7/8ths inch scale Super and Mega Griff
introduction and instructions

Super Griff 7/8ths inch scale powered waggon parts

• Black: chassis, speaker holder, 4 wheels, 4 axle boxes, 2 coupling hooks, 4 brakes, brake handle, brake handle support
• Grey: 2 cage sides, 2 cage ends, cage top, slate load bottom, slate load top, 4 slate load weights covers, switch holder
• Cream: wheel jig

• 2 65mm long axles
• Brass coupling loop
• Approx 25mm of 1.5mm diameter brass rod
• 2 10mm M2 bolts with nuts
• 2 8mm M2 bolts with nuts
• 4 5mm M2 cheese head screws
• 2 self tapping screws
• 4 0.5M20T 3mm bore brass bevel gears - Spares available from AliExpress - select 3mm bore
• 4 M3 3mm grub screws (in bevel gears) - Spares available from Amazon
• 4 3mm x 7mm x 3mm double shielded bearings
• M1.5 hex head key
• 8 60g strips of tyre weights

Mega Griff 7/8ths inch scale powered waggon additional parts

• Black: chassis, 4 wheels, 4 axle boxes, 2 coupling hooks, 4 brakes, brake handle, brake handle support
• Grey: 2 cage sides, 2 cage ends, cage top, slate load bottom, slate load top, 4 slate load weights covers

• 2 65mm long axles
• Brass coupling loop
• Approx 25mm of 1.5mm diameter brass rod
• 2 10mm M2 bolts with nuts
• 4 5mm M2 cheese head screws
• 4 0.5M20T 3mm bore brass bevel gears - Spares available from AliExpress - select 3mm bore
• 4 M3 3mm grub screws (in bevel gears) - Spares available from Amazon
• 4 3mm x 7mm x 3mm double shielded bearings
• 12 60g strips of tyre weights

Super and Mega Griff electrical parts

• Custom Loco Remote Maxi
• Combined motor and gearbox (2 for Super, 4 for Mega)
• On/off switch
• 2.1mm DC power socket
• White power connector and cable for Maxi
• PP3 type battery cable
• 6 x AA battery holder with PP3 type connector
• 11cm long flexible motor cables with 4 way Dupont connector at one end
• 29cm long flexible motor cables with 4 way Dupont connector at one end (only for Mega)
• Speaker (optional)
• 2 wire speaker cable with Dupont connectors at one end (optional)
• Heat shrink tubing (not shown)

• Ruler
• Needle file
• Hammer
• Mini finger drill and bits
• Sharp knife
• Small pliers
• Small snipe nose pliers
• Wooden clothes pegs
• Rubber band
• Polystyrene cement (used for Airfix kits)
• Cyanoacrylate (super glue)
• Small Pozidriv screwdriver
• M1.5 hex head key (included with the kit)
• Wire cutter if you do not have the prewired kit
• Wire stripper if you do not have the prewired kit
• Soldering iron, solder and "helping hands" (not shown) if you do not have the prewired kit

Wiring

• Locate the printed switch holder, 2 8mm M2 bolts with nuts, on/off switch, DC power socket and power cables
• Cut the wires attached to the PP3 battery connector to 110mm - keep the red 30mm off cut

• Place the on/off switch and DC power socket into the holes in the switch holder
• Secure the DC power socket with the bolts and nuts
• Discard one of the switch nuts and the circular ring - secure the switch with the other nut and serrated washer

• Cut a piece of heat shrink tubing to 7mm and slip it over BOTH black wires
• Strip the ends of both black wires and solder them to the tab on the DC power socket near the switch
• Push the heat shrink tubing so it fully covers the soldered tab and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink this in place

• Cut 2 pieces of heat shrink tubing to 7mm and slip them separately over the red wires of the Maxi and PP3 power cables
• Strip the end of the Maxi red wire and solder this to the tab on the switch nearest the DC power socket

• Strip the end of the PP3 red wire and solder this to the middle tab on the switch

• Strip the end of the off-cut of red wire and solder this to the remaining tab on the switch then slip on a 7mmm piece of heat shrink tubing

• Push the 4 pieces of heat shrink tubing so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place

