Converting a Class 21

David Knight
Posts: 812
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:02 pm

Converting a Class 21

Postby David Knight » Tue May 23, 2023 2:44 pm

I’d like to remove the bogie sideframes on my Dapol class 21 to better see what the prospects are for converting it to P4 gauge but am baffled as to how to remove the sideframes without resorting to brute force. I can see lugs at either end on the bogie that look like they *should* be the answer to the problem but they won’t budge and there’s no obvious place to insert the traditional thin bladed screwdriver to pry things open. I’ve successfully done Bachmann and Heljan diesels with no problem but this one has me flummoxed for the moment. All ideas and suggestions gratefully appreciated.

TIA

David

Jeremy Good
Posts: 279
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:36 pm

Re: Converting a Class 21

Postby Jeremy Good » Tue May 23, 2023 4:25 pm

David,

Have a look at the Class 22 thread as I suspect that they are similar. You can use the thin bladed screwdriver but it needs a bit more force than, for example, Bachmann bogies.

Jeremy

Daddyman
Posts: 740
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2017 1:09 pm

Re: Converting a Class 21

Postby Daddyman » Tue May 23, 2023 4:34 pm

It is a struggle, and it is possible to snap the lugs on the bogie body. Focus on the lugs at the inboard end of the bogies. You need to aim to push lugs in slightly (so in this photo, I'm first pushing the screwdriver away from the camera), until the lugs yield, and then wedge the screwdriver in between the bogie frame and the lugs once the latter have yielded. A finer screwdriver than the one I'm using here would help.
20230523_172755.jpg
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David Knight
Posts: 812
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:02 pm

Re: Converting a Class 21

Postby David Knight » Tue May 23, 2023 9:33 pm

Thank you both for your help. I think I’ll start by paring the lugs back a little so as not to have to distort the body too much as I suspect the plastic will be the kind that is reluctant to be glued. Then I’ll have a go with the traditional tool. Between this and Dapol’s reluctance to issue an exploded drawing of the model you’d think they didn’t want anyone to take them apart. Thanks again.

Cheers,

David

David Knight
Posts: 812
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:02 pm

Re: Converting a Class 21

Postby David Knight » Wed May 24, 2023 6:55 pm

A bit of gentle paring in the centre of the lugs to give the point of a scriber some purchase and off they came! :D now for the fun bit, turning down the flanges to suit but I have a P4 wheel form tool and the tread is only 1.7mm to the root of the flange so if the wheels are of a decent alloy I may get away with it.
IMG_0243.jpeg


Cheers,

David
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waveydavey
Posts: 105
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:53 am

Re: Converting a Class 21

Postby waveydavey » Thu May 25, 2023 6:30 am

To convert my two class 29s, prior to the form tool being made available, I turned down the wheels to accept Gibson 14mm tyres.

Cheers

David
Modelling Clackmannanshire Railways in 1975

David Knight
Posts: 812
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:02 pm

Re: Converting a Class 21

Postby David Knight » Thu May 25, 2023 2:16 pm

Hi David,

That’s my “Plan B” should things go wrong.

Cheers,

David


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