cypherman Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 (edited) Hi all, I have sometime liked the look of the Hornby J50 with the extended bunker. So of course I wanted one. But I also had half a dozen Lima J50's. So being the cheapskate I am I thought could I improve one of the Lima engines and get what I wanted. So this is what happened... :). First off to improve running The engine now picks up current on all 6 wheels. I tried several methods to get this to work but finally decided on a version similar to 00Bill on You Tube. Check his channel out here. It is quite informative. The difference between the way I did it and how he did it is I used brass strip instead of a guitar string. Removed and replaced all handrails with metal ones. New correct size buffers. New lamp irons, Brake hoses and front coupling hook. The rear one will be fitted when the engine is finished and attached to it's chassis on a more long term basis. It fastens into a the chassis mounting point on the rear of the chassis. New whistle(Lima engine did not have one) and steam valves. New Brass footsteps on the front of the engine. Glazed windows. Built new raised coalbunker from plasticard. Full repaint and numbering with the correct engines number for one with the increased bunker. Did not want to just copy the Hornby one just in case I eventually bought one. Next job to do is to couple up all the driving wheels using the front wheels of a donor Lima J50. And possibly change the motor for one of the cd motors. I have used them in the past and they work nicely. Edited May 10, 2021 by cypherman 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 G'Day Folks Like the J50, good for a basic loco and easy to uprate, Here's mine, although I didn't fit a hopper bunker. manna 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 I do a detailing kit if you want to go that far: https://www.shapeways.com/product/AS9BF4KHM/lima-j50-upgade-kit?optionId=137418314&li=shops 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 1 hour ago, MikeTrice said: I do a detailing kit if you want to go that far: https://www.shapeways.com/product/AS9BF4KHM/lima-j50-upgade-kit?optionId=137418314&li=shops Hi Mike, Does the £14.31 include postage. Last time I saw an upgrade kit for this engine on Shapeways the postage was as much the cost of the kit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, manna said: G'Day Folks Like the J50, good for a basic loco and easy to uprate, Here's mine, although I didn't fit a hopper bunker. manna Hi Manna. A nice upgrade. I have a question that has puzzled me. The hand rails on the top front of the boiler. You have them slanting up. Lima have them slanting down and Hornby have them level. Was this just up to when they were built and at which loco works. Here are 3 pictures of the hand rail in the 3 positions. Plus a picture of the engine I have modelled. Also Manna what is the pipe you have running along the top of the boiler. I have not found a picture with this on yet. I see you put what looks like a repair patch on the lower part of the tank. Was this something particular to this loco, Or was it a mod that happened to all the J50's. If so when did this happen. Could you please post a few more pictures of your J50 so I can get some more ideas. Edited May 4, 2021 by cypherman 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 3 hours ago, cypherman said: Hi Mike, Does the £14.31 include postage. Last time I saw an upgrade kit for this engine on Shapeways the postage was as much the cost of the kit. Postage is separate unfortunately. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 G'Day Cypherman I modelled 68903 on a picture of said loco shunting at Kings Cross in the late 50's/early 60's (sorry it's copywrited) which shows the smokebox handrail in the angled position, look through other pics of J50's they do vary, the 'handrail' on the top of the boiler is something to do with the regulator (not all loco's had them). the patches on the side of the tanks is where they had rusted through, every loco seemed to be in a different position, LNER locos didn't seem to have them (somebody prove me wrong !). manna 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) 17 hours ago, manna said: G'Day Cypherman I modelled 68903 on a picture of said loco shunting at Kings Cross in the late 50's/early 60's (sorry it's copywrited) which shows the smokebox handrail in the angled position, look through other pics of J50's they do vary, the 'handrail' on the top of the boiler is something to do with the regulator (not all loco's had them). the patches on the side of the tanks is where they had rusted through, every loco seemed to be in a different position, LNER locos didn't seem to have them (somebody prove me wrong !). manna Hi Manna. I suspect the reason that the LNER engines do not have the patches is age. By the time BR got these engines they were about 35 years old and used and abused. Your engine would have been about 40-45 years old by the dates you have given I think. So I suspect rust would have been more of an issue. On the point of the boiler handrails I think that the downward sloping ones were from the original 1913-19 GNR engines. As in the picture I have posted here. Manna you also show a long pipe running the full length of the right hand side of the footplate. But I cannot see it on the finished engine. Did you not put it on in the end. Edited May 5, 2021 by cypherman 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 Hi Cypherman The loco shown above has no Vacuum pipe, hence no train brakes, perfect for shunting/light trip working. 