Excellent Footage showing 'SIMPLE' body removal with Guitar Picks. My 128 on DC runs very well at the crawl speed........Lucky me! I too Ian have broken an exhaust pipe on my model. Happily repaired/replaced with thin wire painted silver!
Thank you! Yes, the body came off really easily with the help of the guitar picks! Such a useful tool! I'm pleased that your 128 crawls well on DC, but as you saw, mine had a rather annoying "pulse" that probably coincided with the rotation of the motor! I initially thought this was because it hadn't been run in, but two hours of running later and it was still there, which is what I filmed for the video! Ooh! Never thought of using a bit of wire for an exhaust! I was going to try ordering new exhausts from Revolution Trains, but may try that first! Cheers, Ian.
Morning Ian, nice to see another kind of model added to the library of opening/fitting instructions. With my Revolution Trains Class 59 I was pleased I didn't need to think about fitting DCC, and when I did it on the Graham Farish Class 158s the under-body detail did feel "at-risk", but I think it's stronger than it looks on that one. I think the physics of tiny details vs the need to handle is an inevitable recipe for breakage, but I suspect there could be manufacturer design choices that make a difference (e.g. a screw to hold the body might work better than needing to prise open). In terms of what I've broken I *think* it's just one or two ladders from JHA wagons, which I had to handle a lot in order to fix. I haven't so far used a cradle, but often have a spongy foam base over which to work - the best one used to be the inside of a baby changing mat!
Good morning Jonathan! Yes, the more DCC fitting videos available, the better, as far as I'm concerned! I liked the way that with the 158's you didn't need to remove the bodyshell! This is definitely the way forward! The problem is that you never know how strong these tiny details are! Some bits withstand loads of abuse, while others are simply too flimsy to do the job! I'm beginning to think that maybe the foam cradle is actually a bad idea! The wooden trays in my storage boxes seem like a better way to hold the locos upside down while working on them! A baby changing mat? Now that's lateral thinking! Lol! All the best, Ian.
having added decoders to a couple of older N locos (Poole Era GF! and even older Lima!) it is nothing short of amazing how much better the low speed running gets, managed it with a few OO ones that now crawl slow enough its hard to see they actually move. given how many newer ones have "so-so" performance at low speed out off the box I suspect the intention is now to run everything digitally, a shame for those who don't on the plus side, all have been so old that anything that would break off has done before I got it or are old enough not to have the detail in the first place
I'd love to have the skill to be able to convert older locos from the Poole Era, not that I have any to convert, but I'd definitely be scouring eBay for a few bargains! I agree that once on DCC they can crawls so slow you don't even realised they're moving! The slowest crawl I showed in this video was on speed step 10, so it will actually crawl 10 times slower than that! Amazing! Haha! I hadn't thought the lack of detail on older models! That's definitely an advantage of going old school! :) Cheers, Ian.
Hi Alan! Yes, they were suggested to me by one of my viewers, Peter at Cheadle Heath, so I can't take credit for the idea! If you get the thinnest ones available you won't go far wrong with them! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, there’s such a difference between DC and DCC running and you certainly showed the difference at slow speeds. I’m having my loco’s fitted with DCC now as like you broken bits are common when I fit something and I may have said before one fitting resulted in me dropping a train which smashed to bits. But having them fitted then leads me to the quandary of running in as manufacturers say it’s better on DC 🤷🏻♂. Anyway so far it hasn’t made any difference and I always run them in on DCC. It’s a lovely loco which I look forward to it running around Shelfington for a long time to come. My garage is nearly done now, just the work bench to put together which will have to wait until next week as I’m off on a golfing weekend to Suffolk, one of our big competitions!!! Cheers for now Ian, John
Good morning John! Yes, the DC/DCC difference in performance is huge at slow speeds, but very similar at higher speeds! I've also been getting my locos DCC fitted where possible, but it wasn't a cost effective way of doing it this time - although by the time I've purchased new exhausts, maybe it would have been! Yes, you've mentioned the calamity of dropping a loco, which must have been heartbreaking! It's reassuring to know I'm not the only clumsy one though! :) I'm not convinced it makes any difference whether to run them in on DC or DCC! The only possible reason would be that if the motor was seized, the higher voltages of DCC could perhaps fry the motor or the circuit board? The other reason for fitting your own decoder is that you get the one you want! I'm trying to ensure that all of my decoders support RailCom, for instance! Great to know that Project Garage is almost complete! Can't wait to see the results! Good luck with the golf mate, and have a good weekend! All the best, Ian.
