Great little video. I stripped my C20 down today as it has a faulty light board at the front. Straight forward enough but what I found extra useful was an iFixit toolkit. Small enough heads to undo the screws correctly and also magnetic so they can't run off... And they will stick to the end while you slot it back in. Can highly recommend getting a kit like that.
Thanks Dave! I've since bought a set of magnetic jewellers screwdrivers, but I'll definitely take a look at the iFixit toolkit you suggest! Thanks again! Ian
Hi Ian. This is certainly a daunting process for the uninitiated. I don't know whether this is a better way, but certainly an alternative. I noticed in an earlier video you used a spreader to distribute glue to secure a foam base. Several of these can be used as alternatives to cocktail sticks. I bought a Kato RHB GE4/4 III Glacier Express Electric Train Pack; when it arrived I took out the inner packaging to take a closer look. To help return it to the outer packing, I turned the inner packaging over and the loco and carriages fell to the floor! The carriages came apart, the top of the loco came off and a small part was found on the floor. I just clipped the carriages together, refitted the top to the loco and then discovered the small separate piece was part of one of the pantographs that (in real life) made contact with the overhead wires. I'll need to apply a little superglue to fix it. I'm sure every modeller has experienced a little mishap like this! Your method of using Blu Tack to place the body screws into their holes is one way to go; an alternative is to position a small neodymium magnet to the top of the screwdriver that will hold the screw while replacing it. BTW: the magnetic dish is a good idea, but also using a towel or similar will stop small parts from disappearing altogether should you drop one.
Hi Paul! I tried using a glue spreader on the class 20, but it was too wide to get between the chassis and the bodywork! I've just ordered some thin guitar picks on Peter's recommendation, as they are less than half a millimetre thick, and should do the job without snapping so often! Oh no, how annoying and frustrating to drop a new purchase! Glad it wasn't damaged too much and you'll be able to fix what damage there was! After struggling to find a decent screwdriver to open up the loco, I've actually just bought a jewellers toolkit set that you can magnetise and demagnetise the screwdrivers, but the Blu Tack thing is a great standby! The magnetic dish has been a Godsend, I also have a small plastic tray, but I couldn't fit it on the table with the camera and tripod! A small towel is a great idea to catch small bits! Would have been great to have when I was trying to fit those small springs into the Pullman coach couplings as I lost a few to the carpet! Oh well! Thanks for all the tips mate! All the best, Ian.
Thanks Ian, we all need to start somewhere. Rather than the cocktail sticks to remove the body, I use 4 pieces of thin plastic. These easily slide into the gap between body and chassis. You can feel when they are in the right place. But I totally agree with you about poor instructions, they often miss out the simple steps. Good luck for the future, you will soon be buying "non runners" and sorting them out !
Hi David! I found this to be a very daunting task, and even though I've since installed quite a few more decoders, I still worry about breaking things because of the instructions not being clear enough! I don't use cocktail sticks any more, and have switched to using guitar picks, which are ideal, and mirror the use of your thin pieces of plastic! I wish I could fix non-runners, and may give it a go one day, but they'd have to be cheap, just in case my butter-fingers made the problems worse! Lol! Thanks very much for watching and for your insightful comment! All the best, Ian.
Great job, like the use of the blu-tack on the cocktail skewer, great thinking. Will try that tick. I have tried a magnet on my screwdriver, which also works Bye for now, take care, stay safe, and have fun.
Thank you very much! The Blu Tack / toothpick combination worked really well, and is definitely worth a try! I've actually just ordered a new set of jewellers screwdrivers that can be magnetised and demagnetised, so I'll give them a go next time I have the need to open up a loco! All the best, Ian.
Thank you Ian, I am in the identical stage as you and just received in today's mail a "sound ready" Ivatt 2MT Collectors Edition Steam Loco and the recommended Bachmann 36-567A decoder. So I am in the stage of gathering up my confidence to fit the decoder to the loco.....
Hi Earl! Good luck with the decoder fitting! The more you do, the easier it gets, but I still get apprehensive about opening up my locos! They're so detailed nowadays that I'm always frightened of snapping something off! All the best, Ian.
Old hands here, too 👋 Screws and getting the covering off a body 😳 the perils of N Gauge 🤕 Still you survived to tell the tale 😁 and the Class 20 looks absolutely spiffing 👍 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️
Hi Ian I 100% agree with you that as N gauge modellers (or any gauge for that matter), we shouldn't have to take apart a loco that may have cost upwards of £150 plus, just to put in a decoder! In OO Accruascale are leading the way with thier class 37 (I know its of no use to you, but just for comparison). Although having watched your video it looks to me like all that might have been needed is to remove the 2 screws under the cab and remove the cab, then see if the blanking plate would pull out to be replaced by the decoder. I don't have a class 20 (yet), so can't confirm that either way, anyway glad you managed it in the end, I think its just a case of being careful and taking your time with it. By the way I did fit my Bachmann class 31 with a decoder and that was relatively easy, just unclip the body (I use thin guitar picks to slide between the body and chassis) and lift it off (no wires connected) then just do the swap. Good luck with the next one, hopefully as time goes on the manufactuers wil make it a lot easier.
Thanks Peter! I did consider trying to fit the decoder while I had only the cab removed, but I couldn't actually see into it properly! If the decoder had been mounted further towards the rear of the cab it wouldn't have been a problem! I think it's a case of Farish retrofitting a decoder socket to an old design to save having to create new tooling! Yes, I think Accurascale are leading the way in quite a few aspects of the hobby at the moment! Thanks for the tip about Guitar picks - I'll have to add some to my loco servicing arsenal! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, very good, it's even worse if your in Australia to send a loco back. Once i sent a class 108 DMU back to Bachman in the UK and all it was was that the bogie needed clicking back into place! Since then I have been quite brave and luckily we have the site "this way works'to inspire us. All the best and well done.
Thanks very much Chris! Oh no! That must have been frustrating! I'm okay with having a go, but I'd really like to have a lot more information than is currently provided by the manufacturers! Yes, Rich's channel is a great source of information, although I don't think I'll ever be able to tackle some of the things he does! Thanks again! Ian
Hi Ian. I'm just about to try and fit my first sound decoder today, to a class 320. I cant say that I'm looking forward to it, even after viewing your video. However I am glad I watched it. Thank you for sharing... and wish me luck ! 😊
Hi David! I'm probably a bit late, but good luck with the DCC fitting! I hope it goes / went well! It is always a bit daunting opening up a loco, especially when we haven't done it many times! I've opened up a few now, and they're all different, with each having distinct problems to overcome! The class 20 has been my trickiest so far - it just happened to be my first, which was bad luck for me I guess! All the best, Ian.
