rowanj

I just didnt have the space to represent even the short length of ECML between Little Benton North and South Boxes, and so North is a real compromise. But the pictures show a scene which is just about recognisable. The cabin and adjacant hut were built in 1941 or so when the sidings were installed to provide relief for Heaton Yard, seen as susceptible to Luftwaffe raids. The 5 loops on the prototype were always full of wagons when I spotted there, but the only time I ever saw them used was in 1962 when 60001, of all things, rolled in from the north with a rake of wagons. The loco is J71 68264 converted from a Mainline J72 on a Mainly Trains chassis, now available again from Wizard Models. The 3 ventilated meat wagons, from Parkside, have, in my world, been collected from the abattoir in Whitley Bay and are being tripped to Heaton to join a rake to the south.

An ancient Paltoy J72 in LNER livery plus a Mainly Trains J71 conversion kit gives you, after a modicum of sweat and blood, a decent representation of the NER E Class/LNER 71 which is sufficiently different from the J72 and sufficiently simple to build via cut-and shut and basic 0-6-0 chassis assembly. Enjoyable, stress -free modelling... I posted the work in a thread on the Modifying RTR topic list.

I have weathered the J71 rather heavier than usual, but as it will shortly be off to Dairycoats, that will be their problem. The photos show how different ostensibly similar locos can be, which, of course, makes the whole conversion worthwhile.. Just to summarise what I did- Shorten bunker by just under 2mm Remove rear bunker handrail and step, remove cab doors (not necessary), replace cab door handrails, remove breather tubes from tank tops, replace boiler handrails on both sides. Fit lamp irons, driver and coal. Add cab backhead (after a fashion) and cab locker to MT etch items to fill cab. Add sanding rods to boiler sides. What I didnt do, but will next time. Replace handrails on tank front to correct position. Reduce footplate depth and fit etched steps.. Try to fabricate front cylinder cover. The last photo shows my current fleet of NER shunting engines -Alexander Fletcher cab J77, ArthurK Worsdell cab J77, J71 and LNER-build long-bunker J72. As I have the MT chassis kit for the J72 and a couple of Mainline bodies, at some point I'll build a short-bunker J72, But not today,, John

The spotters will be pleased with the cop, but we would have had no idea of the provenace of the loco, thinking it's just another K3. It has been sent up after a "general" at Darlington on a running-in term, and is returning to its' Doncaster home with the weekly "Fish" from Eyemouth. The loco was built at Darlington, and sent to Scotland with an Ivatt tender, "Darlington" cab, and RH drive, and this was its' condition to the end after its' transfer back to England. These few locos lasted as long as most K3's despite them being non-standard. The model is a GBL K3 changed to RH drive, running on a Bachmann V1/3 split chassis, with a SEF cab- the fret is available as a spare- and a resin tender from Graeme King.

On test, The J71 is nearly complete. It has lost a brake, and I'll touch up some of the paintwork, number and weather the loco. I cannot seem to get the cab to sit properly, so will tackle that tonight. There was plenty room in the tank sides to add weight, but it's still a bit light, so more will be added in the boiler front - I want to get it up to 5 oz if possible. The driver is one of Heaton' smaller crew, but he is 'armless….

Tony posted.. And, where a prototype is so compressed because of space restrictions that it loses that essential sprawl in model form, I feel the builder(s) would be better making a location up. I don't agree with that,Tony. My own layout, which will almost certainly be my last, is of a real location where I did most of my spotting. However, even with a loft, I have been barely able to make a reasonable representation of the south but only a rough facsimile of the north. It is a one man show, so I suppose the running is "boring". But being a real location, even in a fairly flexible 1955_63 period, has obliged me to build locos which had a good chance of actually passing there, and a representative rake of stock for them to haul. So I relive my childhood, visit old haunts,do research and try to build things which were there when I was a kid. So for all the compromises,I find it much more satisfying than a fictional location. Of course, each to his own. John

The J71 is a credit to you as the builder and Arthur as the designer. It certainly puts my Bachmann/Mainly Trains version in the shade, though your work has allowed me to add some details missing from the basic kit. Thanks as always.

Apologies.. My photo of the A2/2 was posted on this thread in error so I'll delete it..it was intended for my layout thread. I blame my parents, Latin Master,and lots of other folk..nothing to do with me. John

More work on the J71 has seen the sandbox rods fitted on both sides of the boiler , and a representation of a globe lubricator fitted to the LH smokebox, just ahead of the handrail knob, Cab handrails are in place. I fitted a representation of the backhead in the cab, though it bears only a loose resemblance to the real thing. It does, however, largely fill the gap between the splashers. I also built a cab locker which is stuck to the inside rear of the cab, which is a separate moulding, easily removed but trickier to get back and stay in place. How much of this will be visible when the roof is attached, especially with crew in place, is a moot point, but at least it looks "busy" rather than a blank empty space. So, still to do. Body Fit RH boiler handrail, which extends the full length, unlike the donor J72. Fit whistle and "trident" to LH bunker top, which I believe was to hold the shunters pole. Fit lampirons and dummy couplings. Fit front buffer etch overlay and all buffers Chassis Running is smooth with the Highlevel/Mitsumi combination, so :I'll now finish fitting the coupling rods. These are supplied as a double overlay, but the etch itself is quite thick, and I believe the prototype rods were thinner than normal, Then pick-ups, wire in the motor, and sort out the "goalpost" couplings. Edit - one thing I would like to do is better represent the front cylinder cover. This is very poorly represented on the plastic body, but photos show it and the rivets are prominent. Quite how to do it? I have Archers Rivet transfers, but wonder I they would remain visible enough after painting. Wire, suitably trimmed, but this would be a very fussy job. PVA blobs on a plasticard cover?

