Dapol 45XX GWR Shirtbutton Tank Engine DCC Conversion

Mistakes may damage your locomotive, controller or other accessories. Use a multimeter to make absolutely sure you have completely isolated the motor from the track before testing. Always use the Programming Track for testing. Our guides are provided for reference only, and you proceed entirely at your own risk. Unsure about something - try our DCC Conversion Service instead.

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This conversion is the same for the following Dapol Class 45XX variants:

• Dapol 45XX 4567 GWR Shirtbutton (ND020)

Step 1 - Remove body

First, pop off the two dolly wheels. They are not screwed in, they are just held in with plastic pegs that unclip. Now remove the two very small screws at either end of the chassis. You will now be able to remove the body by pulling up gently. The chassis is a tight fit inside the body, but with some care they can be parted.

Step 2 - Remove motor

Remove two screws from one side of the chassis block. The two halves will come apart and away from the rest of the chassis. Remove the motor.

Step 3 - Remove Components

Desolder the two wires from the motor contacts, and the one attached to the motor housing. Desolder the components attached to the track pickup wires.

Step 4 - Connect Motor

Solder an orange and a grey wire to the motor contacts. Add a piece of heat shrink over the joins so they are both fully insulated. Replace the motor inside the two sections and reattach to the main chassis. Replace the two screws, being careful not to over-tighten them.

Step 5 - Modify Track Pickups

Extend the two black track pickup wires with one red and one black wire. Again, add heat shrink sleeving over the joins.

Step 6 - Connect Decoder

The decoder will be hidden inside the cab. With this in mind, trim the four wires so there is just enough wire for it to comfortably fit. Avoid having excess wire as there is very little room, and too much wire will cause it to be visible through the cab windows.

Once happy that the motor contacts are completely isolated from the track pickups, solder the four wires to the decoder as shown in the diagram.

At this point, test that you can read the loco ID on your programming track.

If all is well, add a piece of tape of heat shrink sleeving to the decoder to prevent it from shorting on anything inside. Fit the decoder inside the roof of the cab using some black tack and arrange any visible wires so they cannot be seen. Put the body back onto the chassis and replace the two small screws. Clip the two dolly wheels back on, and the conversion is complete.

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