Connoisseur J65

[Marc Dobson]

I have just bought one of Jim's J65 kits of a well known auction site. I haven't taken delivery yet and Jim no longer lists the kit in his range so I have not seen the instructions. I'm presuming that I'm going to have to make some new frames to get horn blocks .

Has anyone built on in S7?

Marc

 

[Caggers]

Have you tried emailing Jim, He might be able to provide the instructions so you can start looking before the kit arrives.
Cheers
Simon

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Marc,
You won't do wrong by downloading the instructions for the J68 kit, the tank engines all follow the same format and are all of similar design. I would think that you could build your J65 from these, once you've built one Connoissuer kit you won't need the instructions for the next one they are that easy.
I've built them to S7 standards with sprung hornblocks and 28.5-29mm frame spacers.

Col.

 

[Derby Road]

Hello,

I’ve built one of the Connoisseur J65s, backdated to an E22, in S7.



From my notes, I used the frames from the kit but used 28mm spacers. I also cut the frames to use Slaters horn blocks with CSBs, the beams being below the horn blocks.

The kit as it comes builds into the LNER modified J65, so to backdate it to GER condition the main changes were:
- Stovepipe chimney.
- Dished smokebox door.
- Covered Ramsbottom safety valve.
- Wooden roof with the profile lowered.
- Open coal rails.

From the kit’s width across the tanks/cab, the model is of the latter B32 batch (GER numbers 245-254), which had 4 3/4” wider tanks than the original E22s.

Hope that’s of some help; I’d be happy to answer any questions about the loco.

Regards,
Gareth

 

[Marc Dobson]

Hi Garath,
That looks good. Thanks for the tips. Was it your loco running at Bristol show? I saw one running there pulling a goods train with a NER brake van so I lent the train my GER brake van prototype.

The kit arrived yesterday. Lots of extra info on J67, J68 and J69 but incomplete instructions so I spoke to Jim yesterday and he is posting me a copy of the missing its instructions. Thinking it might be easier to replace the frames and the rods. I was told that there was an article in MRJ 245 that shows the build but I haven't tracked down a copy yet.

Marc

 

[Derby Road]

Hello Marc,

Thank you, no problem.

Yes, that was me at Bristol. Sorry, I didn't make the connection between then and now. Thanks again for the lend of the brake van; it finished the train off very nicely.

Are you planning on building it in GER form?

Regards,
Gareth

 

[Marc Dobson]

Yes I'm hoping to build it in as close to original condition. All my S7 stock is GER at the moment. So I was thinking of basing my S7 layout GER 1915-19 so I can have both the blue and grey liveries. My GER locos so far are 2 tram locos so I didn't have to turn the wheels down.
Marc