FAQ's

Is DCC sound easy to fit?

A lot of people are nervous about fitting sound to a model. In reality most people are probably capable, especially if you already have experience of fitting non sound decoders. Find fitting guides for the most popular locos here. We can also fit decoders for you, sound or non sound. Find all our services here.

Does the speaker come connected to the decoder?

The decoder comes with speaker wires which you can connect a speaker to, or for an extra £2.99 we can connect it for you. Most sound decoders have a tick box that you can tick whilst ordering if you want to pay the charge.

What's the best speaker for my model?

The best speaker will always vary depending on the model you want to fit sound to. See our guide on recommended speakers for popular models here.

What's better, an iPhone speaker or megabass?

Again, this varies depending on the model, some speakers offer a clearer sound, some have more bass or are louder. Find a guide here. We sell some mixed speaker bundles to help people looking to try a few different types here.

Can I use more than one speaker?

A lot of people choose to use two speakers, often to use different types with different sound characteristics. you need to be careful how you wire them to avoid damaging the sound decoder. Find a guide here.

Who makes the best sound files for DCC decoders?

This is very subjective, we work with around 10 different sound suppliers including the biggest names such as Legomanbiffo, Wheeltappers, Jamie Goodman and ESU. We've heard the best (and worst) of all their sound files, the reality is though that nothing we sell is bad, we wouldn't offer something if we wouldn't use it ourselves. To make it as easy to order a sound decoder as possible you can select 'recommended' or 'other' for the sound option and we will supply a sound which we know to be good, and popular. Find more info about the sounds we sell here.

Are your Legomanbiffo sound files the latest versions?

Yes, all the sound files we sell are the latest versions. If there are any updates to the sound file you will get them. Sound decoders are loaded to order, meaning the decoders haven't been sat on a shelf for months and you get the latest sound and the full 2 year warranty period.

Do I need a stay alive?

A stay alive will never do any harm, but we do think you could probably save a bit of money by not putting them in bigger locos, which typically have pickups across 4 or more axles. There's not as much chance of these stalling as smaller locos. They are very good for shunters etc, but check that you are going to have enough space. We can supply decoders with a stay alive already fitted or you can fit them yourself, this typically involves soldering directly to the decoder, to save having to do this find our services here.

Is it better to buy a model sound fitted or add the sound afterwards?

A lot of this is down to personal preference. If you like the sound that's already in a model then it can often work out cheaper to buy the factory fitted sound model, but if you start wanting to change the sounds (reblow) and change the speakers, you will probably find that you could have saved money by buying the sound you wanted and speakers from us in the first place. See videos of various sound fitted models on our Youtube channel to help you decide here.

Do you do weathering?

No, as a small business, we have had to stop our weathering service, it's too time consuming, it may return one day if circumstances change.

Do you buy models or take them in part exchange?

No, but we work closely with Greg at the 'Model Railway Emporium' find his details here.

Do you sell to other countries, and do you deduct the VAT?

We regularly sell to other countries, postage is between £10 and £15, the VAT is already deducted from prices displayed in your local currency, if you are viewing the website outside the UK.