@iansngauge Thanks Ian. We'll, I've only recently finished the task. I had to put so many cocktail sticks into the bodywork, the coach looked like a porcupine ! - I haven't been put off to bad. I've got another 2 320s to do, and I'll probably do the other locos that have speakers already fitted too. I shall continue to follow your videos too. Thx. David @ Queens Central Model Railway 😀
@@D4V1DC14RK - Hi David! Well done! Like I said earlier, the more you do, the more comfortable you'll become with the process! Oh, by the way, I've moved on from using cocktail sticks and now use thin guitar picks! They're so much easier to slip between the body and the chassis, and as they're more delicate than the bodywork, are more likely to break, so I think they're a safer bet to use! Hope this helps! All the best, Ian.
Hi, you got there in the end, and your picking knowledge/experience as you go along. May I strongly suggest a set of magnetic jewellery screwdrivers. Screwfix amongst others sell them. They make the removal and replacement of screws soooooo easy. Just put the screw back on the screwdriver, straight in the holes - no messing. They are worth their weight in gold.
Thanks John! Yes, it's all a learning experience isn't it? Ah, it's funny you should mention magnetic jewellery screwdrivers as I ordered a set on Thursday, which should be arriving today! They're the sort that you can magnetise and then demagnetise! No doubt the manufacturers will try and thwart us by using plastic or nylon screws at some point! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, well done on facing your fear and having a go! So much of this is very familiar to me. Instructions lacking necessary detail are a bugbear of mine because it could be rectified so very easily, and is so clearly necessary. That issue isn't confined to locomotives or even this hobby generally. Last year I noticed that pre-ordered DCC-fitted models were taking literally months longer to become available that their DCC-ready equivalents - almost as if there's just one person at Dapol with a large in-tray of locos for fitting - so I started to save both time and money with fitting decoders myself... but my experiences have been like yours quite often (the worst have been Dapol tender locos because the driveshaft is a right pain) and so I've gone back to buying DCC-fitted if it's an option! I've often searched the 'web and TH-cam for specific examples and not found any, so once I started my channel I resolved to make a video whenever I have to fit a decoder. Thank you for providing this one for GF Class 20s - I'm sure it'll be useful to someone else who hasn't been through the pain several times already. Blue tac to the rescue again!
Facing your fear is definitely the correct phrase to use Jonathan! Yep, instructions for nearly every aspect of this hobby are severely lacking in my opinion! Do the bare minimum seems to be the mantra! I think you're right about the single guy fitting decoder chips at Dapol! Lol! I think I'm going to continue fitting decoders to my new models, unless they're sound equipped, simply because it's a useful experience knowing how to get into the loco for maintenance! But yes, I may change my mind when I get a few steamers in my fleet! I'll continue to post videos of me fitting them though as, like you say, there seems to be a dearth of them out there! Blu Tack is the boss isn't it? All the best, Ian.
I have opened up plenty of N Gauge models, and still have a bit of the shakes doing it! I always check the decoder works before replacing the body just in case. Also it doesn't hurt to run the loco in or at least test it on DC first (where possible). Makes sure everything works before fitting so if it doesn't you know you haven't done anything and it can be returned and replaced and refunded. I've found Zimo and ESU decoders to be the best performers, so well worth keeping with them.
Yes, I should have check it was working before I refitted the body! I'll know for next time as I'd have hated having to deal with those blasted screws again! Lol! I don't actually have a DC controller, but wouldn't mind getting a suitable one! Any recommendations? I'm a big fan of the Zimo decoders as I find all of the locos that I have them fitted to are much easier to control, and seem to run a lot smoother! All the best, Ian.
I fully get the mind your fingers method as on my first attempt I had an N scale 04 shunter DC which I attempted to convert and made a right hash of it.
Hi Jason! I've not attempted a conversion yet, as all of my locos have either been DCC ready, or DCC fitted! I think a DCC conversion would be beyond me at the moment, although I'd like to give it a try one day! Cheers, Ian.
I've only done decoder installations a few times, and only in US HO locomotives. I found it interesting that the sockets appear to be different across the pond, as my installations always called for an 8 or 9 pin decoder. Getting the body off is a pain, but some of the HO stuff have a little panel on the roof that clips off to put the decoder into, which I imagine would be hard to implement in N scale. Glad this went off as well as it did for you :)
Hi! Thank you! Yes, removing the body from the chassis was way more difficult than I thought it should be, but apparently it's common! I hope N gauge manufacturers follow in the footsteps of some of the HO/OO manufacturers by providing a better means of access for installing the decoder! I think the socket type depends upon the decoder chip you're fitting! The class 20 takes a 6-pin decoder, but most of my stock has a Next-18 decoder socket, which look completely different! Then there's Kato stuff, that is completely different again! Thanks for watching! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian I am loving your channel. Please keep up the great work. I am trying to build my first N gauge layout and am really struggling. For example I tried to fit a dcc encoder and damaged my loco. Very annoyed at the poor instructions and my own limitations. The gradient issue you covered so well thanks - 4% will do for me ! I have been making RC models for about 45 years and thought I was quite handy but these N gauge models are proving real trick. Can't wait for your next instalment. Cheers.
Hi Bruce! Thank you for your kind words! Getting into a loco is the main problem most people face with fitting a DCC decoder chip! It's not much of a consolation that you're definitely not alone in having problems! Sometimes I think I must be doing something wrong, and lose confidence! Annoyingly, the lack of detailed instructions is a problem that the manufacturers could fix very easily! If you go for 4% on a curve, just make sure it's radius 3 or above, or make sure you test your locos before laying the track permanently, and you should have no issues! Yes, N gauge can be quite challenging, especially, if like me, the old eyesight is not what it once was! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Thanks Alan! Never thought of putting it onto the end of the screwdriver! Will probably give that a try next time I have the bodyshell off! Cheers, Ian.
That takes me back quite a few years when I got a class 20. Very inexperienced then and struggled removing the body, damaging a step and managing to damage one of the NEM pockets when trying to remove the very resistant body. Then I saw something on the internet which mentioned you had to remove the cab first - as you found out by accident. Not a **** word in the instruction sheet about this. Things have got better with instructions than those mystifying days in the past. For years I'd moan how hard and off-putting tasks like this could be and how the lack of information makes this harder. I might get a new bogie frame to replace the damaged pocket I did ask Farish how to fix it a quite a few years back and was simply given some née couplings! Sometimes I feel there would be commercial uproar if a manufacturer of any product gave so little info or made their product so frustrating to maintain! Rant over. She looks a lovely model, nice video.
