Steve and All,
I said I would report on progress with RCL Lister and DCC. I've spend
another afternoon playing with it, and I have got a DCC chip in. I've
used the Digitrax DZ123, though with a bit more filing the ZTC 217 might
just go in the same place. It shows, you can see it, but when painted
black I bet no-one ever spots it.
Assemble the floor, frames and ends. Roy suggests holding it together
with florists wire whist soldering with a small gas torch. I used a
torch, but assembled the bits in a Skamulex block (Vermiculite) from
Squires with map pins. Drowned it in Bakers No. 3 flux, put bits of
solder where required and applied torch. It means it is well soldered
together, which it needs to be. Only then take a piercing saw and cut
out the flat plate between the chequer plate and where the motor cover
fits. On the chequer plate side there is a plain strip about 2mm wide,
file away all except the outer 3mm at each end. On the other side file
away the same strip up to the vertical edge of the angle section which
runs across the floor, leave the same 3mm ends.
On the chassis block, file or mill down the top of the chassis, just
where it is under the opening you have created in the floor. Take it
down until the shaft between the worms is only just clear of the file.
Don't file with the shaft in place, keep cleaning out the brass dust and
trying it.
Assemble chassis block to floor/frame assembly, the chip will JUST fit
into the recess formed in the floor. You need to file some of the
underside of the gearbox away so it will seat down properly on top of
the chip.
You lose most of the open space either side of the flat plate, but only
a few are going to notice. I bought the chip, and the ZTC one to see if
they would fit in the back of a portly driver, with the wires let into
the back of the legs. I still think this could be done.
I can fit isolated pickups on both sides, but I am worried about the
clearance of the brushes and the engine cover. I need to be sure they
are isolated and stay isolated. I have a Branchlines new micromotor and
it will fit with much more space to get the wires in, I just wonder if
it has the power for two worm gear sets.
Sorry Roy, but next job is to find a way of fitting some cut down
Kadee's. Once I've got that sorted I'll post some pictures.
Frank
