081 - Shelfington - DCC Fitting - Graham Farish Class 37

Welcome to Ian's N Gauge channel!
In a previous video I showed how I'd fitted a DCC decoder to a Graham Farish class 20, which was the first loco I'd ever fitted a decoder to.
In this video I’m going to show how I fitted a decoder to a Graham Farish class 37.
Thanks very much for watching.
Ian
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[@fladder1]

Thanks Ian, that plectrum tip is gold! I'll have to get a few as well.

[@iansngauge]

Yes, it was a great tip from Peter! My maintenance kit box will never be without them from now on! All the best, Ian.

[@clivengauge]

Great video very informative thank you for the tips I pick up watching your videos

[@iansngauge]

Thanks very much Clive! Glad you're taking something away from my adventures in model railways! All the best, Ian.

[@collinsngauge5493]

Hi Ian great video glad you find away of doing it and it ran smoothly. Colin

[@iansngauge]

Thanks Colin! Yes, I'm getting a bit more confident at getting inside locos now, but it's still a relief to see them running once they're put back together! All the best, Ian.

[@Elvenhome]

You do have to take your life in your hands opening non steam locos. I was so trepidatious about fitting the Pullman power cars. Well done on getting the body shell off. It will be interesting to see, as locos are retooled if manufacturers start making it easier to access the decoder. I’ve noticed some of the more recent Farish and dapol steam locos are easier to remove the tender cover. DCC does make an extraordinary difference to running. You gave a good demonstration of that in this video. Stephen

[@iansngauge]

Thanks Stephen! I think The Pullman's have two decoders, like the HST I have yet to fit! Not really looking forward to that job! Yes, I saw that the STD 5MT looked like it was easier to gain access to the tender - not that I've fiddled with it yet! Like you say, as new tooling arrives, I'm hoping for easier access, or failing that, better instructions! The difference between DC and DCC was quite astonishing at low speeds, which I guess is down to DCC having much more voltage to play with? I'll be at GETS this weekend, so am looking forward to seeing if there any new designs on the horizon! All the best, Ian.

[@thegrowler-blackwoodngauge]

Hi Ian - always love a 37 - probably my favourite locos. They are very easy to get into from my experience - so easy to service. Well it's off to GETS tomorrow. So lights out and beauty sleep time😅. I'll be at the 11 o'clock meet on the first floor if you are there yourself. Cheers Euan

[@iansngauge]

Hi Euan! Yes, the 37 is quickly becoming one of my favourites! Have you arrived in MK yet? It hasn't stopped raining since I arrived! Lol! Hopefully I'll catch up with you in the morning! All the best, Ian.

[@nig87101]

A good video, Ian, thanks. Had so much trouble with the first Farish loco I wanted to fit a decoder to, a class 40, I had to seek help from Ian at Mercig Studios, who had another of my 40's in for paintwork, to guide me how to get the body off, I really struggled. I cut up an old store card to help seperate the body from the chassis, and eventually got it off. The plectrums seem a far better idea.

[@iansngauge]

Thanks very much Nigel! I've had trouble with locos in the past and still dread taking the body off! If only the instructions were clearer and more detailed! There are a few of us now doing videos like this to help novices, like myself, out, by showing that it's possible, you just need to know how! I've actually used old store and credit cards on OO locos, but found them a bit too wide for N gauge models! You can get guitar picks in a variety of thicknesses, so they cover a multitude of gauges! All the best, Ian.

[@endoorrailway]

Hi Ian, great to have another loco type added to the body removal / chip fitting demos, thanks :) I must admit I didn't think just going to DCC would fix that grinding noise in one direction, great that it did though!

[@iansngauge]

Hi Jonathan! Yes, the community has quite a few explanation videos out there, which can only be a good thing! I'm certainly very happy to be adding to them! Yes, I was surprised about the grinding noises going away! I think it'll be something to do with having ample voltage to turn the motor at low speed, over not quite having enough! All the best, Ian.

[@thegrowler-blackwoodngauge]

Hi Ian - currently on the train down. Arriving at 8.30. Staying at the Hilton double tree at the football stadium.

[@iansngauge]

Hi Euan! Gosh, 8.30? That's nearly my bedtime! Lol! I'm over in a Premier Inn somewhere in MK! Still raining! Cheers, Ian.

[@Wickford_N_Gauge]

Plucking great idea on the plectrums 😇 definitely safer than cocktail sticks 👍those splinters can be murder🩸 nearly as bad as fishplates 😱 37's always bring a smile to the face 😁 reliable and fun to run 😍 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️

[@iansngauge]

Haha! Yes, they're much easier to use than toothpicks, glue spreaders or credit cards! None are as bad as fishplates though! Yes, love the 37, especially as it now runs perfectly! All the best from a very wet Milton Keynes! Hoping it's a bit drier for GETS tomorrow! Cheers, Ian.