Thanks David! I don't mind a rant here! Nice to know I'm not the only one getting frustrated! The cab was the most surprising thing, as even in the exploded diagram in the instructions, it was shown attached to the main body! But yes, at the end of the day it's a lovely model, and a really good runner as it turns out! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian! These kinds of screws go in to an unthreaded tube in the body, and they cut the plastic to make threads to seat in to - just like a wood screw does. In case you might remove them again, when putting them in it’s a smart idea to turn them in reverse until they “click”, so the screw threads are lined up with the original cut threads in the body. That way, you can remove and reinstall them many times. If you simply tighten them without aligning the threads, they will cut new threads each time, and as you can imagine there’s a finite number of times you can do that, especially with such small screws.
Hi Nathan! You're kidding? I've already had he body off again as I decided to put some tape across the wires to prevent them getting jammed between the bodywork and the chassis next time I go and perform some maintenance on the loco! I'll remember this for next time, so thanks very much for the advice! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, this is something I’m going to need to tackle in due course, but not for fitting decoders as I’m staying with DC with all its faults, but still even for maintenance etc will be anxiety provoking. I don’t recall 20s at Thornaby but did lose touch a bit as I moved out of the area. Nice vid again mate, Cheers Phil
Hi Phil! Yes, I agree, eventually we all need to gain access to our locos for maintenance! Hopefully we'll get less anxious about the process the more we perform it, but I'm certainly nowhere near that point yet! I don't recall seeing class 20's in this livery at Thornaby, but they were definitely there! The last time I was there was in the mid 1980s! My main memory of Thornaby depot is the number of class 31's that were stabled there, and how you were allowed to wander around amongst them! Ah, what a world it was before H&S was a thing! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Great work, ian. I feel your pain and anxiety so very much! Fitted a decoder to one of my Farish 40's, nearly sent me six feet under! Had to reach out to one of the weathering specialists who was working on another of my 40's to give me hints as to how to get the body off. Managed it eventually. I'm very grateful for you doing this, and some of the tips (tape/blu tac) will be used next time I have to tackle this chore! All the best, Nigel.
Thanks very much Nigel! I don't understand why the instructions are so poor! Like I said in a previous comment, their mantra seems to be 'Do the bare minimum', although their newer tooled models seem to have updated documentation that covers much more, although still isn't perfect! Glad you found the video useful and have gotten a few useful tips from it! All the best, Ian.
Well done Ian! I’ve done quite a few chips now and instructions aren’t always good. My 1st loco was the Pannier tank and believe me it took ages and plenty of sweating. I didn’t know about the pin going in a certain way, I think if I remember right there was a tiny dot of paint no numbers. Anyway got it in put the body on put it on the test track and…. Nothing. Pin round the wrong way! So took it all apart again and spent a a while scratching my head before realising. I actually now program them without the body on just to make sure! Another absolute disaster was on another small GWR loco from Sonic models was destroyed almost immediately when I took it out of the sponge cradle to get at a screw better because it was a bit awkward and dropped it on the floor, smashed to bits! That was a quick £100!!!! Anyway now, I tend to either have it fitted or by it fitted my the manufacturer unless of course I want a specific decoder. Great video and a very nice loco, cheers for now mate, John
Thanks very much John! Yeah, the instructions seem terrible whichever the manufacturer! It's a bit of a bugbear of mine, although the latest Farish instruction sheets are a bit more detailed! Saying that, remember the class 31 headcode light fiasco? Sometimes it's not that the documentation doesn't exist, it's that they just don't point you towards it! I was absolutely paranoid about putting the decoder in the wrong way around as it's not clear what will happen - will the chip fry itself for instance? Why aren't they designed so that they only go in one way around, like mobile SIM chips? Bad luck with the GWR Sonic loco, that must have been very annoying! I've got a Dapol HST on order which needs two chips I think, so I'll definitely be doing this again! Hopefully they'll get easier as I get more experience! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, my Western Pullman has two chips, I had to make sure they were both speed matched which is another faff! Fortunately mine were ok but they aren’t always!, John
@@exehavenharbour - Oh gosh! Speed matching! That hadn't even occurred to me, and I don't have a clue how to do it... yet! The joys of this hobby eh? So many learning curves they'll drive you round the twist! :)
lol! Yes it drives me nuts at times Ian! You’ll only need to speed match if both ends are driving cars, one end may only be for lights or something🤷🏻♂
Cracking video Ian. Most of the Farish loco's let you pull the bogies off - but as you say as a novice you wouldn't know that!! All part of the learning curve. Now you'll be pulling those bogies off as if there's no tomorrow ( when they're off you can remove the bogie cradle which lets you remove the wheel sets to properly clean them and remove the fluff that wraps itself around the axles. ( can't wait for that video 😅). Cheers Euan
Morning Euan! The bogie thing was incredibly frustrating, as I really struggled getting those screws out and was wondering how I was going to get them back in with the bogies in place! Don't give me ideas about going any further with stripping the bogie frames - this was far enough up to, if not way beyond my comfort zone for now! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, nice looking loco! Those pesky screws really test your patience, but you found a handy solution. I think many of us have damaged those small bits on the body at some time or another. I've managed to do some serious damage on a couple of occasions to locos but managed to recover the situation.Anyway, you got there in the end, and it looks good running around your layout. All the best. John
Hi John! I agree, it's a very good looking loco and I was very relieved that it worked when I took it to my test track! I'm glad I'm not the only one to have had problems with small screws and small bits of bodywork! Forgive me if I'm misremembering, but I think I saw you do something similar when handling your class 03? Cheers for now, Ian.
@iansngauge Hi Ian, yes, your memory is razor sharp. When I took the 03 body off, it came off in 2 pieces instead of one! Luckily, no major damage was done, and a bit of super glue did the job.
Haha! Thanks Michael! No, definitely not! I think you heard a little of my frustration when the cab came off in my hand, and when the cab interior dropped out of the loco! The audio for those moments was taken straight from the camera as opposed to my voiceover track! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian. Good video. The first time I fitted a class 20 I just removed the cab and not the body. That wasn’t easy because I couldn’t see the socket form the decoder to fit into
Thanks Ian! I did have a look with just the cab removed, but like you, couldn't really see anything, and had no idea which pin was which! By that time I didn't trust the documentation, so went ahead and removed the body! It would have been better if Farish had positioned the decoder socket a little closer to the back of the cab, then it would have been much easier to fit the decoder with the body still in place! All the best, Ian.
hurray! the class 20 body can be a bit of a struggle. farish should have updated the now very old old instruction leaflet with better diagrams and instructions. my top tip is get a small magnetic screwdriver.