Thanks John! Yeah, it's just a bit annoying that these things break off so easily! I think I'm going to have to purchase replacement exhausts as I can only find one small piece of plastic, and both of them have snapped off! These things have a way of completely disappearing from the face of the universe once detached, don't they? Lol! Cheers, Ian.
Greetings Clumsy 🤭 I'm forever losing bits of my stuff 🤫 the whole front came off a Voyager last weekend whilst in a tunnel 🫣 definitely the joys of N Gauge with sausage fingers 😝 The only upside 🤔 is the details are that small you wouldn't notice they were gone unless you looked 🔍 Excellent presentation as always 😇 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️
Good morning Wickford, and hello Paul! It's nice to know I'm not the only clumsy animal in the hobby! You're right though, I hadn't even noticed the exhaust departure until I reviewed the footage! I may have noticed the whole front of a Voyager going missing though, although only with my glasses on! :) All the best, Ian.
Evening Ian. Yes I've broken things off locos when doing basic maintenance 😢. I agree the amount of separately fitted parts these days is making it more and more difficult to handle locos. Cheers Euan
Good morning Euan! I'm glad I'm not alone! Obviously, I always try my best to be careful, but sometimes these things just happen! I do wonder why a lot of these parts are made from extremely brittle plastic though! All the best, Ian.
Hi Chris! Yes, you have to factor in the price of the DCC decoder chip with any loco purchase, but I tend to grab them when they're on sale, so I always have a couple laying around, just in case I have one of those impulsive "must have" moments! To be honest, I'm just fumbling around a lot of the time when I open up a loco, and this is only the fourth time I've fitted a DCC decoder! This is why I'm always banging on about the need for manufacturers to supply better instructions than "...gently remove the bodyshell..." which is next to useless if you don't know how! Oh well! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, my two most expensive locos, big 6 axle Australian locos are covered in small details that are not glued on but a slight interference fit. I have two tiny black ladders that probably came off the black bogies but I can’t see where they came from. So they got thrown back in the box. I don’t even lift them any more, I use a Peco rerailing ramp. Cheers Peter from downunder.
Hi Peter! Oh that must be annoying! It's one thing to accidentally knock a detail and break it, but you don't expect fittings to part company with a loco voluntarily! I hope it doesn't detract from the model too much! Wish I could get away without touching my stock, but it's always going from storage to test track then back to storage! Can't wait until I've got a proper layout that I can leave some stock on permanently! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, great review once again, and the handy demo of how to fit DCC to the model. Like most people (going by the comments) I have broken off these fine detail parts. All the best.
Hi John! Yes, I think that the more videos there are of how to DCC fit locos, the better people will be informed, until the manufacturers get their act together! Glad to know I'm not alone in my clumsiness! :) All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian Another nice review, I do have a couple of these, although can't say I used them much yet, (I really should test them to make sure...lol). But I think they are great models I also want to renumber one of mine and weather it. Thanks
Hi Pete! Thank you! There'll be a much more comprehensive review of the loco coming up in a few months time! Yes, get them out on track! They're great models and fantastic runners! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how you get on with renumbering - those digits are miniscule! Good luck! Cheers, Ian.
Very good Ian as always, I have just ordered the same decoder to try in a loco which seems to be a bit jerky, Mark Ireland is a huge fan of the Zimo chips so I want to see if this decoder will change the loco performance not just a low but more at medium speed whereby the motor sound is not consistent which seems to make the loco a bit jerky. Looking forward to testing it when it arrives. I find the same thing when opening or removing a bogie, i sometimes feel I am deforming a loco by the pressure needed for the removal. It's time the manufacturers made a short video for every loco on fitting decoder, bogie removal, fitting auxiliary parts etc. I am ordering a new chasis for a Class 108 because i broke radiators etc on body removal.
