fit to old models so surgery is needed. Eventually I'll publish a step-by-step guide, but I only have photos of the first "completed" conversions so far: I didn't know what I was going to do until I'd done it!
The Dapol conversion kit consists of a relatively large box, which you are supposed to glue onto a model; a special insert is then plugged in which makes the NEM pocket. It's the insert that is the NEM sized item; the box is simply a carrier. The conversion kit includes a jig and instructions, which make sense for things like simple wagons but not for locomotives and bogie stock.
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The bogies easily click out, and are in two pieces. the lower part is a decorative frame. the Rapido couplers are mounted in non-standard pockets which are formed from both halves of the bogie. . Using the Dapol height gauge, the correct height for the insert was level with the bottom of the old coupling pocket on the clip-on bogie frame. Pop off the lower frame, and use a scalpel to widen the hole at the front: you are after a hole almost as wide as the two prongs that mount the frame to the bogie. Then use a 1mm drill to drill a hole to mount the NEM pocket so it is just forward of the bogie frame. Use superglue to stick it into place. The main part of the bogie houses the top of the old coupling pocket. The front of the aperture needs to be widened. It may turn out to be a good idea to insert a small "shim" above the NEM conversion to prevent vertical motion. |
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| The next to be changed was a Mk 3 carriage bogie. The correct height for the NEM insert is flush with the BOTTOM of the original bogie frame. I simply cut away a hole big enough to house the insert, then cut the top wall from the Dapol rectangular box and glued the insert to it. That provides a plastic "plate" with the insert attached; simply glue it to the bottom of the bogie body. |  |
Here's the finished product on the carriage!
So far I've used the medium length couplings. It appears I may need shorter ones: the coupled distance is currently quite big. I'm hot sure shorter couplers will clear the buffers, so more research is needed.