Thanks Tim! Updated instructions would definitely have helped! Those for the class 08 and class 31 are pretty good by comparison! Magnetic screwdriver - check! I've just ordered a new set of jewellers screwdrivers that can be magnetised and demagnetised, although Blu Tack served as a very handy substitute! All the best, Ian.
Nice one Ian 👍, well done on breaking the comfort zone and other then the obvious breakage you succeeded mate 👍, its to late now obviously but i take the cab off and change the chips with the body still on. Like you i am almost annoyed at how hard some of the locos are to get inside, its almost a certainty to break something if not familiar with the loco in hand.. even now its very difficult to get inside some DMUs as theres no where really to hold the locos and apply the force needed to take the bodies off.. i suppose this is the trade off with having such detailed models though, ease of access is from what ive seen not the priority.. mind you more concise instructions would of helped! Take care, Rich
Thanks very much Rich! Yes, it was a shame about the steps breaking off, but a little dab of superglue should fix that when I get around to it! I'm not sure I'd have been able to change the chip with only the cab removed - I'm not saying it's impossible, but I couldn't even see the pins at the end of the blanking plate, and certainly couldn't see which way around the chip was supposed to go! Lol! I really don't understand why, when the body is screwed to the chassis, are there so many 'hidden' clips and tight spots designed to seemingly make body removal as difficult as possible? Oh well! I'm really pleased to get my first fitting out of the way, and will definitely by trying again - well, I'll have to because I've got a Dapol HST on order that requires two chips I believe! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Hello Ian, I purchased one of these recently in BR Green and I must say you couldn't have picked a worse loco for your first DCC fitting! (not your fault of course, how were you to know). What an absolute nightmare, I had a massive amount of trouble just like you in trying to get the shell off and I managed to knock off one of those steps in the process (luckily it just clipped back in). The screws are just an added source of frustration, I'm sure they are not needed as the body is impossible to remove even after they are out!! So then once all together I just hoped it would work with the chip in and it did (I used the same decoder as you), hooray!
Hi John! Well that's good to know - if you know what I mean! I thought that I must be completely inept! I'd expected the body to just fall away from the chassis, but it's like they went for a belts and braces approach with screws and clips! Of course, the instructions were no help at all - are they ever? With no mention of being able to easily remove the bogies for access to the screws, and why didn't they mention that the cab can be removed separately? I've actually ditched the screws now, and haven't had any problems! The Bachmann / Zimo decoder is now my go-to decoder when a 6-pin decoder is required as I find them excellent! So, thanks for the confirmation, it's much appreciated! Hope your loco now runs as well as mine! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, Just come across your site. I am right at the start of building my layout and learning as I go. There is very little on N Gauge on the web and was interested in how you fitted a DCC Decoder - seems straightforward enough! I was very interested to see you had made a gradient on your layout, something I wanted to do but couldn't find anything about how to go about it. I will look back at your previous videos to see if you have covered making a gradient but in the meantime - did you make the blocks yourself and if so how and what with? If you bought them where from and roughly how much? Last question - how long a length do you need to make a gradient in N Gauge? Thanks
Hi Adrian! Welcome aboard! :) I've always found fitting decoders pretty straightforward - but getting into the locos to fit them can be a right royal pain!!! The instructions are generally terrible, which is why I produce a video every time I fit a decoder! The gradients are made by Woodland Scenics, and come in various grades, from 2% up to 4% I think! For N gauge I wouldn't go any steeper than 3% though, especially if you're planning on using them on curves! They can be bought from most good model shops, online or otherwise, and I even think Amazon sells them! The length depends on how high you want to go! My 3% sections raise the track 30mm, so you'll need two lengths to raise it 60mm, and three for 90mm etc... Obviously, the steeper the gradient, the faster you can get the track to rise, but locos, especially steam locos, will struggle with steep gradients! I think I cover straight and curved inclines in videos 24, 54, 55 and 56! It's also probably worth checking out the comments on those videos too, as there's usually a load of good information in there! Good luck with your project! All the best, Ian.
Thanks for all that on gradients. I have spent a few hours playing with AutoCAD and AnyRail to see if I could fit a gradient to give a 3D type view but have come to the conclusion that I can't fit one in. Shame really but unless I completely re-designed the layout it is impossible - unless you know a locomotive that will climb a 20-30 degree incline!!! Keep up the good work.
Ian thanks for the video. I have fitted a couple of decoders but my recent experience fitting a decoder to my Farish class 03 was the most difficult. Indeed I lost one of the screws and had to buy some replacements from farish at a cost of £8! (I now have a few spares if you ever need one). I also broke off one of the ladders during the installation process and had to use super glue to stick it back on. Finally I discovered that the micro 6 pin decoder didn't fit properly and there is only one on the market a bachman decoder that fits this model. Grrr. Anyway enough of my travails. Could you possibly tell me where you found the screwdriver that fit these tiny bachmann cross head screws as I have been unable to find one. Thanks Stephen
Hi Stephen! Glad you enjoyed the video! I'm pleased I'm not the only one who finds it a frustrating experience to fit decoders to these models! Can't believe that those tiny screws cost £8 - another example of the manufacturers overcharging their customers methinks! Also, what's the point of having standards if you can't pick up any 6-pin decoder to fit a 6-pin socket? Hornby have recently ran into this problem with their new Bluetooth decoders that are supposed to conform to an NRMA standard (which includes size) but don't! I actually used a very tiny flat head screwdriver to remove the cross head screws as I didn't have a cross head screwdriver that would engage the screwhead! I've since purchased a jewellers screwdriver set off Amazon which has a selection of flat and cross head screwdrivers that can be magnetised and demagnetised, although haven't actually tried them out yet! The smallest cross headed screwdriver is 0.8mm so I'm positive it will fit the screws though! A quick search on Amazon will reveal lots of different brands! All the best, Ian.
Hi again Stephen! I can now confirm that the 0.8mm cross headed screwdriver fits the screws perfectly! Here's a link to the set that I purchased: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R73NTRY Hope this helps! Cheers, Ian.
Great little video. I stripped my C20 down today as it has a faulty light board at the front. Straight forward enough but what I found extra useful was an iFixit toolkit. Small enough heads to undo the screws correctly and also magnetic so they can't run off... And they will stick to the end while you slot it back in. Can highly recommend getting a kit like that.
