Accucraft electric locos

[Moonraker]

I have a customer who is enquiring about getting his electric Accucraft Lew and Countess converted to battery power and sound. I am told that these are essentially designed for live steam and that serious metal removal will be needed to make space for the batteries and the electronics. Does anyone know if this is correct?

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound

 

[PaulRhB]

Well Caledonia has plenty of room, I fitted a loksound XL and speaker, if you are prepared to drill a couple if holes for wires in the tanks and remove the cast weights for batteries. Countess looks to be similar, I'll try to have a look inside on Wednesday as I have a day off. Lew I suspect will be similar construction, Trackshack said production in September and another shop was advertising in the UK for November.

 

[PaulRhB]

One other thing is to remind them that these benefit from proper running in as they are quite tight at first so duration will improve over a few runs.

 

[Moonraker]

Thanks Paul.

In your electric Caledonia, is the live steam boiler in place, complete with tube(s) or do they substitute a cosmetic boiler which comprises of only the visible portions?

Regards
Peter
MyLocoSound

 

[KeithT]

The original run of Caledonia has a completely clear boiler which I filled with lead for extra traction, not that I have ever taxed it.
Steve Lewis dismantled his to fit sound, no doubt he could give a you detailed guide.
BTW The smokebox door opens to give access it is not immediately obvious.

 

[PaulRhB]

Cale & Countess both have cosmetic empty boilers

 

[Moonraker]

Thanks. I will give it a go,

Regards
Peter
MyLocoSound

 

[PaulRhB]

Countess Inside the smokebox
The boiler is bigger but the limiting factor is the door opening which is approx 45mm diameter.

Motor is under safety valve

Fair bit of space underneath too

 

[PaulRhB]

Right, just required Countess.
Getting only the cab off isn't easy the top feed pipes and two others appear to have been added after it was assembled. You'd need to cut them off short which is impossible inside the cab. So you need to undo the six screws holding on the cab and bunkers plus the four holding the boiler on, 2 beneath smokebox and two beneath firebox.
For DCC its easier to snip off the wires underneath and pass new wires through and out the smokebox. I cut off approx 25mm to 1 inch from the pickups so I had plenty of the motor wires to attach to. I then added new wires from the pickups to a piece of pcb that also holds the centre wheel pickups it needs adding. Then from the pcb two wires pushed through the motor opening and out the front of the boiler. Add a connector and wire in a decoder

 

[PaulRhB]

That should be re-wired not required! The edit button has gone walkabout ?!?

 

[PaulRhB]

Proof it can be done
http://www.gscalecentral.net/tm?m=151903&high=Countess < Link To http://www.forum.gscalece...m=151903&high=Countess

 

[Moonraker]

Love the end result.
regards
Peter
MyLocoSound