"Build them and they will run" - sometimes eventually. 60506 was one of the first kits I built, bought at a Newcastle MRS show when DJH came with all their kits, and parts. This year, I couldn't even buy a tube of Miliput… A2/2's from York certainly got to Newcastle, though I doubt they got any further North - certainly 64B wouldn't have been pleased to see them. But one of my abiding spotting memories is seeing 60501 standing behind Gateshead East Station waiting to go onto Gateshead Shed, It stood there for a good 15 minutes, and looked great, for all the criticisms the class get. This loco, however, is a New England loco, and I have no evidence of them in Newcastle, though I'm sure they got there. However, though I need to check my books, a re-number to 60505 Thane of Fife might be OK as this was a 50A loco. Still much to do in this corner of the layout. Funny how the signal box doesn't look so rough in the flesh. It awaits an interior, and then a roof, plus railings for the stairs.

On to the J71. I had great plans for the cab interior. You really need to fill the empty space wher the Mainline mechanism sat, especially as I decided to model the loco with open cab doors, The photo shows what you get with the kit - a cab floor/back, 2 etches to form the splashers, and a brake standard. In theory, I need a reversing lever ( and not a brake standard? ), a backhead, sandbox covers and a locker for the back shelf. In practice, I found that all this was a pipedream. The etch is the same as that on the smaller-wheeled J72, and between that and my hamfistedness, I struggled to get the cab floor to clear the gearbox bottom and the 18mm wheels without removing significantly more metal than indicated by the instructions. My solution was to split the cab floor, cut down the "splashers" and fit them directly to the cab sides just behind the tanks .This is actually prototypical, as they are really just rear tank extensions, extending into the cab. I then stole an idea from Mikemeg and covered the cab floor with thick paper, scored to represent floor boards. At least the thing looks full, and will be more so when I build a rear locker and fit crew. The loco has had a first spray of primer, to see how the bunker (complete with Daddyman coal rails) looks. I tend to use Halfords Red for black locos which wont look "ex-works" as this can show through in some places after spraying with Railmatch Weather Black and look like rust, especially as the spray tends not to get into the crevices where rust will occur. Finally, the J71 and J72 are posed together and I think the differences between the two classes are quite apparent.

I have been working concurrently on the J71 and J72. My intention on the J72 was to simply replace the Ross pop valves with a "trumpet", but I decided that, as I was going to re-number the loco to a Tyneside one, I'd see what else I could do, 68742 was a vacuum fitted Heaton loco, so I installed the pipework, a representation of the sanding rod by the LH boiler front, lamp-irons (I still need to fit one at the bunker rear) and associated pipework on the buffer beams. The photo reveals the push-on cab is askew. Blast....

Do you remember when we used to model like this? I'm converting a Mainline J72 to J71 using thr Mainly Trains kit, so bought the relevant Yeadon.. I thus discovered that, by BR days, the J72's had their Ross Pop valves covered by a trumpet. My ancient J72. 867844 had the valves exposed, so, of course, I needed to remedy that. But I decided to go the whole hog and make mine vacuum fitted, fit the missing sanding gear, and add lamp irons (in case I ever fit lamps, Tony). The loco represents an LNER - build, 67842, which was at Heaton, so fits in nicely with my layout location, I suppose I could have waited for the new Bachmann RTR...…. and blast, the cab roof is askew... Cheers...John

I agree with Mick, we need to see a photo..and must say I'm puzzled by the problem.DJH chassis all screw together using spacers and should all, in my view, have axle bearings fitted,..though I find the axle holes invariably need reaming. Perhaps the previous owner has made a fist of the assembly, but I can't see drilling new holes is going to sort it out easily. DJH frames are a bit like a battleship, but are usully very accurste. Unless you think the chassis sides have been altered somehow, I suggest you assemble the sides with tapped spacers and screws using the pre.drilled holes and see if it is square. I see you have settled on Sugar Palm, so you will want to fabricate the M. Valve rodding and cover..a fiddly job but doable. Good luck John

Other than when first built, the single chimney Peppercorn A2, which is what you have as a kit, were all in Scotland and pretty rare birds on the ER. Another option is to source a double chimney and model Bronzino, 60539, a Heaton loco which was certainly seen in ER territory. Enjoy the kit.