Thanks Dave! I've since bought a set of magnetic jewellers screwdrivers, but I'll definitely take a look at the iFixit toolkit you suggest! Thanks again! Ian
Hi Ian. This is certainly a daunting process for the uninitiated. I don't know whether this is a better way, but certainly an alternative. I noticed in an earlier video you used a spreader to distribute glue to secure a foam base. Several of these can be used as alternatives to cocktail sticks. I bought a Kato RHB GE4/4 III Glacier Express Electric Train Pack; when it arrived I took out the inner packaging to take a closer look. To help return it to the outer packing, I turned the inner packaging over and the loco and carriages fell to the floor! The carriages came apart, the top of the loco came off and a small part was found on the floor. I just clipped the carriages together, refitted the top to the loco and then discovered the small separate piece was part of one of the pantographs that (in real life) made contact with the overhead wires. I'll need to apply a little superglue to fix it. I'm sure every modeller has experienced a little mishap like this! Your method of using Blu Tack to place the body screws into their holes is one way to go; an alternative is to position a small neodymium magnet to the top of the screwdriver that will hold the screw while replacing it. BTW: the magnetic dish is a good idea, but also using a towel or similar will stop small parts from disappearing altogether should you drop one.
Hi Paul! I tried using a glue spreader on the class 20, but it was too wide to get between the chassis and the bodywork! I've just ordered some thin guitar picks on Peter's recommendation, as they are less than half a millimetre thick, and should do the job without snapping so often! Oh no, how annoying and frustrating to drop a new purchase! Glad it wasn't damaged too much and you'll be able to fix what damage there was! After struggling to find a decent screwdriver to open up the loco, I've actually just bought a jewellers toolkit set that you can magnetise and demagnetise the screwdrivers, but the Blu Tack thing is a great standby! The magnetic dish has been a Godsend, I also have a small plastic tray, but I couldn't fit it on the table with the camera and tripod! A small towel is a great idea to catch small bits! Would have been great to have when I was trying to fit those small springs into the Pullman coach couplings as I lost a few to the carpet! Oh well! Thanks for all the tips mate! All the best, Ian.
Thanks Ian, we all need to start somewhere. Rather than the cocktail sticks to remove the body, I use 4 pieces of thin plastic. These easily slide into the gap between body and chassis. You can feel when they are in the right place. But I totally agree with you about poor instructions, they often miss out the simple steps. Good luck for the future, you will soon be buying "non runners" and sorting them out !
Hi David! I found this to be a very daunting task, and even though I've since installed quite a few more decoders, I still worry about breaking things because of the instructions not being clear enough! I don't use cocktail sticks any more, and have switched to using guitar picks, which are ideal, and mirror the use of your thin pieces of plastic! I wish I could fix non-runners, and may give it a go one day, but they'd have to be cheap, just in case my butter-fingers made the problems worse! Lol! Thanks very much for watching and for your insightful comment! All the best, Ian.
Great job, like the use of the blu-tack on the cocktail skewer, great thinking. Will try that tick. I have tried a magnet on my screwdriver, which also works Bye for now, take care, stay safe, and have fun.
Thank you very much! The Blu Tack / toothpick combination worked really well, and is definitely worth a try! I've actually just ordered a new set of jewellers screwdrivers that can be magnetised and demagnetised, so I'll give them a go next time I have the need to open up a loco! All the best, Ian.
Thank you Ian, I am in the identical stage as you and just received in today's mail a "sound ready" Ivatt 2MT Collectors Edition Steam Loco and the recommended Bachmann 36-567A decoder. So I am in the stage of gathering up my confidence to fit the decoder to the loco.....
Hi Earl! Good luck with the decoder fitting! The more you do, the easier it gets, but I still get apprehensive about opening up my locos! They're so detailed nowadays that I'm always frightened of snapping something off! All the best, Ian.
Oh and opening up a Farish 101 is like getting into the Royal Mint!
Haha! I've got a Farish 101, and after reading this, I think it will remain forever closed! :)
Old hands here, too 👋 Screws and getting the covering off a body 😳 the perils of N Gauge 🤕 Still you survived to tell the tale 😁 and the Class 20 looks absolutely spiffing 👍 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️
Thanks Paul, yes, another peril survived! It is a good looking loco though isn't it? All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian I 100% agree with you that as N gauge modellers (or any gauge for that matter), we shouldn't have to take apart a loco that may have cost upwards of £150 plus, just to put in a decoder! In OO Accruascale are leading the way with thier class 37 (I know its of no use to you, but just for comparison). Although having watched your video it looks to me like all that might have been needed is to remove the 2 screws under the cab and remove the cab, then see if the blanking plate would pull out to be replaced by the decoder.
I don't have a class 20 (yet), so can't confirm that either way, anyway glad you managed it in the end, I think its just a case of being careful and taking your time with it. By the way I did fit my Bachmann class 31 with a decoder and that was relatively easy, just unclip the body (I use thin guitar picks to slide between the body and chassis) and lift it off (no wires connected) then just do the swap. Good luck with the next one, hopefully as time goes on the manufactuers wil make it a lot easier.
Thanks Peter! I did consider trying to fit the decoder while I had only the cab removed, but I couldn't actually see into it properly! If the decoder had been mounted further towards the rear of the cab it wouldn't have been a problem! I think it's a case of Farish retrofitting a decoder socket to an old design to save having to create new tooling! Yes, I think Accurascale are leading the way in quite a few aspects of the hobby at the moment! Thanks for the tip about Guitar picks - I'll have to add some to my loco servicing arsenal! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, very good, it's even worse if your in Australia to send a loco back. Once i sent a class 108 DMU back to Bachman in the UK and all it was was that the bogie needed clicking back into place! Since then I have been quite brave and luckily we have the site "this way works'to inspire us. All the best and well done.
Thanks very much Chris! Oh no! That must have been frustrating! I'm okay with having a go, but I'd really like to have a lot more information than is currently provided by the manufacturers! Yes, Rich's channel is a great source of information, although I don't think I'll ever be able to tackle some of the things he does! Thanks again! Ian
Hi Ian.
I'm just about to try and fit my first sound decoder today, to a class 320.
I cant say that I'm looking forward to it, even after viewing your video.
However I am glad I watched it.
Thank you for sharing... and wish me luck ! 😊
Hi David! I'm probably a bit late, but good luck with the DCC fitting! I hope it goes / went well! It is always a bit daunting opening up a loco, especially when we haven't done it many times! I've opened up a few now, and they're all different, with each having distinct problems to overcome! The class 20 has been my trickiest so far - it just happened to be my first, which was bad luck for me I guess! All the best, Ian.
@iansngauge Thanks Ian. We'll, I've only recently finished the task.
I had to put so many cocktail sticks into the bodywork, the coach looked like a porcupine ! - I haven't been put off to bad. I've got another 2 320s to do, and I'll probably do the other locos that have speakers already fitted too.
I shall continue to follow your videos too.
