Todays question. RailSounds box car

[KRM]

Seems I have a new question everyday.

I have this Santa Fe Box Car with Diesel Rail Sounds # 6-17202. It is not listed in the Standard catalog so I am not sure as to date built.

Anyway the thing is huge compared to scout size cars and even the newer cars like my B&O BoxCar with Steam Rail Sounds # 6-16639. Looks out of place with most cars I have.

The steam car has a volume knob on the bottom and has plenty of sound. I have to set it at about ½ volume.

This other car the Santa Fe BoxCar with Diesel Rail Sounds # 6-17202 has no volume knob, has its doors glued shut and you can hardly hear it.

Anybody know anything about this car and how to increase the volume?

Thanks in advance.

Kevin

[dougdagrump]

This is all I could find on it, http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/service-documents/index.cfm?type=supplement&doAction=search&product=6-17202&productNumber= .

If the drawing is accurate it sure doesn't seem like there are many holes in the chassis to allow the sound to exit. Plus as you say there apparently is no volume control. Have you tried pulling the shell to see if there is one on the inside?

[rtraincollector]

or if someone removed it. no it apears it didn't have one but I wonder if theres a way to increase the sound if you have tmcc like you do a regular engine in command mode? And if someone may just have the sound down as they wanted it low

[KRM]

I have already found the same instructions sheet and yes it seems there is no control. Not sure how to remove the cab because there are no screws on the ends.

 I am using a RW with a sound activation button 5906. The car looks as if it was never used when I got it. So I am kinda stumped at this point. It must be a first generation car or something?

Everything works, just too quiet and can't here it over the normal sound of the ALCO 218 or even a can motor Santa Fe GP-7 Diesel 8263.

Guess i will see if I can figure out how to get the cab off.

  Let me know if you guys have any other ideas.

 Thanks,

 Kevin

[Seayakbill]

I have a few of the RS boxcars including the B&O steam sounds that you mention.  All of mine have a volume screw underneath the floor. I use them with various conventional locos with both can motors and PW pulmor motors, no problem in adjusting the sound to hear above the growler noise from Pulmor motors. I activate the horn / whistle & bell sounds through the MTH DCS controller with no problems. I have 2 that are now considered traditional size ( 6464 size ), and 2 others that are closer to scale size. All of the ones that I have are early RS sound chips, probably RS2 or RS3. I have never taken the shell off the scale size boxcars but if I remember correctly isn't there tabs on each end that come up and over where the floor meets the end of the boxcar ?.

[KRM]

Bill,

You are correct. There are tabs. I took the shell off last night. I could not find anyplace to adjust he volume. There is only one hole in the bottom and it is directly below the speaker that is facing down to the bottom of the floor and it is ½" in dia. Looks to be the way it is. My B&O on the other hand with the volume knob has the speaker set in the center of a tube mounted inside the car. Much better design than the 6-17202 car. I won a TrainSounds diesel Alaska boxcar last night built in 2005 with the volume knob hope it will be better.

Kev

[gunrunnerjohn]

I sold one of these recently, it indeed didn't have a volume control, as hard as that is to believe.  You could put a better speaker in, one with a baffle, and increase the sound volume.  Drilling some holes and facing the speaker down through the floor will yield the best result.

[rtraincollector]

Kev if you need a speaker with a baffle let me know I have a brand new one sitting right here in front of me on a shelf.

Bill

[KRM]

Thanks Bill

 Got a picture of it so I can see if it will fit. Not much room in there.

 Tks,

 Kev.

[gunrunnerjohn]

The picture should include it sitting on a ruler so you have a scale to compare to.

[KRM]

John,

Your right it should.  Good idea.

 Kev.

[rtraincollector]

okay with the baffle tub its 1 1/2 wide on bottom now the top has a couple of flanges to put screws in I cut them off of one I used in the williams trainmaster and it fit perfectly this is acually from ERR but I didn't need it as my PA-1 already had a speaker in it. but counting them its like 2 1/16 wide

oh where its has like a square area from that to the rounded area across from it is like 1 5/8" wide. It should fit anyway as it built to be put in these items by Electric rail road

 

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I routinely lop off those mounting tabs as well, they just make the speaker bigger.

[KRM]

John,

Thanks for the pictures,

 

John,

Thanks for the pictures,

Humm,

As you can see this car is cheesy at best. Base is sagging and the way it is laid out not surprised. Not sure how to rearrange it to work with the other speaker. Bet it could be done.

Wish I had not given $73.00 for it. Makes it hard to chop up. It was listed for $98.00 and said make offer. I never thought they would take $73.00. Now I know what a fish on the line feels like after grabbing a lure. L No wonder the wife gets nervous when she sees me in front of E-bay. J

[KRM]

Sorry,

Thanks for the pictures, Bill,

 Guess I am loosing it tonight.

Kev.

[gunrunnerjohn]

You could fit a speaker at either end of the boards. Just drill some holes to let the sound out.  I'm pretty sure there is also a place to connect a volume control on those boards, though they're probably jumpered for full volume.  I think the real problem with the car is the open speaker and the cheapness of the speaker.  For maximum sound, you need a baffle behind the speaker.

 

Speaking of fish, where were you when I had mine listed on eBay, I only got $48 for it!

[sir james I]

Lionel did make some sound boards without volume controls. The idea from them was a few parents complained about the high volume(ya all they had to do was turn the knob)the volume can be increased with a jumper wire but silly me did not keep the instructions on how to do it.

[KRM]

 Good morning guys,

I think I would try to move the board lower and to one end because the car is top heave with it mounted up high like it is now it leans way over in the curves. Doing that would throw some of the weight over a truck, lower the center of gravity and maybe help with the center sag..

I think I will contact Bill to see about getting that speaker he has. What the heck only a tank of gas worth of money lost these days if I do screw it up. Besides I will stay home to work on it. See I convinced myself wonder if the same will work on mom ma.

Sir james,

No parents would complain about this unit being too loud but maybe that is why it is the way it is. The kids could only hear the trainsounds when the train is not moving. J

Oh yeah John,

As far as fishing,,,, I must have been down stream that day. J

[sir james I]

That's what I'm saying, Lionel cut the volume on those boards because of parent complaints.

[KRM]

 the volume can be increased with a jumper wire but silly me did not keep the instructions on how to do it.

sir james,

 When did they start making these cars? this one is from 1990. If it is one where they tunned it down then it would be nice to turn it up. Too bad we don't know how. But everyone seems to think it is the speaker design and when I look at this and look at the other with the speaker mounted  in a tube I tend to think a speaker change could help. What do you think?

Kev

[sir james I]

Not sure if it will help as the board has a fixed volume. Can't hurt to try.

[dougdagrump]

How about checking with the Lionel techs?

SJ, Were those instructions from Lionel or an aftermarket change?

[KRM]

At this point I am getting that other speaker from Bill and am going to do some experimenting with the car.

. I will keep you informed as to how it sorts out.

Thanks everybody!!

Kev.

[KRM]

Go Figure!!! I went down in the basement to see how I wanted to reconfigure the soundboard and guess what!! When I was looking at what wires I would need to make longer I found this button inside the car on the top connected to some other elect stuff. The botton has an X in it and I thought, Humm So I stuck my screwdriver in the slot and it moved. Hooked up the transformer and what do you know it is the volume knob…

See picture. It was almost all the way off. Plenty loud now.

So I guess at least we all know now. Been a fun post.

Thanks everyone.

Kev.