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Hornby Peckett with DCC Sound

Hornby W4 Peckett with Sound, Stay-Alive and Lighting

Kit: MX648; SugarCube5 equivalent speaker; SACC16; 2x 220uF Tantalums; Springside metal lamps; T402 SMD LEDs

We are going to have to get a lot of items in a very small space with the little Hornby W4 Peckett, so take your time and check everything twice before you commit to an action.

The items we are going to install are a Zimo MX648 and cube speaker, We are going to fit directional lighting and firebox flicker so a stay alive will be a big help. To achieve this we will use the Zimo SACC16 stay-alive connection board (LifeLink would also work).

Example 1

First remove the couplings and two screws under the loco, then carefully lift off the body. Once the body is off, use a small knife to remove the coal load and set it to one side for now.

Example 1

Now we need to spend some time preparing the body and chassis to make space for all the items. Remove the blanking plate and socket leaving just the pickup wires in place. The speaker is going to sit where this socket was so remove the plastic hangers from the area to leave a nice clean space. This is a good time to make sure your speaker fits. The loco pretty much fills the body cavity so the speaker can't overhang the sides or the height of the motor block.

Example 1 Example 1

Example 1

We also need to cut off a section from the rear of the chassis block to allow for the decoder. Using a razor saw carefully cut off the back section as shown. Step back a couple of mm from the motor block as this houses the worm gear and we don't want to cut this by accident. If you prefer, you can take the time to remove the motor to ensure it is not damaged. After cutting use a dry brush to clean any dust or metal from the valve gear and wheels. It is good practise to clean as you move through each step of this installation. If you accidently cut off too much, use a small piece of plasticard to cover the gears.

Example 1 Example 1

Now we need to prepare the body. Drill out the chimney to allow our sound to escape the body. You will notice in the picture the screw shaft also needs to be milled out to allow for the speaker to sit in the body. then you need to drill a hole for the firebox light and a hole for access into the coal bunker.

Example 1 Example 1

Make two channels from the coal bunker hole to the end of the body. This will allow us to run the wires from the back, flush with the body floor so the chassis fits nicely, hiding all the wires. We will tidy this up later so for now just concentrate on making sure there is space for everything. Again clean up with a dry brush as all the modifications to the metal bodywork will make a mess.

Example 1 Example 1

Next is a good time to prepare the lights. This is done from removing the gem from the lamp and then drilling out space or a T0402 SMD LED. Once the LED is in the lamp use a clear resin or filler to make a lens. AGR/Alan Thompson can supply a packet of these pre-fitted if you require. While the glue is drying, add the wires to the SACC16 stay-alive board and add an extra Tantalum capacitor. You can then feed the wires through the hole you made in the bunker for both a lamp and the stay-alive.

Example 1

Now the wires are through, you can replace the coal load and secure it back into place. Before doing so though, use a knife to shave a small indent in the edge of the coal load to allow for the wires from the rear lamp to pass it freely. Don't glue the lamp in place yet as it is east to knock it off while working on the loco. Run the wires through the channels you made and then cover with a suitable filler. Here we used Citandel Greenstuff - this is easy to apply and once dry can be sanded and painted if you wish. This is very important to protect the wires for led and stay alive. if they got damaged in the future it would mean a lot of work to fix so it's best to take the time to do this bit.

Example 1 Example 1

The same process applies for the front of the loco, except that the front is easier... Simply work out where you want the lamps and wire them as per location - for example, on this one we have a red reversing light on the top of the smoke box, so the wires were made to come straight out the back of the lamp allowing them to be completely hidden. The white forward light was made to come out of the bottom of the lamp so it can be fitted to the floor of the loco.

You can add as many lights here as you desire, once these are in place and you're happy, glue them in their final positions (before gluing test with a battery to make sure they work and no wires have been damaged by accident).

Example 1 Example 1

Example 1

Finally add the orange firebox LED and secure in place with some black tape.

Example 1

Put the body to one side and allow plenty of time for the glue to dry on the lamps. Meanwhile we can go back the chassis. Start by adding a resistor board for the lights. This one has been made using some SMD board and T0402 Resistors. This is glued in place on top of the motor block.

The next step is to re assemble the loco and wire the decoder. The MX648 will stand up just in front of the motor.

We wired the speaker in place first and secured it into position with a small bit of blue tack behind the motor.

Example 1 Example 1

Connect the wires for the motor and the pickups. Keep the wires as short as you dare. There just isn't enough room in here for any excess. Then connect the common wire from the decoder to the resistor board and connect up the stay alive wires. Finally add the positive wire from each LED to the resistor board and the negative wires to the desired function.

A tip here is to sit the loco body upside down next to the chassis to help you keep all wires as short as possible. Be careful not to damage any of the fine details on the loco so use some foam to sit in on securely.

The body should then sit down onto the chassis and simply screw it back together. Don't force the body together as it may crush any loose wires. Take your time and ease it into position.

Finally add some crew and fire irons as you see fit.

Example 1 Example 1

Here is a link to a video of the finished locomotive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llvW5NPT2Gc

Photos and words courtesy of Alan Thompons, AGR

Disclaimer

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.

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