Hornby announce LNER J50

[Geoffrey Chaucer]

A retailer has suggested to me that another batch of J50s are to be delivered to shops maybe this week? Does anyone know more and if so, is this a further run of the initial classes and liveries or maybe fresh pairings of class and number?  Apologies if this is covered elsewhere!  

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

 ...I hope, for my bank balance's sake, these never made it to the lines East of Cambridge - Long Melford/Lavenham way?

 

 Think your money is safe enough. Stratford had acquired a few by the end of BR steam operation, but Cambridge, Ipswich and Colchester never appear to have had any regular allocation, the GER tanks of various designs sufficient for the work these might have done.

[MatthewCarty]

A retailer has suggested to me that another batch of J50s are to be delivered to shops maybe this week? Does anyone know more and if so, is this a further run of the initial classes and liveries or maybe fresh pairings of class and number?  Apologies if this is covered elsewhere!  

I think it will just be more of the initial classes, as the next lot (R3405, R3406, R3407) aren't due until June/July this year!

[Motorman 629]

What a tasty little model. I hope, for my bank balance's sake, these never made it to the lines East of Cambridge - Long Melford/Lavenham way?

 

C6T.

If I could suggest a slight danger to your bank balance's safety, my 1952 ABC reprint shows 68899, 68905 and 68924 allocated to 32A Norwich (subsheds at Cromer, wells-next-the-sea, Swaffham and Dereham.) Not too far from Cambridge......

It's thin I know, but I've used it as an excuse to buy 68971 and renumber it to 68905 for my upcoming Wells-next-the-sea inspired layout, to go with the lovely new J15 and D16/3 that Hornby have also sprung on us recently...

Edited February 23, 2016 by Motorman 629

[Classsix T]

If I could suggest a slight danger to your bank balance's safety, my 1952 ABC reprint shows 68899, 68905 and 68924 allocated to 32A Norwich (subsheds at Cromer, wells-next-the-sea, Swaffham and Dereham.) Not too far from Cambridge......

It's thin I know, but I've used it as an excuse to buy 68971 and renumber it to 68905 for my upcoming Wells-next-the-sea inspired layout, to go with the lovely new J15 and D16/3 that Hornby have also sprung on us recently...

That had me leaping for my 1959 bible! They were still there but whilst I can justify a Lowestoft allox B17 on the premise express locomotives by default got around the network on a daily basis, a Norwich based shunting/trip loco is perhaps a step too far for the Suffolk/Essex border!

Besides, there's still the B12 to pay for when it arrives...thanks though.

 

C6T.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Classsix T

[Motorman 629]

I'm saving up ready for the B12 too...

 

That had me leaping for my 1959 bible! They were still there but whilst I can justify a Lowestoft allox B17 on the premise express locomotives by default got around the network on a daily basis, a Norwich based shunting/trip loco is perhaps a step too far for the Suffolk/Essex border!
Besides, there's still the B12 to pay for when it arrives...thanks though.

C6T.

[7013]

I know little or nothing about the J50 (thats my starting point). I was wondering if anyone who has detailed knowledge of these locos could advise me on three locos that were allocated to Woodford Halse around 1948; they were 68891,68894 and 68920, I believe the first two were J50/1s and the third a J50/2. I want to know what bunkers any of these locos would have had, I have seen a photo of (6)8891 with what looks like a raised bunker and grill around it but the detail is difficult to make out. I would like to have one of these locos and am happy to renumber and carry out minor modifications, however before purchase i would like some idea of which Hornby J50 would be a close match for any of the Woodford locos. I have trawled the web and the LNER/GCR sites with little success, I would be grateful if anyone with more knowledge than me (most people then) could point me in the direction of the most appropriate Hornby loco to buy?

Thanks in anticipation.

[Kestrel]

I know little or nothing about the J50 (thats my starting point). I was wondering if anyone who has detailed knowledge of these locos could advise me on three locos that were allocated to Woodford Halse around 1948; they were 68891,68894 and 68920, I believe the first two were J50/1s and the third a J50/2. I want to know what bunkers any of these locos would have had, I have seen a photo of (6)8891 with what looks like a raised bunker and grill around it but the detail is difficult to make out. I would like to have one of these locos and am happy to renumber and carry out minor modifications, however before purchase i would like some idea of which Hornby J50 would be a close match for any of the Woodford locos. I have trawled the web and the LNER/GCR sites with little success, I would be grateful if anyone with more knowledge than me (most people then) could point me in the direction of the most appropriate Hornby loco to buy?