Although Little Benton North is a major compromise through lack of space, I wanted to have a decent representation of the wartime signal box, the adjacent hut and the 3 way distant signal. I had a picture of the box from the north, and have now found a front view. I'm not sure what this box controlled - presumably the sidings at the north end, and the home/distants to Benton Quarry Box. But the building seems elaborate for just that. It also looks as though it was built with a potential air-raid in mind. . In any event, I'm pushing on with it, and it should eventually give the spotters another view of the passing trains.. John

Changing of the guard at Litlle Benton - right in the middle of my spotting years. "Crepello" heads a down express - a GBL body on Lima chassis. while Type 2's (to become Class 24) has usurped D20's and the like from Berwick- Newcastle stoppers. D5096 was one of the first Darlington-built locos to go to Gateshead. This one is Bachman, repainted from two-tone green, and re-numbered. Although there were still plenty J27 and Q6's plodding along, much coal traffic was about to be taken over by K1's or Ivatt 43000's. The K1 is standard Hornby. John

I'm using a Mitsumi motor with HighLevel Compact+ gearbox, and all fits well, These Mitsumi's can be a bit "hit and miss" but I picked up a batch when they were 5 for £5, or something like that. I suspect they will not suit modellers whose locos have high mileage or pull heavy loads, Otherwise, they are worth a try. They fit into the gearbox without difficulty, but only "askew" as the photo shows. I know others have drilled them to fit upright. For the J71, this wasn't necessary, nor did I need to cut off the rear driveshaft. The tested motor/gearbox runs very sweetly. It is the same combination I used in Arthur's J77 and in a Graeme King J2 conversion, and both continue to work well on prototype loads. But all my locos are low mileage -- because I have too many.!!! A bit more work on the body - handrails removed and the bunker step will follow, Now the motor is fitted, it's time to see what needs to be done to get the cab floor to fit, and then I'll replace the coal rail and fill the bunker properly to give it some extra strength. Hopefully, after that, it's mainly detailing. My original J72 has come into works to get the valve cover fitted, and I hope the photo shows how different these ostensibly similar locos were. While I have the J72 out, I'll add a few details, and renumber it for a Heaton or Gateshead loco. It is a nice runner, so as long as its' chassis works, I'll leave well alone, It does need sandboxes, however, so I need to try and source some or build them up from scratch.

The Mainly Trains kit, now with Wizard Models, is an Iain Rice product, as is the J72, The "problem" with both locos isn't the quality of the kit - it's the variety of detail between individual locos. This , of course, isn't really a problem, other than the difficulty of getting a photo of both sides of a particular loco to suit a location - if that sort of thing is important. The advantage is that I can have a couple of locos of the same class where the detailed differences are quite significant. For example, my next J71 will be vacuum fitted, and my next J72 vacuum fitted with a short bunker, John

Thanks, Arthur. That makes perfect sense. The picture which I referred to is of 1797 pictured on p.13 of Yeadon 43A. Closer examination suggests a more traditional handrail/handrail knobs, and is quite short. But my loco shall go without. John

Certainly contact Highlevel - Chris is very helpful. I find the worms, nominally for either 1,5 or 2mm shafts, are usually tight and need careful reaming, so I suspect you may have an undersized 2mm.

The chassis is assembled, and I'll post a photo when the light is better. In the meantime, I have a query about the handrail, or lack of one, on the bunker rear. Should it be there ?. Yeadon suggests the first 20 J72 with short bunker had no handrail, so I assume the J71 likewise. Rear photos are few and far between and I can't find any in BR days.Of the 3 in Yeadon, 2 have no handrail, and 1 seems to have a short NER bar. On the subject of ignorance is bliss, I've been happily running 68744 for about 30 years. I now discover it should have a trumpet cover over the Ross pop valves. Every day is a schoolday even 50 years after leaving... John

I remember that discussion, Jonathan, about the B16 if I'm correct. I cant say I entirely followed it- the solution, I mean. My current plan is to construct a sort of bracket/slot above the bogie centre. This is what I did on my B16, using a piece left over from a Bachmann V1/3. I think, and it works very well. But that's all a bit far down the track. I did, as suggested, contact Peter at 52F and he will see what he can do - he has a chassis, but not the castings, He lives not too far away, so at least I'll get a cup of tea. .

Thanks for the replies. I kept meaning to have a go at a 52F chassis, so may pop along for a chat with Peter Stranger if he is about. He wasnt at the Newcastle Show, so may be "off the team" at the moment. I dug out an old 100 W iron which I last used 25 years or so ago on Jamieson frames, and, surprisingly, it worked, so bearings are now soldered in. I also tend to solder the screwed spacers on DJH chassis, and then file back the heads, or fill the holes when they sometimes snap, to aid clearance and make a neater job. On this lump of metal, even with the bearings shoulders filed, I'm not sure the chassis will go round a 4th radius curve. And that's before I fight with the leading bogie. We shall see. Thanks again John'

I started to assemble the A8 chassis, which is the usual DJH battleship brass, Can anyone point me towards a source of long axle bearings for the driveing wheels, i.e those whivh wiill protrude through the brass and then be soldered on the inside of the frames? I confess I'm not looking forward to drilling the holes for the brakes. I wonder how many bits I'll break? It's astonishing, at least to me, that manufacturers are still producing stuff like this. I did thing about a 52SF chassis, but none are currently available. I'm wondering if a scratch build might be easier? John