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Classic UK Minitrix Models - Class 47 Lift the Body
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Ignore the photo. You can't tell from
the orientation of the plastic body which end is the front - it fits
either way round. You need to look more carefully underneath to
establish which way round the engine faces. Not that it matters
aesthetically, but it makes a difference electrically - otherwise when
all of your other locos are running clockwise around the track, this one
will run anti-clockwise. The purists will chime in here and say that
the ventilation fan grills in the roof should be at the back. That
may well be the case, (I don't know, I only read it on a web site) but
that piece of info relies on the previous home mechanic knowing this
when the body was replaced. Clearly, I didn't know this when the
photo was taken !
I've printed and labelled a sheet of paper so that you can tell on
the photos which part of the loco I am working on. At this point
though, I haven't got enough information to be able to tell. |
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I bought this loco second hand, in pretty
good condition. No screws to hold the top on, so I slid my
thumbnail between the chassis and the bottom side of the body, to feel
for any plastic tags. Nothing. I had to ease the body away from
the chassis at the front of the loco. I couldn't see what was
holding it, but later I spotted these two nicks at the base of the
plastic sides. It appears as though the lugs that I had been
searching for had been broken off, and the body was attached by tiny
spots of glue at the front and rear. The top no longer stays
attached. Note how the dmagaed platic marries up with the small
recesses in the metal body. The same thing exists on the other
side. Gently ease away the side and lift it past the recess to remove
the body. Clearly, as the previous owner has shown, they break off
if you are not careful.
The easiest way to remove the body is to let gravity help you. Put
the loco on its wheels on something soft on the desk. Use both hands,
and slide two or three finger nails under the body side and work your
nails into the small gap between the body and the chassis. The location
tags are just either side of the battery box. If you are doing this
right, your thumbs will naturally rest on the roof. Pry the body outward
slightly - a mm is about right, and lift the loco off the desk. The
chassis will drop down onto the desk, leaving you holding the body. |
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Here, with the top removed, we get the
first indication of which is front and back. There are two screws
which hold the long circuit board in place. One is at the very
front of the loco (left hand side of photo), one is just to the right of
the central metal bar. The position of the screw at the very front
is a good indication. Undo the screws and lift off the circuit
board carefully - note the 3 copper contact tabs, and the green wire
which needs to remain intact. The tab can be seen at the rear end
of the loco on this photo. Note also that there is a bulb behind
the copper tab at each end. Once the circuit board is removed,
these are free to fall out..... |
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Removing the screw at the front of the
loco. Note that the copper tab that retains the light bulb cannot
be seen on this photo - it is around the other side, roughly behind the
screwdriver blade. |
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Make sure that you catch both of the bulbs.
The photo shows the bulb at the front of the loco, viewed from the other
side. How do I know it is the front ? I can see the small
threaded hole for the circuit board screw. |
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Lift off the two weights. They are
identical, and although heavy, they are flimsy where the two sides are
joined. Put them out of the way where they can't be knocked,
dropped or bashed. Note the circuit board is still attached with its
green wire, and in this photo, the bulbs have not yet been removed - we
can see the rear one. We can also see the motor with the silver
brush caps towards the front of the loco. |
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