Thanks in anticipation.

If you pop the question on www.lner,info someone will answer you in detail. You can also put J50 into the search box as it's been a topic of discussion since its launch.

[7013]

Thanks Kestrel I have done both of those things with no success, I am mainly interested int the bunker styles of those three locos and am hoping someone with more intimate knowledge of the Woodford locos would be able to enlighten me.

[Kestrel]

68891,68894 and 68920,

I'm no expert which is why I hesitated earlier but looking at the green RCTS book 8A, I have this info. I don't know if it helps.

 

68891 was built in February 1914. It became an LNER J51/1 with 3 coal rails made from flat strips. It received its LNER number 3158 in October 1925. It was rebuilt as a J50/1 in March 1935 with a short bunker with cage-type coal rails. Its number was changed to 3181 in June 1945, 8891 in November 1946 and its BR number 68891 in October 1949. It was withdrawn in July 1961.

 

68894 was built in February 1914 It became an LNER J51/1. It received its LNER number 3161 in January 1925. It was rebuilt as a J50/1 in September 1932 with a short bunker with cage-type coal rails. Its number was changed to 3184 in June 1945, 8894 in June 1946 and its BR number 68894 in April 1949. It was withdrawn in September 1961.

 

68920 was built in October 1922. It became an LNER J50/2. It received its LNER number 3221 in January 1926, changing to 8920 in April 1946 and its BR number 68920 in February 1950. J50/2s were fitted with backing plates to their coal rails from 1931 onwards. 689209 was withdrawn in July 1961.

 

I think Hornby will be producing all types. See here and you can see rear views.  http://www.ehattons.com/stocklist/SiteResults.aspx?searchfield=Hornby%20J50

 

If you're talking about 1948, all three would be in LNER unlined black with their LNER numbers because as you can see above, they didn't get BR numbers until 1949/1950.

 

It depends how accurate you want to be as the models you chose might have differences, eg the number of lamp brackets. There's been a debate on http://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10879&hilit=J50s about this as some have three and others, five.

[7013]

Kestrel I take my hat off to you, the information you have found is superb and will allow me to choose my models accordingly, The 3 did not stay a long time at Woodford so I am going to use a bit of licence and pretend they stayed into BR days. the layout I am building although set close to Woodford would not have seen a J50 on its tracks, however i cannot resist one of these little beauties which will be seconded a few miles up the road to help out  around the Ironstone fields transferring wagons to the main line for onward journey.

Once again thanks for the help.

[toboldlygo]

Quick question for those J50 experts out there, what were the locations of all the electrification warning flashes applied to 68987?

 

Front of the tanks I know, from photos on the net of her and by the vertical handrails on the tanks (not sure whether they are forward or aft of them)

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[mardle]

Attached is a photo of 68987 which I took in April 1962 in the scrap lines at Doncaster Works. At least it shows the electrification flashes on the left side of the loco.

 

Geoff Hodson

[toboldlygo]

Attached is a photo of 68987 which I took in April 1962 in the scrap lines at Doncaster Works. At least it shows the electrification flashes on the left side of the loco.

 

Geoff Hodson

Thanks for that Geoff, that's the type of pic I was looking for.

[micklner]

I have just acquired a J50/4 which I want to backdate to LNER pre war days. Does anyone have LNER allocation sheds for these 14 Locos please?.

[31A]

If I understand correctly, these were the locos built at Gorton in 1938-9, numbered between 584 and 615 (with gaps in the sequence).

 

In which case, pre-War allocations from Yeadon, from new then reallocations:

 

584 - Stratford

585 - Hornsey

587 - Hornsey, Hitchin 11.6.39

590 - Doncaster

595 - Doncaster, Sheffield 11.9.39

598 - Doncaster

599 - Ardsley, Copley Hill 24.11.38

600 - Cambridge

602 - Cambridge, Stratford 18.12.38

605 - Colwick

606 - Colwick, Ardsley 2.2.39

608 - Doncaster

611 - Doncaster

615 - Norwich

 

Hope this helps!