• Slip on a 7mmm piece of heat shrink tubing to the red wire
• Solder the wire to the remaining tab on the DC power socket
• Push the piece of heat shrink tubing so it fully covers the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink it in place
• The completed wiring should look like this

• Separate the grey and purple wires, cut them to 80mm and strip the ends

• Cut 2 pieces of heat shrink tubing to 9mm and slip them separately over the wires
• Solder the wires to the speaker tabs - do this quickly and carefully since if you leave the soldering iron on the tab for too long it could loosen the tab and internal wires
• Push the 2 pieces of heat shrink tubing so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place

• Locate 2 motors and the 11cm long flexible motor cables with 4 way Dupont connector at one end
• The metal pieces on the connector should be facing you with the wire with the white line at the bottom (see photo)
• Note the red dot next to one motor terminal and align the motors with the red dots at the bottom of each motor (see photo)
• Getting this the right way up is extremely important so that both the motors rotate in the correct direction

• Strip the ends of the wires to around 4mm (no more) and tin the ends with solder
• Slip a 6mm piece of heat shrink tubing on each wire

• Turn a motor on its side and solder the wire with the white band to the motor tab with a red dot
• Make sure no solder touches the metal can of the motor - it is easier to achieve this if you touch the wire on the tab from the inside like this

• Turn the motor on the other side and solder the second wire (next to the one with the white band) to the tab
• Turn the second motor on its side and solder the third wire (next one along) to the motor tab with a red dot
• Turn the second motor on the other side and solder the final wire to the tab
• When you are confident all the wires are attached correctly push the 4 pieces of heat shrink tubing so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place

• If you have a Mega Griff, then locate the other 2 motors and the 29cm long flexible motor cables with 4 way Dupont connector at one end
• Strip the ends of the wires to around 4mm (no more) and tin the ends with solder
• Slip a 6mm piece of heat shrink tubing on each wire

• These motors should be wired identically as described with the shorter cables above
• Solder the wire with the white band to a motor tab with a red dot
• Turn the motor on the other side and solder the second wire (next to the one with the white band) to the tab
• Turn the second motor on its side and solder the third wire (next one along) to the motor tab with a red dot
• Turn the second motor on the other side and solder the final wire to the tab
• When you are confident all the wires are attached correctly push the 4 pieces of heat shrink tubing so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place

Connecting the electronics

• Place the Maxi face down so the green board is facing you - if you have the version without sound then a blue board with Motor Shield written on it is facing you
• Plug the 4 way Dupont connector with the 11cm cables into the lower 4 pin connector on the Maxi
• The side facing you should have the 4 metal pieces on the connector showing and the wire with a white band at the top side shown in the photo

• Plug the 4 way Dupont connector with the 29cm cables into the upper 4 pin connector on the Maxi
• The side facing you should have the 4 metal pieces on the connector showing and the wire with a white band at the top side shown in the photo - this is identical to the previous step

• Make sure the switch is set to off - the handle should be pushed towards the DC power socket
• Connect the white power plug into the white socket on the Maxi - it is keyed and should only go one way with the red wire on the outer side

• Connect the 2 wires from the speaker to the 2 pins in the middle of the green board marked Speaker - it does not matter which way round
• Fit 6 x AA NiMH rechargeable batteries in the battery holder
• Connect the PP3 clip to the battery holder

• Check everything works by turning the switch on. The bugle should sound.
• Connect your smartphone to the Maxi as described in the Maxi setup guide
• Run the controller from your screen. Click here to download a video of the correct operation. When going Forward, the motor shafts should be rotating as shown - from left to right - anti-clockwise, clockwise, anti-clockwise, clockwise
• If the motors are not rotating as described then check that you have plugged the Dupont connectors in the right way (with the metal pieces on top) and the wiring to each motor is correct. If they are still not correct then please contact Loco Remote. Do not proceed further as the motors may fight against each other in the chassis!
• Tap the sound buttons to play the 4 sounds. 2 are bugles and 2 background running noises - note these are not related to motor speed.
• You can change the name on the screen and password if you wish as described in the Wi-Fi connection and controller operation guide
• Once you are happy everything is working correctly, turn the switch off and disconnect the components - hold the white socket on the board when you remove the white power plug as they are keyed and a tight fit
• Always remember to switch the power off when you have finished running so the batteries do not fully drain

