Mikemeg's Workbench - Building locos of the North Eastern & LNER

[mikemeg]

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER J72

 

Arthur will be releasing his two kits for the North Eastern Class E1 / LNER J72 in the New Year. This is an early build of the kit for the short bunker version of the J72, representing only the first twenty locomotives built. Later locomotives - the remaining members of the class - had a ionger bunker and full depth mainframes. A separate kit will be available for this version, which was much more numerous across the North Eastern / LNER North Eastern Area / BR North East Region.

 

This build has been finished as a vacuum fitted locomotive representing one of the locomotives performing station pilot duties at Newcastle Central station.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited December 5, 2018 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER J73

 

Seen at Hessle Haven, on the down main line, passing a J39 and some of the other 68xxx and 69xxx locomotives - J71, J77, 2 J72's, 2 A6's, T1 - is this; an LNER J73 - 68361 of Hull Alexandra Dock. This was one of Arthur's earliest kits and, assuming that most of those sold have been built, there are now many more model J73's than the ten prototype class members, built by the old North Eastern.

 

This was one of my earliest builds and I have never been fully satisfied with its running! My fault, not any fault of the kit. So, after a fairly serious 'chassis overhaul' and some slight adjustments, this now runs as it should. With a Mashima 1420, the usual 108 : 1 High Level Humpshunter gearbox and weighing in at around 8 oz, this really does now haul and push prodigiously.

 

All the missing letters and typing errors, in this posting, now identified by my 'spoll chucker' and hipephilly cureckted!!! In my defence, my keyboard is beginning to show signs of age (aren't we all?) and 'mi s o t let  rs' unless I strike the keys quite hard.

 

This is only some of the locos on the railway, so the need for a model North Eastern locomotive shed grows by the month!! Two more J77's, an A6 and the three G5's are now going through the paint shop, so the tank loco line will then almost completely fill the up slow.

 

Anyone remember those Sunday shed bashes, when lines of locos could be seen at sheds all over the country, as they rested on their 'day off'? And the days when 'mucky black' ruled!!

 

This photo is lit by the daylight lamp in wet, grey, winter's day mode - covered with a sheet of slightly 'smoky' cellophane!! Works though; the wall behind the railway is cream, not grey.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited December 11, 2018 by mikemeg

[ArthurK]

Somewhere out there are about thirty models of the J73. Perhaps some are in drawers awaiting their moment to emerge.

 

It is currently out of stock.

 

ArthurK

[jwealleans]

I've got one of them.

 

[mikemeg]

I've got one of them.

 

 

Your locos are portrayed far cleaner than mine. Shows the pride that the LNER had in even their most humble locos!

 

Has the front loco had something of a 'heavy shunt'? It seems to have lost its buffer heads.

 

Regards

 

Mike

Edited December 10, 2018 by mikemeg

[jwealleans]

I don't think they're weathered yet, Mike and that was taken some years ago.

 

It's also taken before I'd quite finished the J71, which is why the (sprung) buffers aren't fitted.

[mikemeg]

I don't think they're weathered yet, Mike and that was taken some years ago.

 

It's also taken before I'd quite finished the J71, which is why the (sprung) buffers aren't fitted.

 

Nice line up though, Jonathan. Just needs a J77 (or two?) and you've 'got the North Eastern 0-6-0 tank shunting set'!

 

Regards

 

Mike

Edited December 11, 2018 by mikemeg

[jwealleans]

I have the J77s.... just not the time (yet).

[mikemeg]

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER J77 - Fletcher Cab

 

Fresh out of the paint shop is this, now awaiting its markings. Why, you might ask, did the works painters decide to outshop this loco in weathered black and not in the more customary blackberry black. Only they can know! This is the basic 'palette' for the weathering, which will be done after the markings are added. Final detailing can then be done - couplings, injectors, sand pipes, etc.

 

This photo is taken just to check that there are no uncovered areas.

 

The model is to be 68402 of 53C - Hull Springhead (Alexandra Dock).

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited December 19, 2018 by mikemeg

[davefrk]

Hi Mike, back in the day when I was building for people I did a number of NE locos for a guy for shunting on his NE quayside layout based on the Tyne. He had picked up a J77 kit but no chassis so that had to be built and being me I had to detail it with the injectors, sand pipes etc. It had to be fitted with B&B couplings so no three links....

 

 

I don't claim it to be perfect, it was to the customers spec but with my ideas for the compensated chassis, Mashima can motor and 54:1 H/L gearbox for slow running, it's still running the last time I saw the layout at Railex NE. I still don't like that whistle although being a lost wax casting it's still there and hasn't broken off.

 

All the best,

 

Dave Franks.

[mikemeg]

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER J77 - Fletcher Cab

 

And now we start to tone down the colours and add the various hues and washes which 'breathes life' into the models. I still have to wash over the numbers and totems but only with a very light wash of muck. I don't want to overdo the weathering, on this, as I want it to look 'six - nine months after an overhaul and repaint. I think the frames, wheels, etc. are about right so I can now add the sand pipes and also the 3-link couplings.

 

The nearside tank filler is leaking rusty water!

 

I checked the buffer height on this model. Looking at the previous photo seemed to suggest that it was slightly high at the front end. Measuring confirmed that the front of the loco and the buffers were around .75 mm too high so that has been adjusted and now seems correct.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited December 22, 2018 by mikemeg

[Jon4470]

The J77 is looking good - nice “in use” condition. I like the Fletcher cab variant which I think is very distinctive.

