Dapol Class 56 conversion to EM

[Richie Kynaston]

Better/easier option to use this in the old Dapol/Mainline 56...........Mashima Motor/Romford drive conversion for the original bogie.........

Ooooh! That's interesting as re-powering the Dapol model was one thought I'd got, along with double power bogies. Is the Romford drive conversion still about, I'd heard that Mashima had ceased?

 

On the old Dapol model, Hornby also added extra pick ups to the bogies, so it picks up on all wheels. And be darned if I can find any of them as separate items!

Again - interesting thought, if you find them, can you let me know!

 

Richie

[cheesysmith]

If you use the bogies from the HJ 58, it is less than a mm out as the 58 has almost the same unequal axles as the 56. Also, if you use the HJ 47 for the bits needed, they come with the correct 3"9' wheels. Although having never done so, I don't know if you can alter the Heljan wheels/axles to EM.

[dj_crisp]

Some ingenious ideas on here.

 

Although I'm sticking to the super detailed Hornby versions for my efforts, especially as it'll take some time to source all the suggested various bits n pieces.

 

Heljan wheelsets are generally awful so I wouldn't recommend using those... especially for EM.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Some ingenious ideas on here.

 

Although I'm sticking to the super detailed Hornby versions for my efforts, especially as it'll take some time to source all the suggested various bits n pieces.

 

Heljan wheelsets are generally awful so I wouldn't recommend using those... especially for EM.

 

The old brass ones were, but the newer replacement wheels are satisfactory.

 

Mike.

[dhjgreen]

The old brass ones were, but the newer replacement wheels are satisfactory.

 

Mike.

When I dragged the wheels out to EM, the flanges on my 128 fouled the flangeways on points, replaced with parts from Branchlines. Edited June 27, 2017 by dhjgreen

[Enterprisingwestern]

When I dragged the wheels out to EM, the flanges on my 128 fouled the flangeways on points, replaced with parts from Branchlines.

 

Without wishing to start an argument, mine didn't, we seem to be working to 2 different EM standards!

 

Mike.

[dhjgreen]

Without wishing to start an argument, mine didn't, we seem to be working to 2 different EM standards!

 

Mike.

Maybe there are differing wheels, the flanges were definitely fat.

Edit to add, with the btob set correctly the wheels road up c&l track. Decrease the btob and they fouled on the flangeway, unsurprisingly.

Edited June 27, 2017 by dhjgreen

[Enterprisingwestern]

Maybe there are differing wheels, the flanges were definitely fat.

Edit to add, with the btob set correctly the wheels road up c&l track. Decrease the btob and they fouled on the flangeway, unsurprisingly.

 

Aha, there's the rub,  we are working to different standards, mine runs on Scaleway and pcb pointwork, it seems to be a bit higher off the sleepers to give a bit of fiddle room.

 

Mike.

[dhjgreen]

Maybe there are differing wheels, the flanges were definitely fat.

Edit to add, with the btob set correctly the wheels road up c&l track. Decrease the btob and they fouled on the flangeway, unsurprisingly.

Interesting spelling of "rode up", I blame migraine head.

[Richie Kynaston]

Hi guys,

Well a quick update. A couple of months of inactivity - if only work and family life would stop getting in the way! I’m back on with converting my 56 to EM, also building a small diorama, something similar to ‘The Works’ layout that was on here until Photobucket stopped sharing their pictures

 

If this one works ok, I also know where I’m heading for loco two, but I’ll not get ahead of myself! I’ll post some pictures soon, but just thought as you’d all been welcoming and helpful that I’ve not lost interest!

 

Richie

[kevinklein]

Hi guys,

Well a quick update. A couple of months of inactivity - if only work and family life would stop getting in the way! I’m back on with converting my 56 to EM, also building a small diorama, something similar to ‘The Works’ layout that was on here until Photobucket stopped sharing their pictures

 

If this one works ok, I also know where I’m heading for loco two, but I’ll not get ahead of myself! I’ll post some pictures soon, but just thought as you’d all been welcoming and helpful that I’ve not lost interest!

 

Richie

"Photobucket embed fix" is a plug in for Chrome, that fixes the Photobucket redirect, there is also a similar fix for Firefox, i understand.

[Richie Kynaston]

Kevin,

That works fantastically!  Well found...

 

Richie

[Richie Kynaston]

Evening all,

Well silence has been the result of total inactivity!  However, I've managed to pick the ball up again tonight - only for an hour or so, but given the length of time that has passed, I thought an update was in order.

 

I originally started this thread with the intention of converting a Dapol 56 to EM gauge.  Why? Well i've never tackled anything like this before - not even detailed, painted or weathered before, so it was very much a 'suck it and see' project to find out whether i could do it.  I'd acquired a Dapol 56 at a very good price (read cheap!) from a fellow rmWebber.  Discussions then turned into possibly remotorising it as part of the rewheel, that turned into double-motorising it with two original bogies, at which point another kind rmWebber popped up with a part stripped (paint wise) loco offering it for spares or the motor bogie.  So that is where I am!  Oh with one further exception, through a friend i also acquired a DCC lighting kit for the loco from a chap on eBay. 

 

 

Anyway tonight, i've managed to start stripping the locos down, and have tested both bogies to ensure they work, which they do!  Not exactly smooth to be honest, so I am open to any ideas or thoughts on how I could improve the running capabilities.

 

 

 

Can anyone tell me what these two black things are?  They seem to be connected to the original lighting and I thought at first they were capacitors or possibly something to take interference out, but the former i doubt because the lights go out as soon as the power is removed, and the latter would surely be on the pick-up or motor side?

 

EDIT: Just dawned on me they may be resisters for the bulbs! Duh!

 

 

Then the move to EM ... or not!  The aim remains to upgrade the bodyshell with etched brass grills, change the glazing to flushglazing and do a repaint into all over blue as 56074 Kellingley Colliery, with Railtec transfers.   If everything works and looks good, final move will be the fitment of a DCC Zimo sound chip, and wiring up of the new lighting unit.

 

However, Im swaying away from going down the EM gauge road.  Lack of time and lots to do - I want to learn how to detail and weather locos and rolling stock, still want to build the layout - the couplings need to be changed to Kadee's, because the layout will need remote uncouplers - I just think having to rewheel everything is adding extra work in where it does not really need to be added. The good news however, is that I am not going to pure Peco OO - indeed I am 90% sure of going 00-SF.  That will mean that the Peco trackwork i've acquired can still be used in the fiddle yards out of sight, the rolling stock doesn't need re-wheeling but the trackwork will hopefully look far better.  Comments as ever are welcomed!

 

Im hoping to progress quicker now i've actually started!  Also got some keen thoughts for the layout, including long coal trains!

 

Richie

Edited January 13, 2018 by Richie Kynaston

[thaddeus]

Can anyone tell me what these two black things are?

 

Richie

They're diodes for the directional lighting setup

[Richie Kynaston]

They're diodes for the directional lighting setup

 

Ah now that was one option i had not considered!  Thanks for that.  They should be able to come off then, as the new lighting will be connected through the DCC.

 

Ta

Richie