies wire which you twist into knobs, but I found this too fiddly. I'm going to use D&S couplings again.

Peter