 

This reminds me that I have one to build - and it was meant to be done this year! Oh well, perhaps in 2019.

 

Jon

[mikemeg]

The J77 is looking good - nice “in use” condition. I like the Fletcher cab variant which I think is very distinctive.

 

This reminds me that I have one to build - and it was meant to be done this year! Oh well, perhaps in 2019.

 

Jon

 

Many thanks for the kind words. I like the description 'in use' for that is exactly what we try to portray. I do sometimes regret posting '7mm scale' photos of 4mm models.

 

I built two of these Fletcher cab J77's and the other one, the round window version - 68429 - is now also going through the paint shop.

 

Regards

 

Mike

Edited December 22, 2018 by mikemeg

[Daddyman]

Hello Mike. Season's greetings. Hope you're well. 

 

Can't remember if we ever solved the lack of views from above of G5s problem. Here's one of the best I've seen anyway - just too late! 

https://www.transporttreasury.com/p677100019/hbcd10582#hbcede559

[micknich2003]

Hello Mike. Season's greetings. Hope you're well. 

 

Can't remember if we ever solved the lack of views from above of G5s problem. Here's one of the best I've seen anyway - just too late! 

https://www.transporttreasury.com/p677100019/hbcd10582#hbcede559

Here's another view from above.

[MarkC]

Here's another view from above.

1 BEVERLEY.jpg

Wow. Great image. Thanks for posting it.

 

It's not just the details on the grimy G5 either - there's the signal, footbridge, the "NO ROAD" warning sign etc etc...

[rowanj]

Those pictures of the G5 are really helpful. Can anyone point me to a similar picture of the LH above the tank top of an A8 ?..I'm trying to track the run of the steam pipe/ vacuum pipe. On all the pictures I have it disappears just as it passes the tank front. I assume it goes into the cab just below the spectacle plate??

 

Best wishes for 2019 to Mike and all who follow this thread.

 

John

Edited January 1, 2019 by rowanj

[mikemeg]

Many thanks to John for the compliments of the season and can I too wish all who read the thread, the very best wishes for 2019.

 

I've trawled through al of my photographs of A8's, which don't number very many, and the ony one which seems to show the vacuum pipe is this one. Most North Eastern locomotives had the vacuum pipe on the right hand side of the smokebox (looking forward from the cab) but the A8's seem to have the vacuum pipe installed on the left hand side of he smokebox. So I'm not sure whether this photo helps, John, in working out the run of the vacuum pipe.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited January 3, 2019 by mikemeg

[billbedford]

Wasn't the pipe for the vacuum ejector always on the driver's side?

[micknich2003]

Wasn't the pipe for the vacuum ejector always on the driver's side?

Bill you are correct, the A8's became L H drive when rebuilt from H1's

[ArthurK]

Bill you are correct, the A8's became L H drive when rebuilt from H1's

 

Yes the vacuum exhaust pipe was on the left. On the original boiler (the 'fat' one which I  think DJH used) the pipe was straight and ran just above the tank back to the cab.  The steam pipe from the firebox shoulder was inside the cab, unlike the H1 version when it was outside like many others built around that time.

 

This is mine scratchbuilt many years ago. Pity about the chimney!

 

 

ArthurK

[rowanj]

Thanks for the info on the A8.and for the PM from Arthur.

 

John

Edited January 4, 2019 by rowanj

[mikemeg]

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6

 

Firsty, can I wish the readers of this thread (and all threads) the very best wishes for the New Year.

 

At the risk of boring any readers to death here's another photo of the latest state of the last of my A6 builds. I always find the job of lining locos/tenders challenging, so I do take this very slowly. Couple that with the fact that the transfer sheet, which I'm using, is now quite old so the glue isn't in the best state and there's a recipe for frustration and making a real c--- up of it.

 

Anyway, so far it hasn't gone too badly though there is still a way to go with the bunker panel and then the other side. Once this is all done, then the final details - sand pipes, couplings, vacuum and train heating pipes - will be added.

 

This loco retained many of its North Eastern features until withdrawal, sometime in 1951 - Westinghuse pump, capuchon on the chimney, North Eastern smokebox door, etc. which was the reason for choosing it.

 

So now this is 69791, late of Hull Botanic Gardens shed - mid 1950 - though it had seen one or two other locales, prior to that year.

 

By the time of this model these locos were over forty years old, yet despite that (or possibly because of that) they still looked impressive and handsome machines.

 

I said after the test build of this kit, which was the second of my A6's, that two was enough. Since making that resolution, I've built another two so I now have 69791/5/6/8 and I might yet build 69793, though not this year!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited January 7, 2019 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6

 

Looking at the photograph, above, I decided that the loco number was not correctly centred within the bunker panel, so has been re-done.

 

So 'all turned out in its Sunday best', for a photo, is Hull Botanic Gardens' A6 - 69791. Yet another tank engine and another 69xxx.

 

Now for the lining on the other side and then the final detailing.

 

Nice to see the light reflecting off the boiler paintwork! Makes a change from my normal weathered black.

 

I've now built three of these kits, each model slightly different, and my scratch built A6 also sits on Arthur's chassis etches. This is now one of Arthur's older kits but it does build into a lovely model and another and another!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited January 11, 2019 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER J77 Fletcher Cab

 

The round windowed example of this type - 68429 - has now been painted and joins the square windowed example - 68402 -  with both in the process of being weathered prior to adding the sand pipes and crews.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by mikemeg