Assembling the Super Griff waggon

• Locate the 4 wheels, 4 axle boxes, 4 bearings, 2 axles, 2 bevel gears, hex head key and wheel jig

• Lay a bearing on a flat surface and push an axle box firmly onto it with your thumb so that they are flush

• Repeat for the other 3 bearings and axle boxes

• Push an axle onto a wheel and place the wheel inside the wheel jig
• The wheels are a deliberately tight fit on the axles - do not open up the centre holes at all
• Put the jig on a flat surface and use a hammer to tap the axle through the wheel

• Slide a bevel gear onto the axle, loosening the grub screw as needed, then tightening it to stop it moving
• Put a wheel onto the other end of the axle
• Use the wheel jig and hammer as before to fit the wheel
• Repeat for the other wheels, axle and bevel gear
• You should find that using the jig the wheel back to back distance is set automatically at the correct 28mm for 32mm gauge track (left in photo) or 40.5mm for 45mm gauge track (right in photo)

• Turn the chassis upside down and glue the speaker holder in place in the slots

• Locate the slate load top, loads weights covers and 3 60g strips of tyre weights

• The weights fit into the 4 corners 2 deep - cut them as shown noting the orientation is different for those on the left and right
• Remove the blue sticky backing and push the tyre weights firmly into the cut outs on the slate top

• Glue the weights covers over these

• Locate the cage sides, ends and top - note the sides are different with one having brake handle mounts
• Complete the next 4 steps together swiftly without letting the glue dry between steps to ensure you have a square cage on the chassis

• Glue the cage end lugs into the sides, noting that the strips along the bottom are wider than those on the top of each piece

• Run a fine line of glue along the inside edges of the cage top
• Gently squeezing the sides, push the narrower strips of the cage frame into the cut out on the top
• The top is a deliberately tight fit so you need to squeeze the end between your fingers a little bending the end as shown so that the side sits in the gap of the top - you should feel it clip in place

• Note the letters F (front) and R (rear) on the bottom of the chassis
• Align the cage with the side with the brake handle mounts so that it at the top as shown in the photo
• The chassis is not symmetrical, with the hole for the brass rod off centre towards the front and the brake handle support
• Glue the frame to the chassis - the bottom of the frame should be flush with the bottom of the chassis floor
• Use a rubber band round the bottom of the sides and edges to keep these tight and aligned while drying

• Use 6 or more wooden pegs to clamp the cage sides and edges to the top as shown, again making sure they are all in the grooves under the top and not bowed

• Locate the slate load bottom and 2 10mm M2 bolts with nuts (NOT the 8mm bolts)
• Note the letters F (front) and R (rear) on the floor of the slate load - these must align with those on the chassis
• Push the M2 nuts into the holes in the opposite corners of the chassis - the easiest way to do this is to fit the bolt through from the other side and tighten this to pull the nut fully in

• Fit the 2 M2 10mm bolts through the holes in the opposite corners of the slate load and screw them to the bolts in the chassis - a tip is to put a small dot of Blu Tack on the end of the screwdriver to hold the bolt as you push it through

• Locate the 2 motors with the 11cm wires, 2 bevel gears, 4 5mm M2 cheese head screws, hex head key and speaker

• Study the photo carefully for the correct orientation
• The side of the 4 way Dupont connector facing you should have the 4 metal pieces showing and the wire with a white band at the top side
• Place the motor with a wire with the white band in the rear hole, and the other in the front
• The red dots on the motors should be oriented as shown

• Use the cheese head screws to secure the motors from underneath the chassis
• Fit the 2 bevel gears to the motor shafts so they are slightly clear of the screw heads

• Place the speaker in the cut out with the wires facing towards the left as shown
• Secure the speaker with a couple of pieces of Blu Tack or similar

• Fit the switch holder as shown using the self tapping screws with the Maxi wires going one side and the PP3 wires the other side of the rear motor

