Märklin BR 151 fitted with ESU Lokpilot V4

[capeklr]

Hi guys,
if you follow my layout thread then you should remember that I posted about finding
a long sought after BR 151 heavy goods electric unit last year on bid or buy.
In the meantime I've converted it to digital, choosing to use a Lokpilot V4 and a 21 pin
interface circuit plate also from ESU.
Electric units with sound are not really important to me, I prefer my steam and diesels to have sound
so for this reason no sound.
Only extra functions are cap lights.
First photo is of the unit.
Second photo are the cap light on small self made circuits with SMD Led's.
Third photo is the running lights also converted to SMD Led's.

[capeklr]

I used Roco cap details as Märklin had no stock.
Needed to modify them a bit to fit.
Also a little bit of paint and a switching wheel.
First photo the original cap and on the right the detailed one.
Second photo, loco driver installed.
Third photo the cap glued into the loco body, note the black paper
between the upper light diffusor and the cap.

[capeklr]

For the contact shoe to be more reliable I like to solder in a fine wire.
The metal that the spring is made of likes to oxidize and as a result the loco
will not run very well.
Photo one, the circled area is where the problem occurs.
I also like to earth the bogie properly, not relying on the metal the chassis contact
alone.
Photo two.

[capeklr]

After fitting the cap interiors the body would not fit on the chassis anymore.
Remove decoder and the interface circuit plate and mill out some of the solid die cast
chassis to get a bit more clearance.
Photo one milling in progress.
Photo two done.
Photo three repainted and ready to refit the decoder. 

[capeklr]

Success, body fits and everything works as planned.
Next step is to program the decoder, dim the lights a bit
and then I will fit two 2200µf caps as well.
Space has been reserved in the loco from the start of this conversion.
I may still dull down the shiny silver pantos and maybe lightly weather the unit.
Lights are to bright at the moment, but the ESU decoder can dim the lights
so that will be done when I program the unit.

[ColWer]

So awesome Jörg. 

[LooVille]

Nice, awesome work Jörg 

Really impressive 

[BigEd]

 

[ColWer]

Hi Big Ed, sometime I feel the same. Enjoy. 

[capeklr]

Hi everybody,

this weekend no work was done on the layout, but I set up my laptop with the ESU programmer and had a bit
of fun with that.
This Loco is now completed, once programmed I still installed the 2 caps, 2200µf 35V
I also programmed the cap lights to automatically go off when the Loco starts moving and to go back on again
as it stops. 

[LooVille]

Very Nice.... 

[BigEd]

 

[ColWer]

Hi Jörg, very very nice. 

What's with the Veraboard? 

[capeklr]

What's with the Veraboard? 

I don't have the design program anymore and also can't print properly
on the clear transparencies with my current printer.
So I have no choice, but to use Vero board.

[capeklr]

Small update on this loco.
Has been in service now for over a year and running very well.
Decided to do something that I've wanted to do since the conversion
and finally today I did.
Took off the panto graphs and carefully sprayed them with my airbrush
dull red.
Looks much better than the shiny silver metal.