Nictor Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Great that more and more loco's are now DCC ready but I wish they had a scasle 1:5 as to how easy it is to fit a chip. 1 being dead easy and 5 get an expert unless you are very good. Done locos before such as the Hornby Bananna (ex lima) rail bus. Dead easy to remove body and fix chip. A definate 1. Today I did my new Hornby R3316 S&DJR 4-4-0 Class 2P Fowler. My assessment somewhere between 4 and 5. The top comes off the tender very easily but you have to be super careful because the wires between tender and loco are not removeable and hair thin. Chip in no problem, loads of space for the chip and a double sided sticky pad. However, getting the tender top back on was a nightmare. Just a tiny lip at the rear of the tender chassis which slipped off the tender top so easily and trying to refix a tiny screw at the front end to go through draw bar and screw into the tender shell. Had my Peco foam loco cradle, head magnifyer, etc and I have small hands but still took me ages to get the tender top back on and all the time terrified of breaking or pulling off one of the tiny joining wires. Would have been much easier to have simply had a removeable coal load and put the chip in directly through the top - no risk to the connecting wires. Took over an hour to do a simple job but she seems to be running fine. Took a few pushes to persuade her to move and I was just begining to panic when she set off. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 What was the sticky pad for?I do agree that some loco's can be a real pain to get at, for converting.I find it strange that your 'ease' numbering system is the reverse of most others, where 1 is most difficult, and 10 is easy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nictor Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 What was the sticky pad for?I do agree that some loco's can be a real pain to get at, for converting.I find it strange that your 'ease' numbering system is the reverse of most others, where 1 is most difficult, and 10 is easy! To fix the decoder down. Yup, your right about the 1:10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamDavid Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Hornby changing their designs to put the decoder in the tender was a great idea.Older dcc ready designs, especially those from Bachmann, can be a nightmare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I see, said the blind man! You used the sticky pad for the decoder because there was no fitted socket! Strange, as the ad's show it as DCC ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nictor Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 I see, said the blind man! You used the sticky pad for the decoder because there was no fitted socket! Strange, as the ad's show it as DCC ready.I used a Hornby R8249 which has the decoder on the end of the wires and the pin unit on the other. The pin part goes in the fitted socket but then you have the decoder flopping around on the end of several inches of wire. Hence the sticky pad to hold it down and stop any movement otherwise it will be rattelling around inside the tender body, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I see, said the blind man! You used the sticky pad for the decoder because there was no fitted socket...Doh...2-ericyes there is a socket, the sticky is for the decoder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 comment removed. I'd missed a post, which made it irrelevent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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