Do I have to cut out the plate under the coal load? Is there another way to install a speaker in this tender?
Chris
It all depends on what you are installing. I installed the Soundtraxx drop-in decoder/speaker and it came with very detailed instructions on just what to do for this tender. They have you drill a number of holes in the plate under the coal load. Much bigger than the holes you drill through the coal load itself (seems to me there was an MR article on this exact install about a year or two ago). It’s a real easy one evening job. I have also heard of people turning the whole thing over and drilling the holes in the base of the tender. This would involve moving the weights somewhere else. I have another Spectrum 2-8-0 to do and thought I might try it this way to see what the sound difference was.
If you’re installing a separate speaker and decoder you might check with Litchfield Station or Tony’s on their install suggestions.
Someone here is going to shoot me for saying this- but…
I installed a sheer brilliance decoder- used a 32MM speaker from Tony’s. I cut the mounting stub off from the bottom of the coal load, drilled several small holes, then glued the speaker down with weather strip adhesive found in an auto-parts store. The adhesive has no noxious odors, is white with the consistency of pudding, it dries absolutely clear, and it doesn’t attack plastic.
The 32MM speaker fits just perfectly within the outline of the coal load, the the use of weather strip adhesive was also used to glue the coal load back into the tender.
The sound is so loud-
Now if I can get them pesky old stiff wires going from the loco to the tender to quit derailing the tender- even with the extra weight of that decoder, and speaker, the tender still leaves the rails.
I have the same problem, the stiff wires derail the tender on many curves on my layout. Any idea out there?
Chris
As for the wires I hauled out the extra length and added weight to the tender. Works well!
Fergie
Fergie, what do you mean by “hauled out” ?
Chris