Sound in a Hornby RR 0-4-0 ?

[bigal10]

When my ‘Free Gift with BRM’ finally arrives, can anyone advise if it is possible to squeeze a decoder and a speaker inside this diminutive steam loco?

Mostly I favour Zimo decoders, so has any done this surgery, and which sound should I be looking for?

 

Regards,

 

Alan.

Edited May 25, 2018 by bigal10

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Would this be the Caledonian 0-4-0ST? If so the smokebox end is pretty empty. Saw off the metal upstand at the smoke box end of the main casting and you will have a 12x12x12mm void right under the chimney, with a little wiggle room around it, and there's about 30x15 and a minimum 2mm deep void above the motor and worm at the top of the saddle tank. (The walls of the moulding are quite thick and a little more wiggle room can be created by carving down if necessary.)

 

All easy to get at too on this item, as the body just unclips and lifts off, squeeze together the smokebox sides, hinge upwards. Then you can see the clips for the plastic chassis to release from the cast metal footplate, once the motor retaining spring is removed, Hardwire decoder installation for motor drive only takes about fifteen minutes thanks to this easy access.

[bigal10]

BRM were true to their word, and it arrived today, 2 days after the 1st magazine.

 

It is the Kelly and Son Paper Mill one in green, so I assume it’s basically the same as the Caledonian in blue?

 

I’m not that well up on ‘kettles’, more of a diesel person, so any suggestions as to the nearest sounds available?

 

Thanks to 34C for the advice re: hardwiring etc, it seems to concur with Hornby’s own blog on their website.

Odd to think of Hornby telling folks to snip off all the resistors etc, but that’s always my first job!

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Alan

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I just took a quick look at this specimen, and it is the very same mechanism. I suspect there may well be more room inside, as the smokebox is a lot larger than that o the Caley tank. All the best with it.

[RAF96]

I got TTS sound easily into a GWR pannier tank. The 28mm round speaker sits under the funnel facing up and the hard wired decoder went in the coal hole, so getting a micro-cube under the funnel of the 0-4-0 should be possible with the decoder over the angled motor as usual. Having said that finding room for lights in my 0-4-0 diesel was a struggle even with the boxy body.

Rob