I have been testing my locos prior to selling them. The farish DRS class 47 did not run but it came apart OK and the motor runs fine. One of the bogies is frozen, I suspect split gears. So I have just spent nearly an hour trying to put the *****y thing back together again. Saves me right for taking a screwdriver to it and reminds me that my hands are not as nimble as they were.

Any advice people ( not involving a big hammer ), could I sell it as a box of bits after wiping the blood off?

The biggest problem, I find, seems to be that the bogies don't sit right as you're trying to get everything back together. I usually sit the motor block on a cutting mat so that the bogie frames are sitting on the worksurface itself...they tend to sit slightly better then...It's still a faff, but LESS of a faff !

I feel you're pain. I think I use a method similar to koyli55002's above. Get a cutting mat or something nice and flat. Then put down half the chassis and start installing the bits (Motor / Bogey Mounts, Drive Shafts and then the Bogies). The bogies won't sit in the right position, but they will be close. Make sure any spacers etc are in place on the half of the bogey that's on the surface. Then get the other half of the chassis and offer it to the one on the surface, as the top of the chassis comes together it won't fit correctly because of the bogeys, but just as it starts to touch the Bogey Mounts, use a finger or thumb to move the bogeys slightly, the mounts should then locate and everything should pop into place.

Good luck.

Yes Vonzack has put in writing what I have done a few times.  Having 4 hands would help but is not essential.  Not having my hand tremor would be a definite help, but I have to live with that.   For example when adapting a bogie on earlier Chinese releases to take the inner part of a NEM pocket, so I can use easi shunt couplings.  The Poole chassis locos were much easier to dismatntle in this respect.  One screw and an end sleeve casting comes away and the bogie next.  Obviously the most recent releases have NEM pockets to start with, but I have 6 more pre NEM diesels awaiting conversion, 4 of which have the Chinese split chassis.

Thanks peoples I took the advice and got it back together this morning. Rather than get it repaired I might just knock 20 quid of the asking price when the time comes to sell it, it would certainly be less hassle than fixing it first

If you do decide to part company with it give me a shout.

Depending on its exact condition, I could give it a home

Skyline2uk