Thanks Chris! I've got Zimo chips in all of my locos apart from a Dapol Imperium in the 57xx, which isn't the greatest of runners, and the DCC Concepts Zen decoders in the HST, which seem to be okay, but aren't RailCom compatible! I've used both the Next18 and 6-Pin variants of the Zimo, and they've all performed fantastically in whatever loco I've fitted them! I hope you have similar success! I'm glad I'm not the only one suffering from breakages, as it felt like I must be doing something blatantly wrong! I totally agree that railway manufacturers should provide much more comprehensive maintenance instructions AND a short video showing how it's done - and explain everything like they were talking to a five year old to avoid confusion! I'm going to see if I can order new exhausts from Revolution Trains as their exploded diagram has parts numbers included! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, interesting video, I was curious about what number you were going to id the loco as. Like you I tend to use first 2 and last 2 numbers when it comes to diesels as its easy to recognise the class of loco and the last 2 digits being the loco number. When it comes to dmu's they tend to have a 3 digit class numbers so not so easy LOL! I think I would have gone for 0128 as I don't tend to have many dmu's LOL! for steamers I just use last 4 numbers of the locos (early period steamers only carried 4 numbers. I always find it interesting to see what other modellers use to remember their loco Id's, each to their own 😁. All the best Tony.
Thanks Tony! Ah, yes, loco numbering! You're right, it's a bit of a minefield isn't it? I think with my 101, I've numbered it 1011, and a second would be 1012! However, with my HST, I went with the motor car running number, although was tempted to go with the set number of 2541, 2542 etc... For steamers I use a similar method to the diesels with first two and last two digits! However, as the method is so haphazard with possibilities of clashes, I had been wondering about a more arbitrary numbering scheme! Something involving the year of purchase seems sensible! So a loco bought this year would start 24, and the second number would represent the order in which they were bought! So 2403 would be the third loco bought in 2024! This would allow me to buy 100 locos a year without getting clashes! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Haven't broken anything yet but that is just because I haven't tried opening a loco. Knowing myself, it will happen as soon as I try to do it. @Ian where did you get those metal nails you use to pin the styrofoam? I know you mentioned in an episode but I can't find it again.
Hi Luc! Yes, not opening up the locos seems like the best way to go! I've started to get my locos pre-fitted with decoders where possible, but it would have cost too much in this instance - although now I'll have to purchase replacement exhausts, maybe it was a false economy! Do you mean the staples I'm using to pin the track down? They're Type 90 Staples, and a link can be found to them in the description (it's the last link)! The only other pins I use are the long Gaugemaster track pins, which work better than the Peco ones in the foam! Hope that helps! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian. Thanks for this video; I have this model and this will help me fit a decoder. I too ordered some plectrums for bodyshell removal - probably inspired by you! So, you decided not to fit sound; do you think a Hornby HM7000 sound decoder would fit in the model? I didn't notice any connections to the built-in speaker - did you see any?
Good morning Paul! No problem! The more information there is about DCC fitting, the better! Yes, the plectrums are great for the job! Much better than cocktail sticks and credit cards! I went for the thinnest available, which occasionally snap, but you get a fair few for your money! I may still upgrade to a sound decoder when more funds are available! I believe that the wiring for the speaker is all there, and that all you need to do is pop in a sound decoder, but please do further research before taking my word! I'm not totally familiar with the HM7000, other than knowing it is a non-standard size! There's quite a lot of space around the DCC socket towards the motor side, but not so much towards the PCB side! So I guess it all depends on which way round the HM7000 needs to be fitted! Sorry I can't be any more help! All the best, Ian.
Excellent Footage showing 'SIMPLE' body removal with Guitar Picks. My 128 on DC runs very well at the crawl speed........Lucky me! I too Ian have broken an exhaust pipe on my model. Happily repaired/replaced with thin wire painted silver!
