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N gauge Lima Class 86 gets a ZIMO MX617


aleopardstail
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While I have fitted a couple of decoders before it was well over a decade ago, and to Hornby OO models with more space, this is my first experiment in digital command control with N gauge.

 

For my victim I selected a Lima Class 86, picked up on eBay cheaply, and for the decoder a ZIMO 617F as thats also cheap and lets be honest, the old Lima loco lacks lights or a lot of detail so a basic decoder is fine.

 

I picked the Class 86 as I knew it had a fair bit of space inside and the motor is nicely isolated from the chassis hoping this wouldn't be a difficult installation.

 

the rest is in the pictures.

 

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(un)willing victim in blissful ignorance

 

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Bodywork removed, very typical design of the period, standard Lima N gauge motor at one end, pick ups at the other - for her age she runs quite well, though doesn't like low speed crawling

 

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Tilted to show the rest of the wires, motor brushes opposite the contacts

 

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Decoder unboxed, this thing is tiny, but not quite as tiny as the wires, seriously glad I have an illuminated magnifier 

 

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plug removed and wires untangled

 

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as noted no lights so the function wires have the ends capped with a bit of heat shrink

 

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Strip out of the wires, note the isolation of the motor from the pick ups is verified, good old Lima not trying to be clever with a live chassis

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unused wires wrapped round, I could have cut them right back but you never know, bit of tape round them to hold it until the bodywork goes back on. fiddly soldering job but not too bad

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bodywork back on, the decoder fits without any chassis modification needed

 

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no explosions on first power up, as you can see my "layout" is extensive and well ordered

 

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and finally in motion, will crawl along at speed step 10 quite nicely, I tried speeding up but above 50 the track came apart, circulates nicely at speed step 30 though

 

 

All in all, for a first pass I'm happy with how shes turned out, just got the second one to do now, which should be identical

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41 minutes ago, aleopardstail said:

a ZIMO 617F as thats also cheap

But not at all nasty :D 

The 20 pound Zimo decoders are excellent decoders and excellent value for money. They are the only ones I use in my N Gauge locos.

 

Regards,

 

John P

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