Graham Farish Class 47 DCC Conversion - Poole Chassis

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 guide covers the digithat conversion method for the Graham Farish Class 47 diesel locos including:

• Class 47 47479 'Track 29' BR Parcels Red & Grey livery (8027)
• Class 47 47479 'Track 29' Mail Starter Train Set (8546)

For newer Chinese-made versions of the Class 47 model, see the Class 47 Chinese Split Chassis Chassis guide.

Step 1 - Remove body

Remove the body by gently pulling upwards. Also remove the underfloor box, which just unclips.

Step 2 - Remove Bogies

With loco resting on one side, remove the two large screws holding the black plastic bogie retainers in place. Once unscrewed, the retainers will fall out, allowing the bogies to be released from the chassis. Put both bogies to one side.

Step 3 - Remove Components

Remove the brass clip that is positioned over the brass contact strip. Remove the brass sleeve, spring and carbon brush. Remove the two long screws that are holding the brass contact strip in place, being careful not to lose the small nuts from the underside of the chassis. Remove the capacitor and the contact strip itself.

Replace the two long screws and nuts. If the contact strips came off, don't forget to refit them.

Step 4 - Connect Top Motor Contact

Replace the brass sleeve, spring and carbon brush. Solder a grey wire to the brass clip. Put some shrink sleeve on both legs of the brass clip so it cannot make electrical contact with the chassis block.

Replace the clip and, using a multimeter, check there is no continuity between the grey wire and any part of the chassis.

Step 5 - Connect Track Pickup

Create a short link wire to bridge the two inner bogie contacts transferring power from the track. Tin each end and make into a loop. Secure one end under one of the long screws (that go all the way through the chassis).

Tin the end of a longer piece of black wire, making a loop again. Secure this, and the other end of the link wire under the other long screw.

Step 6 - Fit Digihat

Turn the loco over. Remove the brass clip, spring, brass sleeve and carbon brush. Fit the insulated digihat where the brass sleeve was previously. Replace the spring.

Solder the orange wire to the brass clip, and again insulate both legs so that it cannot make electrical contact with the chassis. Pass the wire back up through the gap in the chassis.

Step 7 - Refit Bogies

Strip and tin the end of the red wire. Now refit the bogies, followed by replacing the black plastic retainers, and tightening the screw. Trap the end of the red wire behind the plastic clip, it doesn't matter which side you do this on.

Step 8 - Connect Decoder

You should now have four wires. Connect these to the decoder using the diagram below. There is space to fit a 6-pin socket in this model, which is what was done in this example.

Step 9 - Test

Test the loco on your test track and make sure you can read the loco ID and drive the loco forwards and backwards.

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