Lima Trains

[Devyn Gamble]

Hello Forum

Is it possible to run a class 47 Lima train on the hornby select controller?

Thanks in advance

[2e0dtoeric]

Short question - simple answer -

No!  Unless you fit a dcc decoder chip into it first!

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Also, Lima class 47 models were mainly made before DCC ready models were made.

 

So, you would either have to solder the wires of a decoder to the appropriate places, or fit a DCC decoder socket...

 

I have fitted DCC sockets in Lima class 47 models...

 

When decoder fitted, they run ok.

 

The Hornby Railroad DCC ready, and TTS sound fitted, Class 47 is based on the Lima model, with an improved motor and chassis.

 

This chassis can easily fit to a Lima body...

 

[ColinB]

I have just converted a couple of my Lima locos. If you don't mind wiring then it is not too difficult. The only issue is "pickups", Lima locos don't pick up from all wheels, but with traction tyres is there much use using a pickup on these wheels. In the case of their diesels there is lots of room to put in a huge bank of "keep alive", so it helps out a lot. Use a decent dcc decoder with provision for "keep alive" and they are ok. I have a class 66, I converted and added lights, it is a bit noisy but sounds a bit like a real one one under load. Adding new chassis and bogies gets expensive, by which time you might as well buy a Hornby "Railroad" version, unless you like doing that.

[81F]

 I would just like to add that if you want to get experience had wiring DCC chips most Lima Diesels are probably the easiest to start with.

 

Although all of my 47s have the picups divided between the two bogies some of the newer versions of other clases I have have picups on both sides of the dummy bogie. So  far I have found this in one of two 37s, both my 31s and a Class 40. However, getting round this is not rocket science. The simpest us to simply removes the wire between the soldered connection on the dummy bogie and the motor, converting it to a divided pickup loco and convert to a DCC loco acordingly.

 

These two video shows how to fit the decoders:

The Deltic one is for the older divided picup

 while the Class 37 is for those with pickups on both sides of the dummy bogie 

.

 

This is not quite the methods I used since I chose to compleatly rewire the locos soldering each wire to the appropriate contact. However, this was only possible since my chips were supplied by a different manufacturer without a plug and much longer wires  than the Hornby ones

 

Although I think this is a more "elegant" solution, it does involve more work in stripping down the loco and the need to remember which way round the motor bogie goes when putting back to gether. However all my locos were either second hand (or had been in storage for over 20 years) so beinfitted from a very thorough service. Also it did give a lot more room to work with the locos body and chassis being kept well away from the soldering iron

[ColinB]

When I do it, I put in an 8 pin socket which allows me to use any 8 pin decoder, it also allows me to check it on DC once I have finished. I buy the proper Hornby 8 pin PCB, but you could make your own out of veroboard and two lines of 4 pin socket Also with the Lima bodies, it is quite easy to add lights as they do seem to have any cab detail..

[81F]

 Just opend up my latest 47 (George Jackson Churchward) bought second hand and have discovered that the dummy bogie does have pickups both sides unlike the other four I have owned.

[ColinB]

I noticed Peters Spares does the additional Lima pickups, and the really good thing is Lima uses plasic bogies, so you can screw it to the bogie with a couple of small self tapers. For 4 wheel bogies I found a Hornby Dublo pickup works. A guy on that popular auction site sells new ones. For my class 37, I used a  late Hornby class 37 pickup ( I bought it before I found out about the ones on Peters Spares).

[walkingthedog]

I added extra pickups to all the wheels on my Lima diesels, both sides of both bogies.