I've just finished conversion of a Piko V36 Loco (the BR103 is an identical loco from a later era), Piko product number 37530 (37531). I’ve done a number of battery conversions but this was one had a couple of unusual aspects and for that reason it might be of interest to others.
The internal volume of this loco is largely consumed by a very heavy weight and a cab interior structure that is subdivided by bulkheads which I was reluctant to cut away as they seemed to be strength members but whose presence effectively prevented using the space under the floor or the “control desk”. I was reluctant to reduce the weight more than I had to as I wanted the maximum pulling power. The location of the charging point and on off switch was also an issue.
I use NiMH batteries, I’m comfortable with them and they are easily available.
After much thought, and several glasses of red (Penny’s Lane 2008 Shiraz, for any interested) I decided to cut away part of the weight to make a platform for the majority of the batteries. Used a hacksaw, and some more red, which may explain why the right angle on the platform is not a right angle.
I’d already removed the track power feed (grey and white wires), the pick up skates and the pick ups from the wheels. These are not particularly complex jobs although a little care is required when the covers of the gear boxes are open.
Fitted to the loco with the battery pack added the modified weight looked like this:
Without the weight and batteries, by this time the chassis looked like the photo below. The bulkhead on the right hand side sits under the middle of the cab furniture when the loco is assembled; the weight of course sits in the middle.
I thought it would be intelligent to fit a fuse into the apparently largely unused terminator on the left front) of the engine – wrong. That is the terminal for the lights and at one point the lights turned on when I switched the loco off, and off with the loco on. And I hadn’t had any red that night – but if there’s mistake to be made I’ll generally find a way of making it.
The red and blue wires in the photo above are the motor leads. The terminal for the battery connection is visible as the red plug just below the central weight screw pillar, highlighted by the arrow; it connects to the outer terminals of the terminator on the bulkhead with positive in the upper one in this pic. The circular space at left is for a speaker; I’m not into sound generally so it became an additional battery location for me.
For this mod I was using one of Tony Walsham’s DSM2 receivers with a Viper ESC. They fitted quite neatly into the hood above the weight. In the pic they are held in place temporarily while I checked the fit; I siliconed them in later.
Now, that was the easy bit and (apart from having to saw up the weight) a pretty standard fit. I then had to locate the on off switch and the charging plug and when studying the options for these I realized I might not have a solution – there’s very little spare space in unobtrusive places around the chassis with room to mount them. There are ladders on the sides of the four ends, and the drive between them. The area ahead of the drive behind the ladders is further obscured by air tanks, and the behind the ladder on the rear left hand side is a brake assembly. That leaves only the right hand rear and with the ladder that makes a very tight fit for the plug. (Location and then trial fitting in partially painted loco below.)
The only place left to put the switch was on the rear buffer beam – and of course in Piko locos the buffer beam is integral to the method by which the body is held onto the loco.
But it worked out OK. I had to cut away a bit of the lower part of the bulkhead which has the main junction board on it to allow it to sit properly over the charge plug but that seems not to have had any adverse effect on the bulkhead; it’s somewhat over engineered.
Overall, it wasn't all that difficult apart from the need to cut the weight and to find switch and plug locations; but that made it an interesting challenge. That challenge turned what I thought would be a one night job into a multi day affair. The end result is good, however, and she runs and pulls like a champ.
The internal volume of this loco is largely consumed by a very heavy weight and a cab interior structure that is subdivided by bulkheads which I was reluctant to cut away as they seemed to be strength members but whose presence effectively prevented using the space under the floor or the “control desk”. I was reluctant to reduce the weight more than I had to as I wanted the maximum pulling power. The location of the charging point and on off switch was also an issue.
I use NiMH batteries, I’m comfortable with them and they are easily available.
After much thought, and several glasses of red (Penny’s Lane 2008 Shiraz, for any interested) I decided to cut away part of the weight to make a platform for the majority of the batteries. Used a hacksaw, and some more red, which may explain why the right angle on the platform is not a right angle.
I’d already removed the track power feed (grey and white wires), the pick up skates and the pick ups from the wheels. These are not particularly complex jobs although a little care is required when the covers of the gear boxes are open.
Fitted to the loco with the battery pack added the modified weight looked like this:
Without the weight and batteries, by this time the chassis looked like the photo below. The bulkhead on the right hand side sits under the middle of the cab furniture when the loco is assembled; the weight of course sits in the middle.
I thought it would be intelligent to fit a fuse into the apparently largely unused terminator on the left front) of the engine – wrong. That is the terminal for the lights and at one point the lights turned on when I switched the loco off, and off with the loco on. And I hadn’t had any red that night – but if there’s mistake to be made I’ll generally find a way of making it.
The red and blue wires in the photo above are the motor leads. The terminal for the battery connection is visible as the red plug just below the central weight screw pillar, highlighted by the arrow; it connects to the outer terminals of the terminator on the bulkhead with positive in the upper one in this pic. The circular space at left is for a speaker; I’m not into sound generally so it became an additional battery location for me.
For this mod I was using one of Tony Walsham’s DSM2 receivers with a Viper ESC. They fitted quite neatly into the hood above the weight. In the pic they are held in place temporarily while I checked the fit; I siliconed them in later.
Now, that was the easy bit and (apart from having to saw up the weight) a pretty standard fit. I then had to locate the on off switch and the charging plug and when studying the options for these I realized I might not have a solution – there’s very little spare space in unobtrusive places around the chassis with room to mount them. There are ladders on the sides of the four ends, and the drive between them. The area ahead of the drive behind the ladders is further obscured by air tanks, and the behind the ladder on the rear left hand side is a brake assembly. That leaves only the right hand rear and with the ladder that makes a very tight fit for the plug. (Location and then trial fitting in partially painted loco below.)
The only place left to put the switch was on the rear buffer beam – and of course in Piko locos the buffer beam is integral to the method by which the body is held onto the loco.
But it worked out OK. I had to cut away a bit of the lower part of the bulkhead which has the main junction board on it to allow it to sit properly over the charge plug but that seems not to have had any adverse effect on the bulkhead; it’s somewhat over engineered.
Overall, it wasn't all that difficult apart from the need to cut the weight and to find switch and plug locations; but that made it an interesting challenge. That challenge turned what I thought would be a one night job into a multi day affair. The end result is good, however, and she runs and pulls like a champ.
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