Fitting sound to a Rebuilt MN Locomotive

[Southern Barbarian]

I am looking to fit DCC and sound using the HornbR7141TTS to a new rebuilt MN, apart from replacing the speaker due to space limitation in the loco. What is the best method? Do I have to remove the weight (1 screw but it still doesn't come out) or can the decoder and speaker fit down the side of the weight? I am reluctant to remove the weight as this could cause stability issues.

[Going Spare]

You describe the loco as "new". If that means released by Hornby in the last 3 years or so, there should be provision in the tender for both the decoder and speaker. (Loco's R3566 onwards.)

[96RAF]

If the socket is in the loco then swap the speaker for a small cube speaker and mount it on the chassis step ahead of the socket and stuff the decoder in the smoke box.

[ColinB]

From my experience (I have several of these), on some of the earlier ones they weren't even DCC ready so I had to add a socket. Of these some there was room to fit it as 96RAF suggests, but on others there was a big weight that took up most of the room. On these I moved everything to the tender by buying the Hornby 4 pin plug and socket, rewiring the loco and mounting the DCC socket in the tender. Of course on the very latest versions there is no issue as they are already wired for the sound being in the tender. The only thing I did notice with this model and several others, that with the speaker Hornby supply, it is a very tight squeeze so I normally use a small iphone speaker, which not only is supper thin but sounds much better that the Hornby one.

[Southern Barbarian]

Thanks guys, that's given me something to think about. Am looking at ;

R2466 "General Steam Navigation" 35011

R2528 "French Line" 35019

R2710 "Blue Star" 35010

The box says that they are all DCC Ready and the the 8Pin blank is in the Loco. Guess that I will have to look at each one individually.

Thanks for the idea of the small iphone speaker, have ordered some Roads and Rails who seem to be good on price.

[Bulleidboy]

These three loco's have the decoder inside the loco - not the tender.

[96RAF]

In my gash box I found half a cylindrical weight which I think may have been removed from my MN to make room for the decoder as the speaker I fitted (pictured above) sits in the place the decoder would normally occupy.