[@Wickford_N_Gauge]

MK always reminds me of Paul Weller 😇 for some reason 😉

[@iansngauge]

Ah, the Style Council? Those were the days! :)

[@Wickford_N_Gauge]

Enjoy the show 🚂

[@exehavenharbour]

Hi Ian, very informative video, I’ve done all sorts of things with chips, upside down and bending a prong being the main things. Fortunately they’ve always worked after my ham fisted attempts! My worst though was attempting to put a chip in a Sonic models steam engine (can’t remember the type, maybe a Prairie tank 🤔) I had to unscrew a screw to get the body off, didn’t realise I didn’t have a proper grip on the loco and dropped it on the floor. The loco smashed into loads of pieces and wasn’t repairable! 🤬🤯. Lesson learnt, at the cost of £100! So I made a makeshift cradle which I now use. Oh the joys of N Gauge! See you tomorrow, meet on the 1st floor, I know Euan’s going so hopefully we can have a good chat, cheers Ian, John

[@iansngauge]

Good evening John! Thanks! Oh no, servicing locos can certainly be an expensive business! Lol! Yes, I'll see you in the morning! I'm already in Milton Keynes after travelling up earlier today! It hasn't stopped raining since I got here! Lol! All the best, Ian.

[@peterjackson-cheadleheath1182]

Hello Ian Well what can I say, many thanks for the shout out, I hope they worked out ok for you, which watching the video seems like they did. I would suggest you only really need about 4 of the picks and probably the thinnest of those will be best, as you did on the video, just slide between the plastic body and chassis and just slightly prising them 'outwards' should do the trick. Nice loco though, think I will get one eventually. Thanks again

[@iansngauge]

No problem Peter! The guitar picks are the perfect tool for the job! I bought a pack of the thinnest possible, but may get the next size up next time as they quite easily snap! Yes, if you're modelling BR Blue, you definitely NEED a 37! All the best, Ian.

[@wimbletrain]

Hello Ian, I love the 37, I have the same model, and it runs great on DCC. Guitar picks are a great idea, I use some thin plastic cards that came with a mobile phone repair kit, and they work fairly well. Cheers for now.

[@iansngauge]

Hi John! The 37 has performed way better than I thought it would on DCC! It's a great loco and is quickly becoming yet another favourite of mine! Yes, the guitar picks are brilliant, although like you say, you can press any thin piece of plastic into use at a push! All the best, Ian.

[@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932]

Hi Ian, very interesting how the running changed from DC to DCC. In regards to body shell removal i found spare glazing sheets from Metcalfe kits work well as they are really thin and after all they only have to slide over the lugs to free the body. All the best

[@iansngauge]

Hi Chris! Yes, the running between DC and DCC was a real eye opener, especially at low speeds! Yes, any piece of thin plastic will do at a push! Just thought that the guitar picks were a really useful tool to have in the maintenance kit box! All the best, Ian.

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

That was absolutely fascinating and extremely informative, thankyou Ian. Now all I need you to do is exactly the same to a Dapol 2S-012-018 N Gauge SR Terrier A1X 0-6-0 B653 Southern Lined Green which is not DCC ready, now that is a challenge for you Ian. Regards Chris

[@iansngauge]

Hey Chris! Hope you're well! Ah, a non DCC ready conversion is probably a bit out of my comfort zone at the moment, but then so was opening up a loco last year! You never know! There are some great channels out there showing how to do DCC conversion though! I'd suggest taking a look at Rich at This Way Works, who has tons of useful tips and tricks for those a little more adventurous than myself! All the best, Ian.

[@GeofGreen-y9u]

So grateful for this video as I had fitted my decoder upside down and couldn't work out the problem until I saw your visuals. Many thanks. Your model seems slightly different in that mine has 3 forward lights and yours has just 2. Mine is a 371-167TL BR Rail-freight Red Strip Teeside region exclusive but I assume the internals are the same.

[@iansngauge]

Thank you! I'm very pleased the video was of use to you! I think Farish have quite a few variations on the class 37 - as there are quite a few variations in real life - although all of the ones I've seen seem to be based on the same chassis / motor design! All the best, Ian.

[@andystocks3252]

Could you do one of these for a Deltic Class 55

[@iansngauge]

Hi Andy! I'd love to, and a Deltic is on my wish-list, but I haven't managed to find one I'm happy with yet! I'm actually hoping there'll be a new Graham Farish release in the near future, maybe with a tooling update to make the model a bit more detailed! All the best, Ian.