N gauge Dapol "motion and gears oiling" dismantling

951 Views 4 Replies 2 Participants Last post by 34C, 4 mo ago

Class45

My N gauge Dapol A4 comes with a sheet saying the motion and gears needs oiling, though, somewhat inconsistently also says it has been "factory lubricated for 30 hours use".
How important is this oiling and why do Farish not recommend it if it is so vital ?
Anyway, I decided to undertake this oiling this morning but straightaway encountered a problem.
The keeper plate needs to be removed and that is held in, at one end at least, by a screw (magenta arrow in picture). However, that screw cannot be removed unless the plastic "brake rigging" is removed first. No instructions are provided as to how that should be done, and (not wanting to damage even more of the loco*) thus I have posed these questions :

How should the plastic brake rigging (red arrows) be removed ? Does it just lever up without risk of damage ?

Similarly for the keeper plate below it (green arrows)

* I love the detail on the Dapol loco but it is far less robust than the Farish locos I already have. Partly because of its constant derailing it has already been damaged in at least two places (blue arrows).......
Note the bogie wheels have been changed for "pizza cutters" as a result of the aforementioned derailing ! Also the front coupler has been removed to further minimise the chances of derailing (and also improve its looks ! ).

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34C

· #2 · 6 mo ago

Whoa!

The normal understanding of 'the motion' on a steam model is the outside rods; and specifically what needs a tiny - very tiny - occasional dab of light oil is each moving joint and the slide bars to minimise wear. (Experience from OO*, I go around the motion joints every couple of months, the locos accruing about 30 hours running over that time period; and this works well enough that locos that have had this treatment over 20 years are still all in one piece.)

And further: generally no need to take the keeper plate off in my opinion. I would hope that the mechanism has a supply of light grease, adequate to keep it running well for many years. (Experience from OO*, grease lubrication in steamers is good for up to 5 years, and in centre motor twin bogie drives I have a 30 year old mechanism still running, never yet required a relube. What with N gauge being an eighth of the mass of OO, I'd gamble on never looking inside unless there are indications - slowing, 'audible complaint' - that attention to internal lubrication is required.)

*Experienced N gauge operator's advice may well differ, and should be given priority. HTH

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Class45

Discussion Starter · #3 · 6 mo ago

34C said:
Whoa!

The normal understanding of 'the motion' on a steam model is the outside rods; and specifically what needs a tiny - very tiny - occasional dab of light oil is each moving joint and the slide bars to minimise wear. (Experience from OO*, I go around the motion joints every couple of months, the locos accruing about 30 hours running over that time period; and this works well enough that locos that have had this treatment over 20 years are still all in one piece.)

And further: generally no need to take the keeper plate off in my opinion. I would hope that the mechanism has a supply of light grease, adequate to keep it running well for many years. (Experience from OO*, grease lubrication in steamers is good for up to 5 years, and in centre motor twin bogie drives I have a 30 year old mechanism still running, never yet required a relube. What with N gauge being an eighth of the mass of OO, I'd gamble on never looking inside unless there are indications - slowing, 'audible complaint' - that attention to internal lubrication is required.)

*Experienced N gauge operator's advice may well differ, and should be given priority. HTH

Well spotted, I should have been clearer, it is also the drive gears that apparently need oiling. I have clarified that now !

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Class45

Discussion Starter · #4 · 4 mo ago

It took some time but eventually I was given the name and number of a DCC model engineer who gave me the answer to my problem. Basically, it was a good job I didn't try and remove the brake rigging because it is glued on to the keeper plate !
The keeper plate can be removed together with the brake rigging by using a screwdriver thin enough to undo the screw just beneath the rear of the brake rigging (purple arrow in the picture above). Leave the screw in there so you can screw the keeper plate back on ?
The A4 instructions advise putting a dot of oil on each of the larger gears on the drive axles, though it doesn't appear to give a recommendation as to how often that should be done. Excess oil should be avoided.

Whilst stripping down the loco too much ( ! ) I also discovered one of current collection wires from the loco to the tender (yes that way round as the motor is, of course, in the tender on this model ! ) had snapped off at the screw on the loco. I was considering soldering straight on to the copper conductor plate but in the end I did not have to as the loco comes with 2 spare wires. In fact it comes with other useful spares as well, like 2 spare traction tyres ! On the subject of which, does anyone know how to remove the motion so that can be achieved ?

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34C

· #5 · 4 mo ago

Class45 said:
In fact it comes with other useful spares as well, like 2 spare traction tyres ! On the subject of which, does anyone know how to remove the motion so that can be achieved ?

I don't, but would suggest that the crankpins on the rear driving wheels will either be screw in or a push fit: but of course you need to know which before you try and release one!

Let's look up what Dapol say:

Dapol Technical

www.dapol.co.uk

Useful looking page; and in the green box for N gauge, 'download manuals'! Well they don't download for me, so stuck there! They might for you so give that a try!
But if not, in your shoes I would then give them a call on the number top left of that Dapol page and ask politely whether and how the advertised manuals can be accessed, and specifically how crankpins are removed from their A4 model.

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