• Place the Maxi face down so the green board is facing you - if you have the version without sound then a blue board with Motor Shield written on it is facing you
• Plug the 4 way Dupont connector with the 11cm cables into the lower 4 pin connector on the Maxi
• The side facing you should have the 4 metal pieces on the connector showing and the wire with a white band at the top side shown in the photo
• If you have a Mega Griff, do not connect anything to the upper 4 pin connector for now - you can test and run this waggon as a Super Griff on its own for now
• Connect the white power plug into the white socket on the Maxi - it is keyed and should only go one way with the red wire on the outer side
• Connect the 2 wires from the speaker to the 2 pins in the middle of the green board marked Speaker - it does not matter which way round

• Unscrew the bolt in the corner behind the Maxi
• Fit the bolt through the hole in the bottom board of the Maxi and align the Maxi on the pins on the slate load floor
• Screw the bolt through to the nut in the chassis to secure the Maxi - a tip is to put a small dot of Blu Tack on the end of the screwdriver to hold the bolt as you push it through
• Make sure the switch is set to off - the handle should be pushed towards the DC power socket
• Fit 6 x AA NiMH rechargeable batteries in the battery holder
• Connect the PP3 clip to the battery holder

• Turn the switch on - the bugle should sound
• Clip the slate load top in place - note it only fits one way round
• Connect your smartphone to the Maxi

• Turn the waggon upside down
• Run the motors - when going forwards the front should rotate anti-clockwise and the rear clockwise

• Push the axles into the bearings on the axle boxes

• Move the back of each bevel gear against a wheel
• Note the orientation of the bevel gears in the photo - one on either side
• Push the axle boxes into the holes on the sides of the chassis - these are a deliberately tight fit and need not be glued so they can be removed
• Check the axles rotate freely and adjust the axle box holes if necessary

• Loosen the bevel gears on the axles and motor shafts
• Adjust the bevel gears so they mesh accurately together with minimal play and tighten the grub screws
• Make sure there is a gap between the motor bevel gears and the cheese head screws so they do not rub when rotating

• Run the motors slowly to optimise the gear meshing
• Once you are happy everything is working correctly turn the power switch off

• Locate the 4 brakes, coupling hook and brass coupling loop

• Glue the 4 brakes into the holes on the underside of the chassis aligning them with the wheels as shown

• Slide the brass loop into the rear coupling hole chassis - it is important that it does not go the other end!
• Slide the coupling hook onto this making sure the hook is oriented as shown so it faces the chassis
• Note that 2 hooks are provided in case you wish to add one to the other end of the chassis with a piece of brass chain, but this does make it much more difficult to couple up waggons so is not recommended

• Use a small pair of pliers to close the loop

• Locate the brake handle, support and 1.5mm brass rod
• File both ends of the brass rod smooth

• Fit the brake handle using the 1.5mm brass rod to the hole in the chassis - it should be a tight fit and movable

• Glue the curved brake handle support onto the side with the mounts
• Check the cut out on the handle fits over the curved brake handle support throughout its travel, adjusting the support if necessary before the glue dries
• If you have the Super and not Mega Griff then skip to the Charging and running section at the very end

• Cut the remaining 5 60g strips of tyre weights as shown

• Fit the tyre weights vertically into the holes in the slate load - just slide them in without removing the blue sticky backing
• If you have the Super and not Mega Griff then skip to the Charging and running section at the very end

Assembling the Mega Griff additional waggon

• Locate the slate load top, loads weights covers and 4 60g strips of tyre weights

• The weights fit into the 4 corners 2 deep - cut them as shown
• Remove the blue sticky backing and push the tyre weights firmly into the cut outs on the slate top

• Glue the weights covers over these

• Assemble the cage as described above - note the sides are different with one having brake handle mounts
• Note the letters F (front) and R (rear) on the bottom of the chassis
• Align the cage with the side with the brake handle mounts as before
• The chassis is not symmetrical, with the hole for the brass rod off centre towards the front and the brake handle support
• Glue the frame to the chassis - the bottom of the frame should be flush with the bottom of the chassis floor
• Use a rubber band round the bottom of the sides and edges to keep these tight and aligned while drying
• Use 6 or more wooden pegs to clamp the cage sides and edges to the top as shown, again making sure they are all in the grooves under the top and not bowed