Thx. David @ Queens Central Model Railway 😀
@@D4V1DC14RK - Hi David! Well done! Like I said earlier, the more you do, the more comfortable you'll become with the process! Oh, by the way, I've moved on from using cocktail sticks and now use thin guitar picks! They're so much easier to slip between the body and the chassis, and as they're more delicate than the bodywork, are more likely to break, so I think they're a safer bet to use! Hope this helps! All the best, Ian.
Very well done a good job never had a go yet thank you for sharing 👍
Thank you Clive! No problem! We're all in this hobby together, and the more information that's out there the better! All the best, Ian.
Hi, you got there in the end, and your picking knowledge/experience as you go along. May I strongly suggest a set of magnetic jewellery screwdrivers. Screwfix amongst others sell them. They make the removal and replacement of screws soooooo easy. Just put the screw back on the screwdriver, straight in the holes - no messing. They are worth their weight in gold.
Thanks John! Yes, it's all a learning experience isn't it? Ah, it's funny you should mention magnetic jewellery screwdrivers as I ordered a set on Thursday, which should be arriving today! They're the sort that you can magnetise and then demagnetise! No doubt the manufacturers will try and thwart us by using plastic or nylon screws at some point! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, well done on facing your fear and having a go! So much of this is very familiar to me.
Instructions lacking necessary detail are a bugbear of mine because it could be rectified so very easily, and is so clearly necessary. That issue isn't confined to locomotives or even this hobby generally.
Last year I noticed that pre-ordered DCC-fitted models were taking literally months longer to become available that their DCC-ready equivalents - almost as if there's just one person at Dapol with a large in-tray of locos for fitting - so I started to save both time and money with fitting decoders myself... but my experiences have been like yours quite often (the worst have been Dapol tender locos because the driveshaft is a right pain) and so I've gone back to buying DCC-fitted if it's an option!
I've often searched the 'web and TH-cam for specific examples and not found any, so once I started my channel I resolved to make a video whenever I have to fit a decoder. Thank you for providing this one for GF Class 20s - I'm sure it'll be useful to someone else who hasn't been through the pain several times already.
Blue tac to the rescue again!
Facing your fear is definitely the correct phrase to use Jonathan! Yep, instructions for nearly every aspect of this hobby are severely lacking in my opinion! Do the bare minimum seems to be the mantra! I think you're right about the single guy fitting decoder chips at Dapol! Lol! I think I'm going to continue fitting decoders to my new models, unless they're sound equipped, simply because it's a useful experience knowing how to get into the loco for maintenance! But yes, I may change my mind when I get a few steamers in my fleet! I'll continue to post videos of me fitting them though as, like you say, there seems to be a dearth of them out there! Blu Tack is the boss isn't it? All the best, Ian.
I have opened up plenty of N Gauge models, and still have a bit of the shakes doing it! I always check the decoder works before replacing the body just in case.
Also it doesn't hurt to run the loco in or at least test it on DC first (where possible). Makes sure everything works before fitting so if it doesn't you know you haven't done anything and it can be returned and replaced and refunded.
I've found Zimo and ESU decoders to be the best performers, so well worth keeping with them.
Yes, I should have check it was working before I refitted the body! I'll know for next time as I'd have hated having to deal with those blasted screws again! Lol! I don't actually have a DC controller, but wouldn't mind getting a suitable one! Any recommendations? I'm a big fan of the Zimo decoders as I find all of the locos that I have them fitted to are much easier to control, and seem to run a lot smoother! All the best, Ian.
I fully get the mind your fingers method as on my first attempt I had an N scale 04 shunter DC which I attempted to convert and made a right hash of it.
Hi Jason! I've not attempted a conversion yet, as all of my locos have either been DCC ready, or DCC fitted! I think a DCC conversion would be beyond me at the moment, although I'd like to give it a try one day! Cheers, Ian.
I've only done decoder installations a few times, and only in US HO locomotives. I found it interesting that the sockets appear to be different across the pond, as my installations always called for an 8 or 9 pin decoder. Getting the body off is a pain, but some of the HO stuff have a little panel on the roof that clips off to put the decoder into, which I imagine would be hard to implement in N scale. Glad this went off as well as it did for you :)
Hi! Thank you! Yes, removing the body from the chassis was way more difficult than I thought it should be, but apparently it's common! I hope N gauge manufacturers follow in the footsteps of some of the HO/OO manufacturers by providing a better means of access for installing the decoder! I think the socket type depends upon the decoder chip you're fitting! The class 20 takes a 6-pin decoder, but most of my stock has a Next-18 decoder socket, which look completely different! Then there's Kato stuff, that is completely different again! Thanks for watching! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian
I am loving your channel.
Please keep up the great work.
I am trying to build my first N gauge layout and am really struggling.
For example I tried to fit a dcc encoder and damaged my loco. Very annoyed at the poor instructions and my own limitations.
The gradient issue you covered so well thanks - 4% will do for me !
I have been making RC models for about 45 years and thought I was quite handy but these N gauge models are proving real trick.
Can't wait for your next instalment.
Cheers.
Hi Bruce! Thank you for your kind words! Getting into a loco is the main problem most people face with fitting a DCC decoder chip! It's not much of a consolation that you're definitely not alone in having problems! Sometimes I think I must be doing something wrong, and lose confidence! Annoyingly, the lack of detailed instructions is a problem that the manufacturers could fix very easily! If you go for 4% on a curve, just make sure it's radius 3 or above, or make sure you test your locos before laying the track permanently, and you should have no issues! Yes, N gauge can be quite challenging, especially, if like me, the old eyesight is not what it once was! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Thank you for this, I've been dreading this operation for a while. But this gives me more confidence to go ahead and fit those decoders.
I think it's all a matter of building up enough confidence to undo that first screw! I'm glad you found the video useful! All the best, Ian.
Ian put the blue tack on the end of the screwdriver, then 'stick' the screw on the end of the screwdriver engaged, so to speak ;-)
Excellent tip, I've used this method several times in the past 😁. All the best tony.
Thanks Alan! Never thought of putting it onto the end of the screwdriver! Will probably give that a try next time I have the bodyshell off! Cheers, Ian.
Will give it a try myself Tony, next time I have a bodyshell to refit! Cheers, Ian.
That takes me back quite a few years when I got a class 20. Very inexperienced then and struggled removing the body, damaging a step and managing to damage one of the NEM pockets when trying to remove the very resistant body. Then I saw something on the internet which mentioned you had to remove the cab first - as you found out by accident. Not a **** word in the instruction sheet about this. Things have got better with instructions than those mystifying days in the past. For years I'd moan how hard and off-putting tasks like this could be and how the lack of information makes this harder. I might get a new bogie frame to replace the damaged pocket I did ask Farish how to fix it a quite a few years back and was simply given some née couplings! Sometimes I feel there would be commercial uproar if a manufacturer of any product gave so little info or made their product so frustrating to maintain! Rant over. She looks a lovely model, nice video.
