Anyone who's followed my blog for a while will know that there's a bit of a recurrent theme, that of taking older models and seeing what can be done to tart them up, press them back into service and so on. Sometimes this is a relatively speedy process ... other times, it can be a bit more protracted.

A case in point would be this overhauled Lima model of D1000 Western Enterprise, which has been on and off the workbench for the best part of ten years ...

A bit of history might not be amiss. I got this model in early 1980, from Holt Model Railways near Swansea, not long after the model first appeared. Mine was the original Lima version of Western Enterprise, in desert sand, but with the incorrect "D1023" numbering. That evening, inspired by an article in one of the model mags (Model Trains?) I used a Rotring drawing pen to add some black ink relief into the grills, and that really made the detail stand out. Other than that, the model didn't receive any special treament. On my old 8 x 4 train set, the Lima Western soon came to be a particular favorite, as it would seem to growl around with a goods train for hours on end. Although Lima mechanisms haven't gained a very good reputation, at the time we didn't know any better and the model press seemed happy to praise the running performance of the Lima models.

When I returned to the hobby, I added etched nameplates to the body although I botched the job and it didn't look very neat. By then, the running of the Lima model didn't seem so hot so it got less use than before. Eventually I learned enough to fit new pickups and that definitely made a difference, but the model still didn't look as good as it ought, due to the botched nameplate job and general grubbiness on the finish. At some point I decided that a repaint might be needed, but around about then I must have also heard about the Brassmasters detailing pack, so I decided to go the whole hog with an improved bodyshell, repaint, and Ultrascale wheels.

According to my email "sent" folder, I ordered the Brassmasters kit and Ultrascales around the same time in 2006 (!) and I must have got on with the bodywork modifications pretty quickly, while waiting for the wheels to turn up. The Brassmasters pack includes new windows, new etched fan gear, new brake gear, as well as directions for improving the "shelf" at the front of the windows. I found it all went on pretty well although I did struggle to fit the etched window frames in one piece, preferring instead to split the halves and fit them separately. I then resprayed the model using Precision desert sand applied with an airbrush.

But - but - although the model now ran better than before, with the improved pickup and the Ultrascales, it still wasn't as good as I'd come to hope for, with the usual Lima jerkiness when starting off. I never got around to installing a decoder as I didn't think it would make much difference if the running on DC was still unsatisfactory. I did a complete strip down of the motor, polished the gears, removed burrs, but that still didn't get it starting as nicely as I'd like. But, having invested so much time in the model, I couldn't just leave it on the shelf!

That's when I started looking at remotoring options, and a few weeks ago I learned about the susmotor:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78418-susmotor-lima-remotoring/

I ordered a couple from the supplier in Finland, and they arrived today.

With the S15 awaiting the paint shop, I thought now was as good a time as ever to have a go at the Western so I followed the very clear instructions supplied with the susmotors. Stripping the original motor down was easy and the replacement installation couldn't be simpler. The only snag I encountered was that the undriven centre wheels of the drive bogie fouled the underside of the motor. This may have been my fault for not ordering the right type of motor for the job, but in any case it turned out not to be a show-stopper. Taking my time, I carefully filed away part of the lower motor housing until there was enough clearance for the wheels. All the time, I kept checking the motor was functional using a DC controller. It wasn't difficult, but just needed a bit of care. Finally the complete bogie assembly was tested, and I was pleased to see the wheels turning very slowly on just a whisper of voltage. Looking promising! The next job was to reassemble the chassis, resolder all connections, and give the loco a test. Total time, including filing the motor - probably an hour, at best.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the transformation in performance was amazing, with the Western able to start and stop very smoothly, run slowly, and with almost no motor noise ... just a faint whirr from the gears. Next, I'll look at suitable decoders, but at this point I wouldn't even rule out adding a sound decoder, and I'd never have thought I might get to that point. Pleasingly, much of the basic Lima mechanism is still retained, so it feels like an economical upgrade that still keeps the "spirit" of the original model. And despite having only two driven axles, no traction tires, and no additional weight beyond the original Lima chassis block, it easily copes with this parcels train comprised of a mixture of RTR and kit stock. I'm delighted to have D1000 back in service, even if it took a decade!