• Fit the 2 M2 10mm bolts through the holes in the opposite corners of the slate load and screw them to the bolts in the chassis - a tip is to put a small dot of Blu Tack on the end of the screwdriver to hold the bolt as you push it through
• Locate the 2 motors with the 29cm wires, 2 bevel gears, 4 5mm M2 cheese head screws and hex head key

• Study the photo carefully for the correct orientation - it is the same as the previous waggon
• The side of the 4 way Dupont connector facing you should have the 4 metal pieces showing and the wire with a white band at the top side
• Place the motor with a wire with the white band in the rear hole, and the other in the front
• The red dots on the motors should be oriented as shown

• Feed the wires through the hole in the front end of the slate load bottom, in the orientation shown with the wire with the white band at the top

• Fit the bearings into the axle boxes
• Fit the wheels and bevel gears onto the axles
• Move the back of each bevel gear against a wheel
• Note the orientation of the bevel gears in the photo - one on either side
• Push the axle boxes into the holes on the sides of the chassis - these are a deliberately tight fit and need not be glued so they can be removed
• Check the axles rotate freely and adjust the axle box holes if necessary
• Loosen the bevel gears on the axles and motor shafts
• Adjust the bevel gears so they mesh accurately together with minimal play and tighten the grub screws
• Make sure there is a gap between the motor bevel gears and the cheese head screws so they do not rub when rotating
• Glue the 4 brakes into the holes on the underside of the chassis aligning them with the wheels as shown
• Slide the brass loop into the rear coupling hole chassis and fit the coupling hook

• Remove the battery holder
• Unscrew and remove the switch holder
• Feed the wires through the hole in the end of the Super Griff slate load bottom, in the orientation shown with the wire with the white band at the top

• Disconnect the speaker wires from the Maxi
• Plug the 4 way Dupont connector with the 20cm cables into the upper 4 pin connector on the Maxi
• The side facing you should have the 4 metal pieces on the connector showing and the wire with a white band at the top side shown in the photo
• Reconnect the speaker wires

• Refit the switch holder
• Refit the battery holder

• Turn the switch on - the bugle should sound
• Clip the slate load tops in place
• Connect your smartphone to the Maxi
• Turn the waggon upside down
• Run the controller from your screen. Click here to download a video of the correct operation. When going Forward, the wheels should all be rotating as shown
• If the motors are not rotating as described then check that you have plugged the Dupont connectors in the right way (with the metal pieces on top) and the wiring to each motor is correct
• Use the hex head key to adjust the bevel gears so they just mesh and rotate smoothly when the motors are running in both directions
• The motors should turn from 5-10% speed with fully charged NiMH batteries if the gears are well aligned and not touching the chassis
• Add a drop of light sewing machine oil to the gears if desired
• Turn the power switch off

• Attach the brake handle and support as described above
• Fit the remaining 8 60g strips of tyre weights vertically into the holes in the slate load - just slide them in without removing the blue sticky backing

• Couple the hook from the Super Griff chassis onto the Mega Griff

Charging and running Super and Mega Griff

• The Super Griff waggon weighs around 960g with batteries

• The Mega Griff waggon also weighs around 960g
• The 2 waggons are permanently connected via the motor cables so make sure you lift them together keeping the slate load tops firmly on to protect them - you have been warned!

• There is a 2.1mm DC centre positive charge socket connected to the batteries when the switch is pushed towards this for use with a NiMH Smart Charger
• IMPORTANT - when you charge the batteries remove the battery holder from the body and lay it outside. The batteries can get very hot while charging and if left inside could cause the load or cage to warp!
• Alternatively you can remove the batteries from the holder and charge them individually in a NiMH charger

• Custom brakemen are available from the Clavey Models eBay store
• If you have a Mega Griff always make sure it is coupled with the hook to the Super Griff before starting so that you don't pull the wires between the waggons
• The Loco Remote slate waggons and loads are light and free running so Super Griff can haul at least 10 of them and Mega Griff at least 20 on the level on dry rails. If you decide to add weight to the waggons or use other heavier ones then they may pull fewer.
• IMPORTANT - do not overload the motors or controller by trying to add on too long or heavy a train. If it won't start moving easily without wheels slipping on the level, then you have added too heavy a load. Do not add extra weights to the powered Griff waggons.
• Always remember to switch the power off when you have finished running so the batteries do not fully drain