[micklner]

Yes a great help a Doncaster one it will be !!.

[DropTheTap]

I just acquired one of these (R3407) from Rails for very reasonable cost, having not seen one since the old Lima toy from which it evolved. Very impressive, nice and weighty and so much more detailed. I'm not an expert on this period at all (my "steam" stuff is for my son's future bedroom layout!), but I love what Hornby have done with this venerable old model.

 

With the price of RTR locomotives these days, it's not too often that I don't feel at least a tinge of buyer's remorse, but no such feelings here thankfully.

 

Now if only for that G5... 

[Steamport Southport]

The only thing it has in common with the Lima model is it's based on the same protoype. It's an entirely new model.

 

 

Jason

[toboldlygo]

Need the J50 experts help once again... concerning the last J50 (as I've seen her called on the net) - 68961 or Departmental No.14. After a few fruitless attempts on google, I'm trying to find a clear photo of her left-hand side showing any repair patches to the tanks- right-hand side is easily available. Many thanks in advance TBG (I'll put a good word in for you with the MiM  )

[toboldlygo]

Need the J50 experts help once again... concerning the last J50 (as I've seen her called on the net) - 68961 or Departmental No.14. After a few fruitless attempts on google, I'm trying to find a clear photo of her left-hand side showing any repair patches to the tanks- right-hand side is easily available. Many thanks in advance TBG (I'll put a good word in for you with the MiM  )

 

Been so distracted with my Typhoon build - I'd forgotten that I had actually found a photo pf 68961 a while back - panic over!!

[31A]

Been so distracted with my Typhoon build - I'd forgotten that I had actually found a photo pf 68961 a while back - panic over!!

 

 

Jolly good - I had a quick look in my books but could only find pictures of the RH side as well!

[No Decorum]

Been so distracted with my Typhoon build - I'd forgotten that I had actually found a photo pf 68961 a while back - panic over!!

A most worthwhile distraction. I can’t say I like dirty locos (I live in a fantasy world) but I love that Typhoon!

[Guardian]

Hi All

 

I would like to ask whether someone has experienced bad running capabilities of the Hornby J50's. My recently acquired model is running incontinously in both directions at slow to medium speeds. I do not mean wobbling due to improperly centered wheels but the forward movement is wave-like. I tried both analogue and digital mode, liberated the gear box from its grease bed (it was not lubricated but completely filled with teflon grease), unmounted the motor, coupling rods and wheels. No progress. The driving axle (centre axle) apparently does not touch the rails permanently, which may effect a mechanical resistance of the coupled wheels.

 

Any idea?

 

Thank you.

 

Regards

Mark

[31A]

I had a similar problem; not quite the same but it may be relevant.

 

I bought two shortly after they were introduced and both failed to negotiate the dead frogs of the Peco double slips on my layout reliably at slow speed.  At first I put it down to the design (fixed axle six coupled loco) but after a while I investigated further on one of them.

 

I took the keeper plate off the bottom of the chassis, which releases the axles.  I found that not only were the gears copiously lubricated with white grease, but the same stuff was packed into the grooves of the axle bearings, and it seemed to have gone solid.  I dug it out using a jeweller's screwdriver (a scriber or similar would also work) and re-assembled the mechanism.  The performance over the dead frogs was transformed - the loco was now a very reliable slow speed shunter!

 

I'm not sure whether the grease was making the loco 'three legged', i.e. not all wheels were in contact with the rails due to the packed grease, or whether the fact that it had become solid was preventing the bearings from moving slightly in their slots, but anyway cleaning it out seemed to do the trick!  I did the same with the second loco, again with good results.

 

Whilst I had it apart, I cleaned all the white grease from the gears and re-lubricated them with light oil (sewing machine oil).  It seemed to make the loco run more freely, but I thought slightly less quietly.

 

Since then, I've bought a third thanks to Rails' special offers and it had the same problem, which was also cured in the same way. If dismantling these locos, you need to be careful of the sand pipes to the middle wheels - when re-assembling, it's all too easy to get them tangled up with the coupling rods.