The Farish Class 158 is not DCC ready.
There is little room between the roof of the body and the top of the chassis so a recess will be needed for the decoder.
This will require a bit of metal removal to create the recess before a decoder can be fitted. This definitely kills the warranty.
I selected the
Zimo MX620 N from Bromsgrove models as it was narrower than the chassis and only needed about 3mm removed from the chassis.
The chassis is the old style split variety.
I usually mark the bogie retaining plates and the chassis with dots of white paint to make sure that they fitted in
the original positions.
These two pictures show the before and after the modifications to enable the fitting of the decoder.
This time I decided to use the chassis retaining screws to connect the red and black wires, so the paint was scraped away to
provide a sound contact.
The motor is isolated by removing metal until the motor brushes are clear of the chassis.
Metal is removed from the top of the chassis to a depth of about 3mm so that the decoder will fit between the bogie top plate and the
chassis retaining screws.
These last three pictures show how the decoder is seated on the the chassis and the relevant connections. It is well insulated from the chassis.
I find that insulating tape tends to lose it stickiness over time I have put a dab of silicone sealant
between the chassis and the tape and also between the tape and the decoder. This will ensure that the decoder will not move.