Thanks David! I don't mind a rant here! Nice to know I'm not the only one getting frustrated! The cab was the most surprising thing, as even in the exploded diagram in the instructions, it was shown attached to the main body! But yes, at the end of the day it's a lovely model, and a really good runner as it turns out! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian! These kinds of screws go in to an unthreaded tube in the body, and they cut the plastic to make threads to seat in to - just like a wood screw does.
In case you might remove them again, when putting them in it’s a smart idea to turn them in reverse until they “click”, so the screw threads are lined up with the original cut threads in the body. That way, you can remove and reinstall them many times.
If you simply tighten them without aligning the threads, they will cut new threads each time, and as you can imagine there’s a finite number of times you can do that, especially with such small screws.
Hi Nathan! You're kidding? I've already had he body off again as I decided to put some tape across the wires to prevent them getting jammed between the bodywork and the chassis next time I go and perform some maintenance on the loco! I'll remember this for next time, so thanks very much for the advice! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, this is something I’m going to need to tackle in due course, but not for fitting decoders as I’m staying with DC with all its faults, but still even for maintenance etc will be anxiety provoking. I don’t recall 20s at Thornaby but did lose touch a bit as I moved out of the area. Nice vid again mate, Cheers Phil
Hi Phil! Yes, I agree, eventually we all need to gain access to our locos for maintenance! Hopefully we'll get less anxious about the process the more we perform it, but I'm certainly nowhere near that point yet! I don't recall seeing class 20's in this livery at Thornaby, but they were definitely there! The last time I was there was in the mid 1980s! My main memory of Thornaby depot is the number of class 31's that were stabled there, and how you were allowed to wander around amongst them! Ah, what a world it was before H&S was a thing! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Great work, ian. I feel your pain and anxiety so very much! Fitted a decoder to one of my Farish 40's, nearly sent me six feet under! Had to reach out to one of the weathering specialists who was working on another of my 40's to give me hints as to how to get the body off. Managed it eventually. I'm very grateful for you doing this, and some of the tips (tape/blu tac) will be used next time I have to tackle this chore! All the best, Nigel.
Thanks very much Nigel! I don't understand why the instructions are so poor! Like I said in a previous comment, their mantra seems to be 'Do the bare minimum', although their newer tooled models seem to have updated documentation that covers much more, although still isn't perfect! Glad you found the video useful and have gotten a few useful tips from it! All the best, Ian.
Well done Ian! I’ve done quite a few chips now and instructions aren’t always good. My 1st loco was the Pannier tank and believe me it took ages and plenty of sweating. I didn’t know about the pin going in a certain way, I think if I remember right there was a tiny dot of paint no numbers. Anyway got it in put the body on put it on the test track and…. Nothing. Pin round the wrong way! So took it all apart again and spent a a while scratching my head before realising. I actually now program them without the body on just to make sure!
Another absolute disaster was on another small GWR loco from Sonic models was destroyed almost immediately when I took it out of the sponge cradle to get at a screw better because it was a bit awkward and dropped it on the floor, smashed to bits! That was a quick £100!!!!
Anyway now, I tend to either have it fitted or by it fitted my the manufacturer unless of course I want a specific decoder.
Great video and a very nice loco, cheers for now mate, John
Thanks very much John! Yeah, the instructions seem terrible whichever the manufacturer! It's a bit of a bugbear of mine, although the latest Farish instruction sheets are a bit more detailed! Saying that, remember the class 31 headcode light fiasco? Sometimes it's not that the documentation doesn't exist, it's that they just don't point you towards it! I was absolutely paranoid about putting the decoder in the wrong way around as it's not clear what will happen - will the chip fry itself for instance? Why aren't they designed so that they only go in one way around, like mobile SIM chips? Bad luck with the GWR Sonic loco, that must have been very annoying! I've got a Dapol HST on order which needs two chips I think, so I'll definitely be doing this again! Hopefully they'll get easier as I get more experience! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, my Western Pullman has two chips, I had to make sure they were both speed matched which is another faff! Fortunately mine were ok but they aren’t always!, John
@@exehavenharbour - Oh gosh! Speed matching! That hadn't even occurred to me, and I don't have a clue how to do it... yet! The joys of this hobby eh? So many learning curves they'll drive you round the twist! :)
lol! Yes it drives me nuts at times Ian! You’ll only need to speed match if both ends are driving cars, one end may only be for lights or something🤷🏻♂
Cracking video Ian. Most of the Farish loco's let you pull the bogies off - but as you say as a novice you wouldn't know that!! All part of the learning curve. Now you'll be pulling those bogies off as if there's no tomorrow ( when they're off you can remove the bogie cradle which lets you remove the wheel sets to properly clean them and remove the fluff that wraps itself around the axles. ( can't wait for that video 😅). Cheers Euan
Morning Euan! The bogie thing was incredibly frustrating, as I really struggled getting those screws out and was wondering how I was going to get them back in with the bogies in place! Don't give me ideas about going any further with stripping the bogie frames - this was far enough up to, if not way beyond my comfort zone for now! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Well done Ian. 👍
Thanks very much Dave! Cheers, Ian.
Hi Ian, nice looking loco! Those pesky screws really test your patience, but you found a handy solution. I think many of us have damaged those small bits on the body at some time or another. I've managed to do some serious damage on a couple of occasions to locos but managed to recover the situation.Anyway, you got there in the end, and it looks good running around your layout. All the best. John
Hi John! I agree, it's a very good looking loco and I was very relieved that it worked when I took it to my test track! I'm glad I'm not the only one to have had problems with small screws and small bits of bodywork! Forgive me if I'm misremembering, but I think I saw you do something similar when handling your class 03? Cheers for now, Ian.
@iansngauge Hi Ian, yes, your memory is razor sharp. When I took the 03 body off, it came off in 2 pieces instead of one! Luckily, no major damage was done, and a bit of super glue did the job.
I love listening to your calm voice. Was it this calm when you were doing the installation?
Haha! Thanks Michael! No, definitely not! I think you heard a little of my frustration when the cab came off in my hand, and when the cab interior dropped out of the loco! The audio for those moments was taken straight from the camera as opposed to my voiceover track! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian. Good video. The first time I fitted a class 20 I just removed the cab and not the body. That wasn’t easy because I couldn’t see the socket form the decoder to fit into
Thanks Ian! I did have a look with just the cab removed, but like you, couldn't really see anything, and had no idea which pin was which! By that time I didn't trust the documentation, so went ahead and removed the body! It would have been better if Farish had positioned the decoder socket a little closer to the back of the cab, then it would have been much easier to fit the decoder with the body still in place! All the best, Ian.