Thank you! Yes, the body came off really easily with the help of the guitar picks! Such a useful tool! I'm pleased that your 128 crawls well on DC, but as you saw, mine had a rather annoying "pulse" that probably coincided with the rotation of the motor! I initially thought this was because it hadn't been run in, but two hours of running later and it was still there, which is what I filmed for the video! Ooh! Never thought of using a bit of wire for an exhaust! I was going to try ordering new exhausts from Revolution Trains, but may try that first! Cheers, Ian.
Morning Ian, nice to see another kind of model added to the library of opening/fitting instructions. With my Revolution Trains Class 59 I was pleased I didn't need to think about fitting DCC, and when I did it on the Graham Farish Class 158s the under-body detail did feel "at-risk", but I think it's stronger than it looks on that one. I think the physics of tiny details vs the need to handle is an inevitable recipe for breakage, but I suspect there could be manufacturer design choices that make a difference (e.g. a screw to hold the body might work better than needing to prise open). In terms of what I've broken I *think* it's just one or two ladders from JHA wagons, which I had to handle a lot in order to fix. I haven't so far used a cradle, but often have a spongy foam base over which to work - the best one used to be the inside of a baby changing mat!
Good morning Jonathan! Yes, the more DCC fitting videos available, the better, as far as I'm concerned! I liked the way that with the 158's you didn't need to remove the bodyshell! This is definitely the way forward! The problem is that you never know how strong these tiny details are! Some bits withstand loads of abuse, while others are simply too flimsy to do the job! I'm beginning to think that maybe the foam cradle is actually a bad idea! The wooden trays in my storage boxes seem like a better way to hold the locos upside down while working on them! A baby changing mat? Now that's lateral thinking! Lol! All the best, Ian.
having added decoders to a couple of older N locos (Poole Era GF! and even older Lima!) it is nothing short of amazing how much better the low speed running gets, managed it with a few OO ones that now crawl slow enough its hard to see they actually move.
given how many newer ones have "so-so" performance at low speed out off the box I suspect the intention is now to run everything digitally, a shame for those who don't
on the plus side, all have been so old that anything that would break off has done before I got it or are old enough not to have the detail in the first place
I'd love to have the skill to be able to convert older locos from the Poole Era, not that I have any to convert, but I'd definitely be scouring eBay for a few bargains! I agree that once on DCC they can crawls so slow you don't even realised they're moving! The slowest crawl I showed in this video was on speed step 10, so it will actually crawl 10 times slower than that! Amazing! Haha! I hadn't thought the lack of detail on older models! That's definitely an advantage of going old school! :) Cheers, Ian.
Hi Ian. I really like the idea of using plectrums to assist with removing the body. I will be doing this in future.
Hi Alan! Yes, they were suggested to me by one of my viewers, Peter at Cheadle Heath, so I can't take credit for the idea! If you get the thinnest ones available you won't go far wrong with them! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, there’s such a difference between DC and DCC running and you certainly showed the difference at slow speeds. I’m having my loco’s fitted with DCC now as like you broken bits are common when I fit something and I may have said before one fitting resulted in me dropping a train which smashed to bits. But having them fitted then leads me to the quandary of running in as manufacturers say it’s better on DC 🤷🏻♂. Anyway so far it hasn’t made any difference and I always run them in on DCC.
It’s a lovely loco which I look forward to it running around Shelfington for a long time to come.
My garage is nearly done now, just the work bench to put together which will have to wait until next week as I’m off on a golfing weekend to Suffolk, one of our big competitions!!!
Cheers for now Ian, John
Good morning John! Yes, the DC/DCC difference in performance is huge at slow speeds, but very similar at higher speeds! I've also been getting my locos DCC fitted where possible, but it wasn't a cost effective way of doing it this time - although by the time I've purchased new exhausts, maybe it would have been! Yes, you've mentioned the calamity of dropping a loco, which must have been heartbreaking! It's reassuring to know I'm not the only clumsy one though! :) I'm not convinced it makes any difference whether to run them in on DC or DCC! The only possible reason would be that if the motor was seized, the higher voltages of DCC could perhaps fry the motor or the circuit board? The other reason for fitting your own decoder is that you get the one you want! I'm trying to ensure that all of my decoders support RailCom, for instance! Great to know that Project Garage is almost complete! Can't wait to see the results! Good luck with the golf mate, and have a good weekend! All the best, Ian.