68903 has Vacuum brakes, so was used as a shunt engine at Kings Cross ( Almost everything would have had vacuum brakes at KX) 68903 would also have worked the goods trains to the Southern region via the Widened lines (York Rd) Yes the long pipe is on 68903 on the right hand side. manna Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 (edited) Hi all, Well I have continued to update the J50. This is what I had done initially, Added extra pick ups to the back wheels. Removed and replaced all handrails with metal ones. New correct size buffers. New lamp irons, Brake hoses and front coupling hook. The rear one will be fitted when the engine is finished and attached to it's chassis on a more long term basis. It fastens into a the chassis mounting point on the chassis. New whistle(Lima engine did not have one) and steam valves. New Brass footsteps on the front of the engine. Glazed windows. Built new raised coalbunker from plasticard. New updates are: Made the boiler bottom and fitted it to the engine. Made and fitted the insert bases for inside the openings of the water tanks. Made the Brass pipework and fitted it to the backs of both cab steps. Fitted a new CD Motor. Now runs so much better. Still some jobs to do. Especially coupling up all the driving wheels. Still waiting for a cheap broken chassis to come up. I hate breaking up working engines and chassis. I feel it goes against everything I am trying to do by restoring and improving old engines. Sad I know, But that's life. Edited May 9, 2021 by cypherman 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
33C Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Thought i would chuck mine in the mix. Added bigger balance weights to the wheels and a crew to hide the motor. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 (edited) 11 hours ago, 33C said: Thought i would chuck mine in the mix. Added bigger balance weights to the wheels and a crew to hide the motor. Hi 33C, The rods you have sticking out the top of the tanks. I see Manna has them as well. They were not fitted to the engine I modelled at the time I modelled it at. But what are they ?. Yours must be one of the later models with the spoked wheels. Looks much nicer than the solid wheels. he solid wheels do not even have a decent wheel balance. Just a mere slip of a thing Edited May 14, 2021 by cypherman Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
33C Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 According to my blueprints they are additional tank vents and/or fire-iron tool stowage. Not all engines had them. The new balance weights, to my eye, give extra "weight" to the chassis. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 1 hour ago, 33C said: According to my blueprints they are additional tank vents and/or fire-iron tool stowage. Not all engines had them. The new balance weights, to my eye, give extra "weight" to the chassis. Hi 33C, Have you coupled up the free running middle set of wheels or are they still free running. If you have coupled up the wheels how did you do it. It is next on my to do list. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
33C Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 They are still free as i have very tight curves, but, if you can't tell, why bother.....just made the crank-pins trompe l'oeil. (my work is done) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 15, 2021 Author Share Posted May 15, 2021 (edited) 11 hours ago, 33C said: They are still free as i have very tight curves, but, if you can't tell, why bother.....just made the crank-pins trompe l'oeil. (my work is done) Hi 33C, A fair point. I do think they make the wheels look much better. So if you do not mind I will do the same thing. As for coupling up the drivers I may have to put that on the back burner so to speak due to a lack of suitable chassis's to take the wheels from. I have several more Lima J50's and possibly a BR one similar to your may be next. As my next project has just arrived by post a Triang DMU in BR green. I am bitterly disappointed with it. It was sold as spares and repairs, But it is in perfect condition and runs like a dream. So I only have a little painting to touch up on it. Was really looking forwards to working on the DMU. So now I have very little to do, Hence the thought of another J50 to fill in the time....lol Edited May 15, 2021 by cypherman 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
33C Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 Ha! If you want to wear a hair shirt with the DMU, join me in painting it in NSE livery! My 302ish EMU carries this livery and was a right pain but ultimately worth it. As for the J50's, is it going to be a /1,/2,/3? Plenty of research to be done and i can't remember which one mine is......! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 15, 2021 Author Share Posted May 15, 2021 (edited) Hi 33C. I have 5 more to play with. So may end up with at least one of each.......lol. As for the DMU it is going to be plain BR green from the late50's early 60's. Edited May 15, 2021 by cypherman 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northmoor Posted May 16, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 16, 2021 I think the J50/1 is almost impossible with the Lima model because it's a shorter bunker and the motor is a tight squeeze in the cab already. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted May 16, 2021 Author Share Posted May 16, 2021 3 hours ago, Northmoor said: I think the J50/1 is almost impossible with the Lima model because it's a shorter bunker and the motor is a tight squeeze in the cab already. Hi Northmoor, If it is as you say. Then the J50/1 is definitely out as as you say the motor will not fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 G'Day Folks "If" you want to upgrade the chassis to make a J50/1 (with the short bunker) Chris P Bacon (of this parish) does a etched chassis for the J50, he sells them on E Bay, I have three of these chassis, under a J6 a J1 and I'm now doing a J5, one day I'll get around to fitting one under a J50. Below is a pic of a Lima J50 sitting on the said chassis (bigger wheels are fitted, for the J6) As you can see, cutting a couple of mill of the back of the chassis doesn't present a problem, as I've cut that bit off to make the other loco's. manna 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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