@@iansngauge Just bought 2 more so body removal this time. All the best
@@ijo58 - Good luck Ian! Hope all goes well for you! Cheers, Ian.
hurray! the class 20 body can be a bit of a struggle. farish should have updated the now very old old instruction leaflet with better diagrams and instructions. my top tip is get a small magnetic screwdriver.
Thanks Tim! Updated instructions would definitely have helped! Those for the class 08 and class 31 are pretty good by comparison! Magnetic screwdriver - check! I've just ordered a new set of jewellers screwdrivers that can be magnetised and demagnetised, although Blu Tack served as a very handy substitute! All the best, Ian.
Nice one Ian 👍, well done on breaking the comfort zone and other then the obvious breakage you succeeded mate 👍, its to late now obviously but i take the cab off and change the chips with the body still on. Like you i am almost annoyed at how hard some of the locos are to get inside, its almost a certainty to break something if not familiar with the loco in hand.. even now its very difficult to get inside some DMUs as theres no where really to hold the locos and apply the force needed to take the bodies off.. i suppose this is the trade off with having such detailed models though, ease of access is from what ive seen not the priority.. mind you more concise instructions would of helped! Take care, Rich
Thanks very much Rich! Yes, it was a shame about the steps breaking off, but a little dab of superglue should fix that when I get around to it! I'm not sure I'd have been able to change the chip with only the cab removed - I'm not saying it's impossible, but I couldn't even see the pins at the end of the blanking plate, and certainly couldn't see which way around the chip was supposed to go! Lol! I really don't understand why, when the body is screwed to the chassis, are there so many 'hidden' clips and tight spots designed to seemingly make body removal as difficult as possible? Oh well! I'm really pleased to get my first fitting out of the way, and will definitely by trying again - well, I'll have to because I've got a Dapol HST on order that requires two chips I believe! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Hello Ian, I purchased one of these recently in BR Green and I must say you couldn't have picked a worse loco for your first DCC fitting! (not your fault of course, how were you to know). What an absolute nightmare, I had a massive amount of trouble just like you in trying to get the shell off and I managed to knock off one of those steps in the process (luckily it just clipped back in). The screws are just an added source of frustration, I'm sure they are not needed as the body is impossible to remove even after they are out!! So then once all together I just hoped it would work with the chip in and it did (I used the same decoder as you), hooray!
Hi John! Well that's good to know - if you know what I mean! I thought that I must be completely inept! I'd expected the body to just fall away from the chassis, but it's like they went for a belts and braces approach with screws and clips! Of course, the instructions were no help at all - are they ever? With no mention of being able to easily remove the bogies for access to the screws, and why didn't they mention that the cab can be removed separately? I've actually ditched the screws now, and haven't had any problems! The Bachmann / Zimo decoder is now my go-to decoder when a 6-pin decoder is required as I find them excellent! So, thanks for the confirmation, it's much appreciated! Hope your loco now runs as well as mine! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian,
Just come across your site. I am right at the start of building my layout and learning as I go. There is very little on N Gauge on the web and was interested in how you fitted a DCC Decoder - seems straightforward enough!
I was very interested to see you had made a gradient on your layout, something I wanted to do but couldn't find anything about how to go about it. I will look back at your previous videos to see if you have covered making a gradient but in the meantime - did you make the blocks yourself and if so how and what with? If you bought them where from and roughly how much? Last question - how long a length do you need to make a gradient in N Gauge?
Thanks
Hi Adrian! Welcome aboard! :) I've always found fitting decoders pretty straightforward - but getting into the locos to fit them can be a right royal pain!!! The instructions are generally terrible, which is why I produce a video every time I fit a decoder! The gradients are made by Woodland Scenics, and come in various grades, from 2% up to 4% I think! For N gauge I wouldn't go any steeper than 3% though, especially if you're planning on using them on curves! They can be bought from most good model shops, online or otherwise, and I even think Amazon sells them! The length depends on how high you want to go! My 3% sections raise the track 30mm, so you'll need two lengths to raise it 60mm, and three for 90mm etc... Obviously, the steeper the gradient, the faster you can get the track to rise, but locos, especially steam locos, will struggle with steep gradients! I think I cover straight and curved inclines in videos 24, 54, 55 and 56! It's also probably worth checking out the comments on those videos too, as there's usually a load of good information in there! Good luck with your project! All the best, Ian.
Thanks for all that on gradients. I have spent a few hours playing with AutoCAD and AnyRail to see if I could fit a gradient to give a 3D type view but have come to the conclusion that I can't fit one in. Shame really but unless I completely re-designed the layout it is impossible - unless you know a locomotive that will climb a 20-30 degree incline!!!
Keep up the good work.
Ian thanks for the video. I have fitted a couple of decoders but my recent experience fitting a decoder to my Farish class 03 was the most difficult. Indeed I lost one of the screws and had to buy some replacements from farish at a cost of £8! (I now have a few spares if you ever need one). I also broke off one of the ladders during the installation process and had to use super glue to stick it back on. Finally I discovered that the micro 6 pin decoder didn't fit properly and there is only one on the market a bachman decoder that fits this model. Grrr. Anyway enough of my travails. Could you possibly tell me where you found the screwdriver that fit these tiny bachmann cross head screws as I have been unable to find one. Thanks Stephen
Hi Stephen! Glad you enjoyed the video! I'm pleased I'm not the only one who finds it a frustrating experience to fit decoders to these models! Can't believe that those tiny screws cost £8 - another example of the manufacturers overcharging their customers methinks! Also, what's the point of having standards if you can't pick up any 6-pin decoder to fit a 6-pin socket? Hornby have recently ran into this problem with their new Bluetooth decoders that are supposed to conform to an NRMA standard (which includes size) but don't! I actually used a very tiny flat head screwdriver to remove the cross head screws as I didn't have a cross head screwdriver that would engage the screwhead! I've since purchased a jewellers screwdriver set off Amazon which has a selection of flat and cross head screwdrivers that can be magnetised and demagnetised, although haven't actually tried them out yet! The smallest cross headed screwdriver is 0.8mm so I'm positive it will fit the screws though! A quick search on Amazon will reveal lots of different brands! All the best, Ian.
Hi again Stephen! I can now confirm that the 0.8mm cross headed screwdriver fits the screws perfectly! Here's a link to the set that I purchased: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R73NTRY Hope this helps! Cheers, Ian.