Converting a kit built J39

Thought I’d send you photos of my Kit built J39 I rescued which now runs pretty well ( with a few tweaks) on my dublo 3 rail layout. The alterations were done by retired friend Martin who is a restoration expert!

First job was to change wheels. It had Romford wheels which were replaced with N2 non bushed ones, the centres unflanged so as to get round curves. The tender centre wheel flanges were also filed down for same reason.

The chassis and motor were an old Triang jinty R52? Martin first made a plastic insulating plate with sockets for Dublo standard 3 rail pickup but this didn’t work – despite all sorts of adjustments, the pickup mechanism was too low down and fouled track and points etc. So we went back to your pictures of conversions, and took Train Society’s  Damian Moss’s advice about  using envelope fasteners. 

This time, Martin replaced plastic insulation strip with piece  copper insulated board, attached to chassis with nylon bolts. 

Finally, he used brass strips soldered to board and envelope fasteners and with some tweaking to get improvised “shoes” to connect with rails, my J39 works well!

Martin was pleased too as he’d never done anything like this before, so many thanks for your pictures which helped a lot!


	

2 thoughts on “Converting a kit built J39”

  1. I am very impressed with this. There seems to be an increasing demand for 2 rail to 3 rail conversions. I would like a maroon exGWR railcar to run on my layout. It would make a change to the pair of Exley suburban 3rds, joined with a paper clip, that we currently use for suburban working.

    1. Hi David,

      Thanks for your post about my 3 railed J39! It really runs well even over point work with no stalling etc.

      I’ve not done many 3 rail conversions. My Collett works ok too but is a Mainline model with plastic driving wheels axles. So had to use a 3 rail castle tender. It doesn’t have the same pulling power as too light. I think I will see if it’s possible to 3 rail a suitable Triang chassis.

      I have just found a Triang 3F 0-6-0 chassis, already 3 railed. It had brass strips like photos on Tony’s conversions link, but the eends of the strips had been formed into 3 rail pickup shoes by
      hammering over a large round headed screw or bolt. It works really great too

      Hope you get your GWR railcar done – I’d like to have a go at something like that too.

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