KRM RRaddict: I posted the direct link to Jims Trains to buy the remote for the MRC Units. The Railsound 4.0 sound boards are much better than the MRC units but cost twice as 5X more. Try to make the baffles out of the old prescription pill bottle. Kevin, I am ordering the MRC unit now and will let you know how it works out. Thanks, Kev.
RRaddict: I posted the direct link to Jims Trains to buy the remote for the MRC Units. The Railsound 4.0 sound boards are much better than the MRC units but cost twice as 5X more. Try to make the baffles out of the old prescription pill bottle.
I posted the direct link to Jims Trains to buy the remote for the MRC Units. The Railsound 4.0 sound boards are much better than the MRC units but cost twice as 5X more. Try to make the baffles out of the old prescription pill bottle.
Kevin,
I am ordering the MRC unit now and will let you know how it works out.
Thanks,
Kev.
Kevin RRaddict,
Here are the pictures of the baffle I made, the LED and board install. As explained in my earlier post from today
Tks,
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Well I got the MRC boards one works fine but the Lionel 8111 is louder than the diesel sounds it produces like moozuki said, you can hear it at low speeds. The bell and horn sound fine but……... I have ordered the remote and according to the instructions you can adjust the volume on all sounds with that so we will see. I also built a speaker baffle out of a piece of PVC sink drainpipe. I just cut it to the length I could fit into the shell and used silicon to hold it to the speaker and engine frame. I also added a LED light to the engine to keep heat away from where I mounted the board. One of the boards works fine when you power it up the first time but then will not do anything but click the second time you try to use it. I sent an e-mail to MRC about it. I will let you know how it goes. Kev.
Well I got the MRC boards one works fine but the Lionel 8111 is louder than the diesel sounds it produces like moozuki said, you can hear it at low speeds. The bell and horn sound fine but……... I have ordered the remote and according to the instructions you can adjust the volume on all sounds with that so we will see. I also built a speaker baffle out of a piece of PVC sink drainpipe. I just cut it to the length I could fit into the shell and used silicon to hold it to the speaker and engine frame. I also added a LED light to the engine to keep heat away from where I mounted the board.
One of the boards works fine when you power it up the first time but then will not do anything but click the second time you try to use it. I sent an e-mail to MRC about it.
I will let you know how it goes.
KRM gunrunnerjohn: You mean you really can't put lipstick on a pig? I'm am shocked! Oh John you can put lipstick on a pig…………. But the pig is still under there and they put up a good fight. Rt you statements are spot on. only I know how broke I am.
gunrunnerjohn: You mean you really can't put lipstick on a pig? I'm am shocked!
You mean you really can't put lipstick on a pig? I'm am shocked!
Oh John you can put lipstick on a pig…………. But the pig is still under there and they put up a good fight. Rt you statements are spot on. only I know how broke I am.
Oh John you can put lipstick on a pig…………. But the pig is still under there and they put up a good fight.
Rt you statements are spot on. only I know how broke I am.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
RRaddict I posted the direct link to Jims Trains to buy the remote for the MRC Units. The Railsound 4.0 sound boards are much better than the MRC units but cost twice as 5X more. Try to make the baffles out of the old prescription pill bottle.
gunrunnerjohn You mean you really can't put lipstick on a pig? I'm am shocked!
Williams is okay but I personally don't like them as you have no control over the horn/whistle as it is preset for grade crossing and thats al you get out of it if you want to do your own horn sounds like a long horn or whistle forget it all you get is 2 long a short and a long
Now which is great if your willing to accept you can't change that. Thats why I prefer a conventional horn/whistle to Williams set up.
If you plan on keeping the engines I can see putting that type of money into the sound system but if your not sure well then maybe not or keep what you presently have so you can convert it back like i did I have a AP-1 that just had train sounds ( I don't believe you can still get that as railsound replaced it which is superior) but I just disconnected the signal sounds ( bell and horn only) and placed the train sound board right on top of the signal sound board with a piece of double stick foam ( about 1/8" thick ) between them. That way if I ever wanted to reconvert it back to signal sound I can and I even used the same speaker that was already in place.
in the end thou you know what you can afford to do and what you think is worth doing. its your call your trains and if someone else doesn't like them you can always show them where the door is, I set mine up to what I can afford and like what I have isn't the best but its good enough for me.
I sometimes wonder if I just got a couple of junker engines that the sound and electronics worked if I couldn't use that in an engine that was just conventional I see them listed engine won't run or runs in one direction only rest works fine or engine is jumpy but tries to go ( tells me gear problem) but has train-sounds or railsounds
RRaddict,
I am going to try a MRC unit. Most likely after Christmas as money starts to flow better.
As much as I would like to do Railsounds 4.0 I am hard pressed to spend $100.00 on two engines that I have a total investment in of $ 63.00 in. Don’t want to put too much perfume on a pig.
Can't stop working on the railroad!
