SR EMUs - A 4CEP Quickie

[Brian Kirby]

    Hi fellow RMwebbers,

Now everyone likes a quickie, and i've been itching to do this one for quite some time. The excellent Bachmann 4CEP model has a very powerful and heavy motor mechanism, which can easily handle extra added cars. This project removes the motor bogie for use elsewhere and a kit bogie is substituted, thus creating a non-powered dummy trailer unit. The other advantage is that the missing seating can now be added, which is possibly the main fault with the model's power car, i don't like the way the motor casting protrudes into the adjacent saloon, i've cut back quite a few already, this conversion does away with it completely. 

 

First job is to get the body off, not an easy task, these are a pretty tough challenge compared with other models, i don't understand why they make these clip-fits so difficult, especially for those who just wish to add a microchip. The trick is to use thin strips of 30thou plastic to wedge and lever the sides from the chassis clips, whilst also being oh so careful not to scratch the paintwork or knock off any added detail. There are three clips each side, one at each end and one in the middle, six in total. The inner end usually starts to drop out first, but don't pull it out all the way, until you've freed the cab end slightly. Once off, i cut off and file back all the protruding chassis clips, even without these replacing the body is still a very snug and tight fit, but will be easier to remove next time. Here's the motor bogie out of the chassis. I have deliberately folded  back the phosper bronze contacts out of the way, power for lighting will still be collected from the opposite bogie, more contacts could be added. 

 

 

Part of the reason for the tight body fit, is the use of sprung internal contacts for electrical continuity for pick-up and lighting. Here i have removed the vertical roof lighting contacts, which can be replaced with bypass wires, the headcode remains already wired in and the cab assembly is now glued to the chassis, whereas it was attached to the motor casing before.

 

 

Next i build up a new bogie stretcher from plasticard, this is held in with 10BA nuts and bolts, i really should add some washers under those nuts to improve joint strength. An 8BA nut and bolt point down to provide a new bogie pivot, to save time i've used extra nuts and washers to maintain the correct ride height, rather than make a special pivot boss.

 

 

 

Here's the replacement Southern Pride kit bogie, it's a one-piece nylon bogie box with cast sideframes. More to follow shortly.   BK

 

 

 

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Here's the new bogie held on with another 8BA nut

 

 

Now the unit is ready for a test run, extra detail can be added to the bogie. I did consider re-using the Bachmann sideframes, but this would require extensive cutting and the motor bogie's next role uses the very same sideframes anyway, i'm sure once the new bogie is painted to match, it will blend in perfectly well. Hmmm, i wonder where that motor bogie is going? The answer is on my parallel EMU thread, other future uses will be for other donors to power Hastings and other DEMU types, plus if you change the sideframes, the motor bogies can be used very widely on other EMU types.

 

                                              Cheers, Brian.

 

[Colin parks]

Hi Brian, 

 

That is a really neat solution you have come up with for the 4 CEP.  Unlike the same firm's Mk.1 stock, the pin-point axles locate into pressed metal bearings/pick-ups, thus making the unit's vehicles very free-running.  Now, if you had a Bachmann MLV which has an identical power bogie etc. to the CEPs, I bet that it could be ballasted the pull two CEPs as trailers, thus freeing up another motor bogie.  You would also have all the CEPs with proper interior seating and unobstructed luggage compartments.  Just a thought.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

[Brian Kirby]

Yes, the Southern Region standardization does help when it comes to swapping things around. Eagle-eyed members may have spotted that i hadn't added the fusebox thingy casting to the replacement bogie, the reason being that i couldn't find them in my spares box! I've now pinched a couple from another kit, plus i've found one of the guard iron castings. However the latter must have been designed for the MJT etched bogie frames or else RTR bogie adaptations, because it just won't fit directly on to the SP nylon box bogie. This is hampered by the size of the Airfix-style coupling box included, the way around this is to cut it in half and then file it back. Next i will paint the whole bogie to match the Bachmann type.

 

 

Another thing that bugs me (man) with the Bachmann CEP, are the fixed reporting numbers or the red marker option and the fact that the white LED is not directionally controlled by diodes. It's okay if your train keeps going iround and round in the same direction, but on most layouts the unit will need to reverse. I would much prefer fixed white blanks at each end, with an added diode to only allow the white LED to work when leading. There should be enough room for the option of adding a directional red LED to turn the white blanks red when trailing. As a trial, i started with the supplied spare door front, first levering off the black shroud, followed by the clear prism from the rear. This reveals the back of the printed numerals, which can either be scraped off in situ, or better still, pushed out with the clear cover to the front. Having removed the printed code, any rough edges can be corrected with black ink, and when this is dry, the two clear oblong windows can be made opaque with white ink, 5thou plasticard or thin white paper.    

 

                         Cheers, Brian.

 

 

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Now the blanks have been painted white with ink, which will be more translucent than paint. Is it me or is one white block wider than the other, but then the photo image is larger than the model? Next i will add a diode to cut out the white light when trailing and also a directional red LED to shine through the white. then i've got to do the same to the other end!

 

 

Here's the kit-built bogie painted to match the Bachmann original.       BK