Just kind of shooting the breeze here. Some members wanted to know what others put sound in, and others like to hear about Ebay dramas. I’m not bothered if you don’t want to read all of this or look at photos just of locos…everybody has’em.
I finally got around to conversions of some of the Ebay Cheapies that I like to bring up to snuff. Lots more to do.
EXAMPLE 1
This little set is still available from Bowser/Stewart, but at $185 w/o sound I prefer my $50 DCC ready Ebay set…even had LED headlight. Thought I would try something different as this is a drawbar connection, so I didn’t bother trying to fit even the Soundtraxx decoder in the A unit…just put it on top of a the enclosure for a pair of large oval speakers in the dummy B Unit. Making space here was easly. The connecting decoder wires are not too noticeable, and I will colour them all black later. The wires sit nicely in a groove under each shell, so are not getting pinched at all. Just had to run 5 wires as there is no backup light and the speaker wires stay in the B unit.
The sound with large ovals, is very very good.
The A unit kept shorting out on every switch however. Thought something was up with the pickups,so I wired the dummy unit trucks as well. Still no good. Finally, realized the A unit wheels must be out of whack…sure enough, they were all far to narrowly set. Runs fine now.
Never had a unit with side mounted LEDs. What is that all about?
See, I broke off a horn and lost it. That’ll cost me. I also have to add a road number now that I know which ones SSW used.
You’ve done well. So the NYC E-8 was a second ship? or the same one you fixed? I’m confused. Like the sound car, but is it permanent bond or you have plugs in it to connect?
No, the E8 shown is the busted up one. Love that Proweld!. Even the nose was smashed into three pieces, the clear windscreen was broken in two. Most of the spring loaded doors had pooped off and stairs were gone on both sides. I counted 17 loose pieces, but thankfully only the nose on the main shell, and it went back together like rebonding a teacup.
Only the Cotton Belt has permanent link between the sound car B unit, because in that case I also put the decoder in the B unit. All othes have mini connectors. that allow me to switch the sound cars with other locos having decoders but no room for speakers.
I also have a permanently linked 3 truck shay for which I put the decoder and speakers in a trailing ore car under a load of coal.
What kind of plugs are you using? I was going to use a similar sytem for a set of Baldwin Demo sharks to save on cost of decoders. A decoder in the A, speaker(s) in all four units, or however many I run that time
I truly believe that Ebay is the place for good deals. Looks like you made out very well. Every loco that I had to give the ole TLC care to has become one of my favorites. In your speaker installs, did you use a baffle/speaker box?
(the illustration shows the male pin already inserted in the female. You can see only the plastic base of the male shoved down and touching the plastic base of the female.)
It is rather difficult to get one’s fingers in to manipulate these. The latter 2-pin ones are easiest. I would like to get something along the lines of the little connectors that Bachmann and others use between steam loco and tender, but I have never found a supplier of these tiny ones…only ones which were much larger.
Thanks for the responses.
Yes, I have been diligent in lurking for good deals on Ebay…as I have posted on some other occasions before, I like to go for old stock still wrapped or new in the box, or lightly used. It takes some lurking, but I have 80+ locos I am well please with now.
Yes, I always use an enclosure unless the speaker is going in a tender. Often I have run into problems with clearances that I thought I had, and then had to cut down the enclosure or angle it up or
It is rather difficult to get one’s fingers in to manipulate these. The latter 2-pin ones are easiest. I would like to get something along the lines of the little connectors that Bachmann and others use between steam loco and tender, but I have never found a supplier of these tiny ones…only ones which were much larger.
Thanks for the responses.
Yes, I have been diligent in lurking for good deals on Ebay…as I have posted on some other occasions before, I like to go for old stock still wrapped or new in the box, or lightly used. It takes some lurking, but I have 80+ locos I am well please with now.
Yes, I always use an enclosure unless the speaker is going in a tender. Often I have run into problems with clearances that I thought I had, and then had to cut down the enclosure or angle it up or something. Lately I find that vacuum packing from kid’s toys etc. gives lots of easily cut flat clear plastic to use…that’s becaus
Hats off to you by thinking outside the box, but I have a question for you…
Why are you putting speakers in trailing units? With todays technology, there is plenty of room in any unit to include the decoder, capictor and speaker.
Yes, later models of locos that are DCC ready are more suitable for the full treatment. I have a few Katos with speaker spaces in the fuel tank area etc. And there are now tiny sound decoders, mini Tsunamis etc. that a person can even fit sound into a switcher. However, most of my Ebay specials are old to older models…thats why they are so cheap probably.
Also I only bother with sound conversions where the loco was so inexpensive to begin with. There is little incentive to spend so much time and money when some DCC w/sound are in the $100-$130 range. Not worth it.
Most of my sound conversions are in the loco. But the reason I began experimenting with sound cars is to see what the decoders will sound like given the biggest speakers possible in a car. I believe not even my best retail job or regular conversion sound as good as 4 large oval speakers in the floor of a reefer. The closest is my E9 w/ QSI and two large ovals, but even there, something is loose and vibrating when the whistle blows…I think it is the grill.
But that stuff was just experimenting for fun, I don’t build them anymore. I have used up the last of my sound decoder stock as I put a limit on how many I was going to buy.
Nice deal on the 4-4-0. I do see some good deals on steam power on Ebay once in a while. I got a great deal on a BLI N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 with DCC/Sound on the Bay for 100.
“Never had a unit with side mounted LEDs. What is that all about?”
Some FTs and other early units had side mounted number boards. A few railroads felt that having only nose mounted number boards could get missed during operations. I suppose this was because diesels were such a new piece of technology that it would confuse employees.
The Rio Grande also had some of these.
In most cases, this feature didn’t last long. Depending on the era you settle upon, they may be superflous.
Don’t want to butt in on this Q & A but here is my 2 cents re shipping.
Shipping has to enter into consideration of Ebay shopping. I haven’t any issue with it, however. My experience from here in British Columbia, is that I always request USPS Priority International shipping. It is about $20 for 2 lb. so most single auctions of locos go for that rate.
USPS Priority International also has tracking, automatic insurance up to about $80US for 2 lb. and will arrive all the way across the continent and through customs in 10 days or less. Regular air freight is not guaranteed to arrive under 6 weeks, usually takes 4 weeks, but I once had one arrive in a week also. It is really hit and miss, and insurance and tracking are extra…but the rate is only $9 or less for a loco.
BTW, best Ebay seller is Dan’s Trains who combined 4 locos for me for $23.
But here’s the thing. My nearest LHS is 120 km away. If they had some bargains for me it would still cost me $20 round trip in gasoline.