Nice, simple DCC fitting, just what we want. Good job Ian.
We all have lil mishaps, breakages etc etc. Ting bit of PVA will soon sort it.
Thanks John! Yeah, it's just a bit annoying that these things break off so easily! I think I'm going to have to purchase replacement exhausts as I can only find one small piece of plastic, and both of them have snapped off! These things have a way of completely disappearing from the face of the universe once detached, don't they? Lol! Cheers, Ian.
Greetings Clumsy 🤭 I'm forever losing bits of my stuff 🤫 the whole front came off a Voyager last weekend whilst in a tunnel 🫣 definitely the joys of N Gauge with sausage fingers 😝 The only upside 🤔 is the details are that small you wouldn't notice they were gone unless you looked 🔍 Excellent presentation as always 😇 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️
Good morning Wickford, and hello Paul! It's nice to know I'm not the only clumsy animal in the hobby! You're right though, I hadn't even noticed the exhaust departure until I reviewed the footage! I may have noticed the whole front of a Voyager going missing though, although only with my glasses on! :) All the best, Ian.
Evening Ian. Yes I've broken things off locos when doing basic maintenance 😢. I agree the amount of separately fitted parts these days is making it more and more difficult to handle locos. Cheers Euan
Good morning Euan! I'm glad I'm not alone! Obviously, I always try my best to be careful, but sometimes these things just happen! I do wonder why a lot of these parts are made from extremely brittle plastic though! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, my pocket's not ready for DCC yet but when it is I know where to come for advice! All the best, Chris
Hi Chris! Yes, you have to factor in the price of the DCC decoder chip with any loco purchase, but I tend to grab them when they're on sale, so I always have a couple laying around, just in case I have one of those impulsive "must have" moments! To be honest, I'm just fumbling around a lot of the time when I open up a loco, and this is only the fourth time I've fitted a DCC decoder! This is why I'm always banging on about the need for manufacturers to supply better instructions than "...gently remove the bodyshell..." which is next to useless if you don't know how! Oh well! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, my two most expensive locos, big 6 axle Australian locos are covered in small details that are not glued on but a slight interference fit. I have two tiny black ladders that probably came off the black bogies but I can’t see where they came from. So they got thrown back in the box. I don’t even lift them any more, I use a Peco rerailing ramp. Cheers Peter from downunder.
Hi Peter! Oh that must be annoying! It's one thing to accidentally knock a detail and break it, but you don't expect fittings to part company with a loco voluntarily! I hope it doesn't detract from the model too much! Wish I could get away without touching my stock, but it's always going from storage to test track then back to storage! Can't wait until I've got a proper layout that I can leave some stock on permanently! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, great review once again, and the handy demo of how to fit DCC to the model. Like most people (going by the comments) I have broken off these fine detail parts. All the best.
Hi John! Yes, I think that the more videos there are of how to DCC fit locos, the better people will be informed, until the manufacturers get their act together! Glad to know I'm not alone in my clumsiness! :) All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian Another nice review, I do have a couple of these, although can't say I used them much yet, (I really should test them to make sure...lol). But I think they are great models I also want to renumber one of mine and weather it. Thanks
Hi Pete! Thank you! There'll be a much more comprehensive review of the loco coming up in a few months time! Yes, get them out on track! They're great models and fantastic runners! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how you get on with renumbering - those digits are miniscule! Good luck! Cheers, Ian.
Very good Ian as always, I have just ordered the same decoder to try in a loco which seems to be a bit jerky, Mark Ireland is a huge fan of the Zimo chips so I want to see if this decoder will change the loco performance not just a low but more at medium speed whereby the motor sound is not consistent which seems to make the loco a bit jerky. Looking forward to testing it when it arrives. I find the same thing when opening or removing a bogie, i sometimes feel I am deforming a loco by the pressure needed for the removal. It's time the manufacturers made a short video for every loco on fitting decoder, bogie removal, fitting auxiliary parts etc. I am ordering a new chasis for a Class 108 because i broke radiators etc on body removal.