The E.R.R. units I linked to are not the same as what John is talking about, they are full railsounds 4.0 and work great. I have 2 MRC units and can not hear either one when trains are in motion. My layout has 1/2 soundboard on top of OSD. My track is attached to the soundboard only which is free floating on the OSD. My trains run about as quiet as you can get on fastrack. The MRC units in my opinion just are not loud enough for o-scale, maybe for HO, but not O. I still recommend the Williams True Blast for horn/whistle and bell. If you want full sounds I would go with the E.R.R. railsounds commander - worth the money and then some.
If you can't figure out how to buy the remote from MRC, here's an eBay listing for it.
Search for eBay listing: 120707483888
That works with the MRC sound system I linked previously.
Moozuki
Hummmmmm??????
As John said............."I'm not that impressed with the Lionel whistle units for conventional, I have several in my junkbox, but I don't feel that inclined to use them. :)"
Now what????
I have new 027 Lionel track attached to 1/2" plywood. Goes back to my question on volume control.
Still thinking at the MRC.
Any comments or suggestions??????
P.S. you all have a great Thanksgiving.
I will check in on Friday
I got 2 of the MRC boards with the remote. Can't hear either one when running on hollow rails, the audio amp on the board just isn't strong enough to be louder than the noise the train makes moving on the track. I have tried different speakers as was suggested elsewhere. The problem is worst on fastrack.
If you want full sounds I would go here. If all you want is a horn and bell, go with the Williams true blast II.
Just my 3 1/2 cents worth
The remote is still available here http://www.jimsmodeltrains.com/-strse-761/MRC-1824-Remote-Transmitter/Detail.bok. You can extend the range of the remote by extending the length of the antenna on the sound board.
There used to be a remote control for that MRC unit, don't know if it's still available. It was really slick, you could configure the sounds using the remote. It was also cheap, like $12 as I recall.
Yep this thing has 8 different horns and 4 different mover sounds Alco, MP15,F units and I forget the last one. You get more for your money with the MRC than the TB II. If you can order more than one as it's a maximum of 10.00 shipping no matter how many you buy.
WOW Rob it just keeps getting better. that is a better deal. you guys are good shopers.
Looks like the MRC does more things than just Bell and Whistle so I may try one of them first.
$32.00 w/ free shipping HERE.
Rob
John,
I see that Trainz has the TruBlast set up for $34.00 that is not toooo bad. http://www.trainz.com/p-235415-williams-00245-digital-trueblast-ii-diesel-sound.aspx
There is also a U-Tube clip of one I listened to.
Kevin
Thanks for the info John and Kevin!!!
Looks like the right price to take a chance on and looking at the instruction sheet sounds like even me can hook it up. Think I will give it a try after payday.
Kevin, you say you have them installed. How do they sound? and is there a volume control?
If you go to MRC's website you will find a soundboard for 22.95 plus 10.00 shipping and handling. It's the best deal you will find and it is an easy install with only two wires to connect. I have them in all my old Williams and K-Line locomotives. Here is a direct link http://www.modelrec.com/search/product-view.asp?ID=8287
I retract that recommendation, they've really gone up in price since I bought them!
How about this MRC Unit, a bit more reasonable. MRC Sound Decoder for AC Item 0001815. For $22.98, it seems a pretty good deal.
gunrunnerjohn I've added the Williams TrueBlast II horns to several units. They have a very decent sounding whistle and bell. Note that this is just a whistle and bell, and they come in diesel and steam varieties. I'm not that impressed with the Lionel whistle units for conventional, I have several in my junkbox, but I don't feel that inclined to use them. :)
I've added the Williams TrueBlast II horns to several units. They have a very decent sounding whistle and bell.
Note that this is just a whistle and bell, and they come in diesel and steam varieties.
I'm not that impressed with the Lionel whistle units for conventional, I have several in my junkbox, but I don't feel that inclined to use them. :)
Thanks John!
I will check them out. I just want to spice this switcher up some, not send it into space. I also have a Lionel 8111 DT&I that could use some spice. Both nice runners.
Got any part numbers of TrueBlast II horns that you have used? Where to get them?
I have a sound activation button and a whistle button on my RW so i can run them.
kev.
Thanks Larry,
I looked at your link. Looks to be a good option.
As far as painless: I am not quite that impaired. If I wanted external I would just buy another RailSounds boxcar. By painless I ment the install to the engine.
Like I said, "Seems to have plenty of room under the shell." So I am looking at an in the shell system. I can do needed modifications if need be. E.g. drilling holes for sound and mounting boards.
I have looked at some of the lionel kits but would like to know if others sell these systems.
Dallee is pricey for a low end switcher application,
Any one else with other ideas???
The only way to do this "painlessly" is to install an external sound system with an external speaker. For a look at internal sound systems, check Dallee here: http://www.dallee.com/AC_Diesel.html The speaker is a custom installation, and you have to decide where and how to install it. The page has a link to the instructions, so you can see what is involved. I don't know if K-Line ever made that switcher with a sound system installed; if so, there may be a retrofit kit out there.
Larry
Hey guys,
Seeing that I am mostly all old school post-war I have a question.
I have this late 1980s K-line MP-15 switcher # 2215 with no bells or whistles so I thought it would be nice to add a sound system. Seems to have plentu of room under the shell.
Looking for suggestions for a first timer. Something that is painless to install.
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