Dapol N gauge GWR 28XX with Zimo Sound

Kit: MX648; SugarCube6

Pretty much the standard approach for most Dapol N gauge tender steam locos for fitting DCC sound... remove 6pin DCC socket, speaker at the back and MX648 on top of the motor, rebuilding the coal load...

Remove the 6pin socket parts and snip off the screw mounts so the speaker can sit flush on the tender floor.

Test-fit the tender body to check that we have enough vertical clearance - the SugarCube6 is good for this model.

Carefully remove the plastic coal moulding enough so that the MX648 sits neatly in the aperture.

We remove the decoder's sleeve, swap the original wires for thinner decoder wire, and don't bother replacing any of the unwanted wires for lighting. Re-cover the decoder in Kapton tape, which is thinner than the original sleeve and check it in the coal load area for position and space.

Cut some thin double-sided tape to shape and place on top of the motor, which will hold the decoder in place while we connect it all up. Also use a little tape on top of the speaker, which will be useful to hold the wiring out of the way.

Solder the 6 wires in position - red and black to the pickup tabs, orange and grey to the motor terminals directly, and purples to the speaker. Test it works OK, and runs in the expected direction - swap orange and grey around if it runs in reverse.

Tidy the wires and click the body back on.

A layer of black electrical tape is a good idea before rebuilding the coal load.

Ensure there are no gaps between the tape and the aperture, then use a sparing layer of thick gloopy glue (like UHU), spreading it over the whole area, and apply some crushed lump coal scatter on top. This is delicate, as you don't want any glue seeping inside, or down the tender side!

Very nice!

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.