RMweb Premium melmerby Posted March 13, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hi all I have N class mogul which I want to fit with a DCC decoder, but so far I haven't managed to get the body off the chassis. Which screws need to come out and is it easy to get apart? (My Crab was an extremely tight fit!) Cheers Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OFFTHE RAILS Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Why not look at the instruction/service sheet which came with the loco? If you haven't got a service sheet, Google Bachmann's website, choose the support option and and download the sheet. If you need photographs, Google Bromsgrove models and look for DCC decoder installation and choose Bachmann "N" class. Google is very easy to use... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted March 13, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 13, 2012 Why not look at the instruction/service sheet which came with the loco? I have and the ones which seem to release the body don't, unless it's particularly tight. hence my comment about the Crab. Keith Edit: the Bromsgrove Models page shows the same screws but does mention the body is a tight fit! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Many of the moguls in Bach's range seem to be like this. I have had real struggles getting both K3s and Ivatt Mucky ducks apart. Very close fitting 'nested' body and chassis components, sometimes lightly bonded by the paint having still been soft on assembly. Once the screws are out, it is just a matter of patient manipulation until they can be persuaded to part... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 13, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 13, 2012 Many of the moguls in Bach's range seem to be like this. I have had real struggles getting both K3s and Ivatt Mucky ducks apart. Very close fitting 'nested' body and chassis components, sometimes lightly bonded by the paint having still been soft on assembly. Once the screws are out, it is just a matter of patient manipulation until they can be persuaded to part... Must admit that the 5 Ns (all secondhand) that I have fitted with DCC didn't seem that challenging, and there is at least a little bit of room to add a modest-sized decoder. I find most locos are a nightmare to take apart these days - and the collateral damage in broken and lost details can be depressing. T9 and M7 whistles are a good case in point, but the N is less fragile in that respect. As for coaches - I don't see my Hornby Maunsells getting passengers any time soon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted March 14, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 14, 2012 Must admit that the 5 Ns (all secondhand) that I have fitted with DCC didn't seem that challenging, and there is at least a little bit of room to add a modest-sized decoder. I find most locos are a nightmare to take apart these days - and the collateral damage in broken and lost details can be depressing. T9 and M7 whistles are a good case in point, but the N is less fragile in that respect. As for coaches - I don't see my Hornby Maunsells getting passengers any time soon! My 1 is second hand as well. I started to tug but gave up before any damage was done, the Crab emitted some cracking sounds as it came apart, I assume something was stuck together and now isn't! There is no visible damage however. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 It is a long time since I took my N to bits but from memory, remove the front coupling. Underneath is a single screw, remove that. The body then lifts away at the smokebox end and slides off the back end. The tender coupling comes with it. There is very little room in the boiler for a decoder. In the end I fitted a tiny decoder behind the motor housing and removed the circuit board completely. Because this loco is permanently coupled it is not beyond the bounds to fit the decoder in the tender. That is where my Digitrax piggy back sound decoder went. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
autocoach Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I have two. One of which is the new DCC fitted SR 1860. It comes with a six pin plug which I shall be modifying to use an 8 pin full function decoder. They seem to have cut a bit off the main inside casting to create room for the DCC decoder. Runs okay. Still needs a little weathering with Soot powder (not foot powder...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2012 I have three Mogul N's, all the original type split frame non DCC ready. I have installed sound decoders in the tender by removing the circuit board in the loco next to the motor then routing the decoder wires very carefully through a gap in the cast chassis ans the metal bit of the body and through a hole cut in the plastic tender chassis. If you do fit a decoder in the tender I can't stress enough about being carefull routing the cables through the rear of the loco body, otherwise the wires will get squashed upon reassambly and the decoder will eventually short as it did with one of mine. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2012 I have three Mogul N's, all the original type split frame non DCC ready. I didn't recall finding them to be split frame. On the other hand, I've never understood why this makes any difference. As long as the motor is electrically isolated from everything except the decoder, how the pickups are arranged doesn't matter a lot. I have a number of US HO diesels with a live frame - so plastic couplings really help if you couple locos in multiple! - but they are quite happy working with DCC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2012 Ian Yes you are correct now that I remember (it was the Ivatts I am getting mixed up with (which were a bit harder to convert) so sorry for any confusion on here.. The issues I had with the Mogul are as I had mentioned though. One of my Moguls was and is still very lumpy at slow speed and even running in on a rolling road hasnt improved it. Runs fine when trnudling along but not brilliant for shunting with. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OFFTHE RAILS Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I have three Mogul N's, all the original type split frame non DCC ready. Ian Ian Yes you are correct now that I remember (it was the Ivatts I am getting mixed up with (which were a bit harder to convert) so sorry for any confusion on here.. The issues I had with the Mogul are as I had mentioned though. One of my Moguls was and is still very lumpy at slow speed and even running in on a rolling road hasnt improved it. Runs fine when trnudling along but not brilliant for shunting with. Ian The Bachmann Ivatt moguls aren't split frame either - did you mean the Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T ? Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2012 The Bachmann Ivatt moguls aren't split frame either - did you mean the Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T ? Ian Yes I did mean the Ivatt tanks. Glad to hear Bachamnn are updating these. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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