Bachmann Crab

QUOTE (Great Northerner @ 2 Jun 2006, 03:58) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Anyone fitted a decoder into one? I have lots of LE1014s and I'm hoping there will be room at the front of the loco. Loking at the Bachmann web site the exploded diagram appears to show a plastic holder for the decoder.

BTW what do they run like in general? Any problems? I'm hoping to buy one next week.

GN
Already done two one with a Lenz Gold and the other with an NCE N12SRP. When you go to take the body off there's only one screw up the front but there are a couple of little clips uder the cab that have to be pushed up to get the body to release. Just watch then as they were kinda stuck with paint on my second one. There is a plastic holder for the decoder and a weight and you have to remove the weight to get the decoder in. It's similar for the K3 and the Ivatt class 4 with the accompaning loss of hauling ability. It's minor but annoying just the same. By using the NCE N12SRP which is a very small decoder I was able to squeeze in a bit of weight which has improved the hauling ability. I now intend to do the same thing on the k3 and the Ivatt.

Ozzie21

Crab 42765 has been purchased, out for a quick test drive and decoderised(?)

The Bachmann / Lenz 1014 will fit, once the weight has been removed from the front of the loco. However, it was not the easiest to dismantle, there are screws fore and aft, then the chasis has to be eased out. I managed to remove the boiler, then the metal frames and the cab. Putting it back again was a nightmare - the wires from the pickups kept on snagging, and the body pivotted around something. Fortunately, I got it all together by leaving the boiler off until last. The decoder was pushed to the front of the boiler and the wires were tucked in, then the boiler was replaced.

Unfortunately, the loco does suffer from losing the wieght from the front, not a lack of haulage, but the front wheels lose contact with the rails over some of my insulfrog points, requiring the 'great hand in the sky' to push the loco. I'll have to see that all the pickups are applying pressue to the backs of all the wheels and maybe ease off the screws holding the baseplate.

Overall, the loco runs very well on dc and DCC - the only change to the default settings was CV02 (start voltage), changed to value 3 to stop it doing 0-60 in 5 seconds!

Hello all, only just joined and found the topic for me straight away, excellent site!!!!
Great Northener, I too have a DCC ready Crab that I need to fit a decoder too, just purchased a Hornby Select and decoders.
If you can let me know how you did it, I would appreciate it.
The Crab ran excellently under DC, no complaints at all.

I found the Peco publication on installing DCC decoders very helpful, so far time has only allowed me to try fitting a decoder to my old Ringfield tender mounted 4F, which thanks to the book was straight forward.

If anyone can offer any more advice to fitting decoders to the following loco's I would be very greatful.

Hornby 4P 4-6-2T circa 1980.
Hornby 7P 4-6-2 Princess, new loco driven version.
Bachmann 6P Royal Scot, brand new but not DCC ready.
Hornby 3F 0-6-0T circa 1980 again.

Thanks a lot to anyone who responds, happy modelling!!!
Mike