Dapol N Gauge A3 Flying Scotsman with Zimo MS sound and stay-alive

Kit: MS480; SugarCube6; 2x 470uF Flat Tantalums

A similar approach to the MX648 installation, this approach uses the newer MS480 decoder, but this time with some stay-alive added too.

Remove the 6pin socket PCB and mounts to create space behind the motor for the speaker and Tantalum capacitors.

The screw mounts for the model's PCB are snip flat.

The sleeve is removed from the MS480, unwanted wires removed, and the wires needed are replaced with finer ESU decoder wire.

Decoder covered in Kapton and stuck loosely on top of the motor with double-sided tape, ensuring it cannot foul on the spinning part of the motor.

SugarCube6 speaker is superglued into place and the pair of 470uF Flat Tantalum capacitors are wired in for the stay-alive. Be especially careful soldering the motor wires onto the terminals, as too much heat will cause the terminals to pop-out!

All placed carefully in their final positions, we chop out the original plastic coal load and build a new one on top using black electrical tape, a little BlackTack and some crushed lump coal scenic scatter.

All back together, sounding loud, and running very nicely with the stay-alive.

Please note that these guides are provided as useful resources for you, as-is. YouChoos cannot be held responsible for errors in the information, or for any damage caused to your models or equipment if you choose to follow any of the steps detailed here.