How I converted an Ixion / EFE Bachmann 0 gauge Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T to battery and radio control

 Although my own railway is 45mm narrow gauge, I sometimes carry out battery/RC conversions for other people. Most recently, I was asked if I could tackle an Ixion/EFE Bachmann 0-6-0T loco. Having previously converted a Dapol Terrier Tank, I decided this couldn't be much more difficult. However, it turned out to be an even tighter squeeze, but the experience gained with the Terrier Tank was useful.

The loco .......

..... came with a helpful leaflet showing step-by-step how it could be dismantled.

The first step was to remove the tank filler cap .......

.... beneath which was a self-tapping screw.

 The next job was to remove the pipework and handrails. These proved to be a push-fit and so could be prised off with a pair of tweezers.

 With all the pipework removed, the tank could be lifted off. The instructions warned about being careful not to snap off the lugs holding the tank to the cab section, but it looked as if someone had already beaten me to it as they had already been snapped off.

The circuit board and connector for a DCC decoder could now be accessed. This was supported by a grey plastic structure which was easily removed.

With access to leads to the motor and the pick-ups, I didn't need to progress further (although I did removed the three screws holding the lower part of the tank in place to inspect the worm)

The next stage was to remove the cab. Two screws under the rear of the cab were removed .....

 .... and the cab lifted off.

 The cab floor was then removed by unscrewing the four screws holding it in place.

 The next task was to measure the space for the battery pack and figure out where a switch and charge-socket could be fitted.

Initially, I thought of putting the switch inside the cab and doing away with a charge socket in favour of charging through the wheels. However, although a switch could have been fitted in the cab beside the firebox, it would have been very tricky to operate. I wasn't happy about using the wheels as charge contacts they would be 'live' when the switch was in the charge position and it would be all too easy to short-circuit the batteries - not a particularly good idea!

Measuring the space beneath the loco's circuit-board, I decided I could just manage to squeeze in three 120mAh 402030 lipo packs, giving a nominal output of 11.1v.

There was also just enough space inside the tank for a 3S battery protection (BMS) board and a Micron MR601 receiver/controller. Eventually, I decided that, as with the Dapol Terrier Tank, I could just manage to insert a micro JST ZH socket and a sub-miniature SPDT slide switch into the tender. 

Having decided on using the bunker, the next problem was how to take the wiring from there, through the cab, to the batteries and receiver in the tank. With the Terrier Tank, I used thin ribbon cable and cut a slot for it beneath the floor of the cab. The cab floor of the Hudswell Clarke was too thin for this tactic and so I decided to cut three 3mm wide strips of brass shim and use those as connectors.

Holes were drilled in the cab floor and the ends of the strips cut where they protruded, leaving sufficient to act as solder tags for the leads.

 Once the parts arrived I could start work on the rest of the wiring-up. 

The switch and charge socket were initially mounted on a piece of plasticard to test-fit them in the tender.

 Once I was satisfied with their positions, I designed and 3D printed a more substantial, tailored mounting plate.

 Holes were drilled into the base of the bunker for the leads ......

.... and the mounting plate carefully slotted into place.

 The leads from the switch and charge socket were trimmed, ......

 ..... and soldered to the brass shim tags protruding through the cab floor with heatshrink sleeving to prevent accidental short circuits.

Wires were then soldered to the other ends of the shim strips ......

.... and, after being shrouded in heatshrink, were passed through holes drilled in the sides of the firebox to allow them to be taken up into the tank.

The floor was then screwed back on to the cab.

 Double-sided sticky pads were stacked beside the worm gear housing to support the battery pack.

The three lipo cells were made into a pack, covered with clear heatshrink and connected to a 3S BMS board. This helps to prevent the cells from becoming overly charged or overly discharged and also to protect them from accidental short circuits.

The Micron MR601 receiver/controller was then connected and the loco tested. 

It was a tight squeeze, but the battery pack, protection board and receiver were fitted into the tank before the loco was reassembled. 

The switch and charge socket aren't invisible inside the empty bunker, but some strategically placed piles of coal should help them to disappear.

 Test runs show the loco to be highly controllable and achieve impressive slow-running.

I thought the Dapol Terrier Tank was a challenge, and I must admit that, at one point, I almost admitted defeat with thos conversion - until I managed to track down a sufficiently small charge socket to fit into the bunker.