Thanks Chris! I've got Zimo chips in all of my locos apart from a Dapol Imperium in the 57xx, which isn't the greatest of runners, and the DCC Concepts Zen decoders in the HST, which seem to be okay, but aren't RailCom compatible! I've used both the Next18 and 6-Pin variants of the Zimo, and they've all performed fantastically in whatever loco I've fitted them! I hope you have similar success! I'm glad I'm not the only one suffering from breakages, as it felt like I must be doing something blatantly wrong! I totally agree that railway manufacturers should provide much more comprehensive maintenance instructions AND a short video showing how it's done - and explain everything like they were talking to a five year old to avoid confusion! I'm going to see if I can order new exhausts from Revolution Trains as their exploded diagram has parts numbers included! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, interesting video, I was curious about what number you were going to id the loco as. Like you I tend to use first 2 and last 2 numbers when it comes to diesels as its easy to recognise the class of loco and the last 2 digits being the loco number. When it comes to dmu's they tend to have a 3 digit class numbers so not so easy LOL! I think I would have gone for 0128 as I don't tend to have many dmu's LOL! for steamers I just use last 4 numbers of the locos (early period steamers only carried 4 numbers. I always find it interesting to see what other modellers use to remember their loco Id's, each to their own 😁. All the best Tony.
Thanks Tony! Ah, yes, loco numbering! You're right, it's a bit of a minefield isn't it? I think with my 101, I've numbered it 1011, and a second would be 1012! However, with my HST, I went with the motor car running number, although was tempted to go with the set number of 2541, 2542 etc... For steamers I use a similar method to the diesels with first two and last two digits! However, as the method is so haphazard with possibilities of clashes, I had been wondering about a more arbitrary numbering scheme! Something involving the year of purchase seems sensible! So a loco bought this year would start 24, and the second number would represent the order in which they were bought! So 2403 would be the third loco bought in 2024! This would allow me to buy 100 locos a year without getting clashes! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Haven't broken anything yet but that is just because I haven't tried opening a loco. Knowing myself, it will happen as soon as I try to do it.
@Ian where did you get those metal nails you use to pin the styrofoam? I know you mentioned in an episode but I can't find it again.
Hi Luc! Yes, not opening up the locos seems like the best way to go! I've started to get my locos pre-fitted with decoders where possible, but it would have cost too much in this instance - although now I'll have to purchase replacement exhausts, maybe it was a false economy! Do you mean the staples I'm using to pin the track down? They're Type 90 Staples, and a link can be found to them in the description (it's the last link)! The only other pins I use are the long Gaugemaster track pins, which work better than the Peco ones in the foam! Hope that helps! All the best, Ian.
@@iansngauge thanks Ian, found the link. Have a great weekend.
Hi Ian. Thanks for this video; I have this model and this will help me fit a decoder. I too ordered some plectrums for bodyshell removal - probably inspired by you! So, you decided not to fit sound; do you think a Hornby HM7000 sound decoder would fit in the model? I didn't notice any connections to the built-in speaker - did you see any?
Good morning Paul! No problem! The more information there is about DCC fitting, the better! Yes, the plectrums are great for the job! Much better than cocktail sticks and credit cards! I went for the thinnest available, which occasionally snap, but you get a fair few for your money! I may still upgrade to a sound decoder when more funds are available! I believe that the wiring for the speaker is all there, and that all you need to do is pop in a sound decoder, but please do further research before taking my word! I'm not totally familiar with the HM7000, other than knowing it is a non-standard size! There's quite a lot of space around the DCC socket towards the motor side, but not so much towards the PCB side! So I guess it all depends on which way round the HM7000 needs to be fitted! Sorry I can't be any more help! All the best, Ian.
@@iansngauge Thanks, Ian.