drduncan Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Dear all, I recently treated my self to a Dapol class 22. I wish to convert it to EM gauge. Has anyone out there done so and how did you do it? Looking forward to hearing about the fruits of your labours... Regards drduncan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 www.emgauge70s.co.uk has a couple of examples. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hi Chris, Thanks for the wed reference - I'll have a look at it. Thanks Duncan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Dear all, The class 22 is now EM'd and sound chipped but it was a bit of a saga.... The plan was just to pull out the wheels and file away the backs of the bogies to provide clearance. A rather course file was introduced to the bogies and just over 1 mm removed from each side of the bogie. I used a (borrowed) GW Models wheel puller - I really must get one of these things - to deal with the wheels and with a little bit of to-ing and fro-ing between wheel puller and back to back gauge all was sorted. The wheel sets were tested through various point work and there appeared to be no problem with flange width or depth. The wheels were dropped back in the bogies, the decoder installed, body replaced and the loco placed back on the track and I sat back to bask in the glory of the class 22 as it growled around a china clay siding on the club's new (so new its still being built) EM layout.. Only it didn't quite work out like that.... Instead of growling to life the loco stayed silent and the short protection gubbins on the NCE system kicked in. The loco was removed, heads were scratched; wires were checked, all possible metal to metal surfaces that might be causing a short were examined and covered in insulating tape - and still it wouldn't work and kept shorting out. Head scratching was upgraded to bad language and other dcc users consulted with, shoulders were cried on and electrical gods pleaded with over a period of days. The problem was traced first to an short on the wheel sets, which resulted in them all being carefully checked for any signs of flaws, back to backs re-set, reassembled and for a brief glorious nano-second the loco crawled into life - and then shorted out again. The wheels were again removed and checked and this time it seemed that only one axle was shorting out. The axles are a split axle design and I wondered if the insulation between the stub axles was at fault. The stub axles were pulled out, reset in their respective wheels and then put back in the plastic insulation tube and the back to back reset: no short. The axles were put back in the loco: no short. The body was replaced: no short. The loud celebrations caused the domestic authorities to query what was going on in the loft. What caused the problem? I can't be sure, however, I think that the wheel puller not only pulled the wheels, but also pushed a stub axle in, closing up the insulation gap - hence the short. So how to convert the Dapol class 22 to EM gauge? Well I hope to get round to writing it properly for the EMGS and anyone else that might be interested sometime soon - just when I've managed to get enough stock finished to avoid public humiliation at some forthcoming exhibitions.... D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 You don't fancy converting mine to P4 then ... Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 31, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2014 My first conversion was achieved by just pulling the existing Bachy wheels out, but that needed quite a chunk cutting out of the inside of the bogie sideframe, so,,,; Number 2 was done by removing the wheels and turning down both the rear and front faces in a lathey thing, then when refitted and B to B'd, only a smaller less obtrusive smidge needs filing off the inside of the sideframe. So method 2 will be used on the rest. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 You don't fancy converting mine to P4 then ... Chris Hi Chris, Sorry for not replying - I've been off RM web for a while and stock modification has been keeping me busy. Incidentally, the class 22 (and other WR hydraulics) can be seen at this weekends ally pally show on the MRC's Empire Mill layout. But in answer to your question, no I don't fancy converting yours to P4! I've only just recovered from the trauma of doing an EM one!!!!! Regards Duncan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 My first conversion was achieved by just pulling the existing Bachy wheels out, but that needed quite a chunk cutting out of the inside of the bogie sideframe, so,,,; Number 2 was done by removing the wheels and turning down both the rear and front faces in a lathey thing, then when refitted and B to B'd, only a smaller less obtrusive smidge needs filing off the inside of the sideframe. So method 2 will be used on the rest. Mike. Ah, if only I had a lathe and knew how to use it.... : )D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted March 24, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 24, 2014 Ah, if only I had a lathe and knew how to use it.... : ) D I haven't and I don't, but there are ways and means! Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I'll just add that this particular Class 22 performed quite well throughout the weekend at Alexandra Palace. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 I'll just add that this particular Class 22 performed quite well throughout the weekend at Alexandra Palace.cheers Gareth! Glad the show went off ok.D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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