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J69 Buckjumper


The Doc

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I wonder if anyone else would be interested in a ready to run J69?  With Hornby's recent focus on GER locos - the J15, D16 and forthcoming B12 - it would be nice to have a small tank engine to go with these.  They were long lived little locos, and look beautiful in GER blue.  Towards the ends of their lives they were also more widespread, not just in the east of England.  I currently have a Wills/South Eastern Finecast white metal body kit which I bought cheaply off ebay but I haven't yet got around to motorising it.  My plan is to fit a Bachmann J72 chassis, as the wheelbase and wheel size are very close, but the older J72 models are often poor runners, so I might have to wait until Bachmann bring out their newer version.  I'd prefer it though if Hornby produced their own version as I am sure it would look better than my rather crude whitemetal model.

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 I would like one. These little engines came over on to the Southern via the East London Line at New Cross / New Cross Gate, and were occasionally seen at Blackheath and Hither Green on short goods workings.  Jolly little engines. I remember seeing the Liverpool Street pilot painted by BR in GER blue.

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Seeing the J69 in GER blue makes me wonder if Hornby might also consider a backdated version of the B12 as originally built (classified as S69 by the GER), with Belpaire firebox and ornate splashers over the wheels, as in the photo below.

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In the days when I started railway modelling, I could imagine a company like Crownline producing a kit to convert the Hornby model into this version.  Perhaps nowadays someone could produce 3D printed parts to adapt the forthcoming Hornby model?

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Putting all that expert engineering into a 00 gauge live steam model is very impressive - way out of my league!    I've made a few whitemetal kits, nothing in etched brass, and I've never managed to get a chassis to run to my satisfaction (yet).  I really hope Go West's S69 runs better than my purely electric attempts.

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 The J69 surprisingly did not make the top 50 in the latest Wish List Poll, and actually came 30th in the steam loco category behind the Sentinel Rail Car and Big Bertha! The N7, and J26 / J27 also  beat it to being the favourite as yet unmade LNER type.

 

I must confess I am baffled by some of the votes.

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 Hi SoT

 

Good to see you back. I hope everything went well with 'the medics' and you're back to Full Working Order.

 

I agree that an E4 would be nice but I think the Swedey modellers have done quite well lately. Although the Q6 has arrived we're still lacking in other types to stamp 'NER' on a layout. The GER modeller can do this to a large extent with what is, or recently has been, available.

 

Feel sorry for the Scots, they've got nothing at all, to modern standards, suitable for their layouts.

 

Once again, nice to see you back. We'll have a difference of opinion soon, no doubt.!!

 

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 Something not widely appreciated is that theJ69s were to be found in many places in Scotland,  68429, 68511, 68524, 68525, 68533, 68535,  68544, 68550, 68551, 68552, 68555, 68562, 68623,  & 68636. These included St Margarets, Thornton Junction, Dumfries, Polmont, Bathgate, Eastfields, and Kittybrewster.

 

As well as nearly every shed in East Anglia they also found their way to London Midland and Eastern Region (Great Northern and Great Central section) sheds  such as -

Sheffield Grimethorpe 68497, 68669,

Staveley 68512, 68523, 68530, 68558, 68589, 68591, 68592, 68608, 68616, 68618,

Doncaster 68507, 68508, 68520, 68556, 68621

Wrexham 68531, 68533, 68559, 68584, 68585

Trafford Park 68540, 68583, 68595, 68598

Hitchin 68541

Hatfield 68572

Widnes 68547

Although they seem to move about with considerable regularity. Other sheds included Leicester, Colwick, Langwith, New England, Peterborough, Carlisle, Brunswick, Retford, Lincoln, Barrow Hill, Walton on the Hill, Darnall, Canklow, Mexborough,

 

So they would be one of the most widely distributed classes.

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Thanks LC&DR - detailed and informative as always.  So it isn't just Suffolk swedes like me who could have a J69 on their layout.

I also note that the N7 came out top of the LNER poll on rmweb.  I'd love one of those to pull my suburban services.  At present these trains are hauled by a Hornby N2 or a Bachmann V3, both ex-LNER classes, but I don't think either of them ever got as far east as where my layout is meant to be based (Ipswich in the late 50s).  Mind you, I also have a few A3s and an A4 which I cannot resit running up the mainline, as well as a P1 and Cock o' the North, so I can bend the regional and chronological rules whenever I like).

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 The L1 2-6-4T was a regular performer at  Livepool Street, I spotted plenty there, (and at Kings Cross too of course) . I saw them on the same services as the N7s.  Electrification finally saw them off if course but right up to the end, 1961 ish they could be seen on Palace Gates to North Woolwich services.  These too were found in many areas.  They could at some time be found at Toton, Gorton, Darlington, Colwick, Hull, Ardsley, Middlesborough / Thornaby. and Bradford as well as all over the Great Eastern and Great Northern.

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Thanks LC, I had thought about getting an L1 but I have heard quite a few reports of them derailing on curves and points, which concerned me.  I'm not too good at fiddling with wheels/bogies etc. trying to get them exactly as they should be.  I had lots of problems with an A4 a few years back, to the point where I had to re-lay a whole section of track.  The loco is still imperfect, but better than it was.

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  • 2 months later...

Only just found this, but I have built the J69 body kit and my idea was to look at J72 as a chassis.  Have you actually done it?  Or has anyone?  It would be good to hear of anyone's experience before I dive in!

Thanks

I've not tried it yet - I'm awaiting the new Bachmann version of the J72.  The split chassis of the older model will cause some problems.  For a start, it is quite wide in places to give extra weight inside the tiny J72 body and part of the J69 body would have to be cut away from the inside.  Secondly, because it is the split chassis design, the two halves are opposite polarity, so if they were both in contact with the whitemetal body, there will be a short circuit.  So either the chassis block or the insides of the body might have to be covered in insulating tape at critical points.

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I've only made 2 chassis in the past, and neither ran as well as modern locos. Plus, an etched chassis, gearbox, motor and wheels can work out surprisingly expensive. Yes, you will have the satisfaction of building it yourself, but not all of us have the skill set or time to build something like a chassis.  Also, some chassis kits are quite rigid and would struggle with 2nd and 3rd radius curves. Hence I am keen on a ready to run chassis.

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  • 2 years later...

 In the 2018 Wish List Poll the J67 & J69 came 6th in the list of LNER locomotives wanted by voters. 208 votes received in total.

 

It was beaten by the W1 4-6-4, (274 votes)  Sentinel Railcar (267 votes), P2 with Buggatti nose (254 votes), NER  / LNE J26/J27 (217 votes), and K4 2-6-0 (211 votes),

 

So there may be some hope!

 

A fresh poll is imminent.

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