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sound chassis for Stewart/bowser FTs ?

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  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, June 11, 2011 3:39 PM

 I think the only way to get couplers ont eh back of the A unit is going to be using an old steam loco trick and cut off and drill the shank out and screw that to the coupler mount - even the special short couplers are too long and interfere with the gearbox on the truck. It won't uncouple automatically, but it would be way more convenient than the drawbar.

 I need to open mine up again, but I sort of think the screw ears ont he speaker enclosure were already clipped off on mine - parhaps that's why I had no problem, my shell just snapped right on with no modifications. I wonder if it's a QC issue with whomever they farm out the installations to. I doubt it's in-house, they farm out the weathered freight cars.

                       --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
Posted by BIG JERR on Saturday, June 11, 2011 1:05 PM

OK : alittle update on the sound chassis for the FTs

1.speaker up(the way it comes) seems to deliver nice sound stock BUT Tabb's on side & front or back of incloser need removing and some mild scraping of exaust/dyn brake cover @inside middle (it snaps in/out ) seems to do the trick

2.if using an A unit chassis the headlite led is going to need some creative positioning (with some tape or such)to line up

3. just a NOTE on A or B chassis 's the only difference is 1. the A chassis has headlite led & a slightly lounger coupler Mount than B chassis (it snaps in to the chassis frame bye the way) **********quick update ; the snap in coupler mount is slitley differant on the B unit in other ways ,but can be over come .

So I will use the A chassis in A shell if I want ,or use the A chassis in the B if I want (and I get a LED for use in something else ) bye just snapping out and exchanging coupler monts.....

I'm thinking of using my models license and stringing together an ABA FT consist OR a AA FT consist (thats why I ordered a A sound chassis ,could use in A or B) and a ABBA mite be abit large for my RR w/ no easy way to turn locos.....thats it ...Jerry       PS; I still need to figure a way to use couplers instead of drawbars for a ABA setup

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
Posted by BIG JERR on Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:01 AM

Ah mobilman ;thats the thread I remember .Wow glad you chimed in its the fly wheel I gota watch for . That mite be the reason the speaker is fireing up,(flywheel against the face of a speaker ,speakers toast)thanks again mobilman ...and randy thanks too.... youre input is always of great value to me ,but it isnt a matter of the sound level or quality ,it just seemed odd the speaker pointing up ,thanks again

Jerry

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 5,449 posts
Posted by mobilman44 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 6:37 AM

Hi,

I started a posting on this awhile back, and got lots of good input - so you may want to do a search for it.

Anyway, I picked up two of the B unit sound chassis (Tsunami) and with the help of the folks on this Forum, I was able to program them appropriately. 

They really didn't fit into the Stewart shells as they should.  The edges of the speaker enclosure needed to be trimmed back for a trouble free fit.

NOTE that if the enclosure is pushed too far back and down into the chassis, it will hit the flywheel and your loco ain't gonna move!   Once I had that figured out, it took a couple of fittings before I got it working properly.

I too was concerned that the speaker seemed to be smothered in the shell, but it turned out that it was certainly loud enough for me. 

 

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, June 10, 2011 11:35 PM

 I'll have to take the shell off and look, I don't remember. But I think it was pointing down, with the bottom of the enclosure up.

Either way, my main point in response was it's plenty loud, regardless of which way it faces Big Smile

I put an old SOundtraxx LC in a dummy Stewart F7, I put a piece of thick styrene in the shell lengthwise and have the speaker under that firing down. It's a big speaker, not sure where I got it, probably pulled it from a scrapped computer. I need to add some caulk to truly seal it, but even loose it's pretty loud - and I didn't drill any holes in the floor of the chassis.

             --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
Posted by BIG JERR on Friday, June 10, 2011 7:36 PM

thanks rich ;thats the way I would doit if I installed the system in these units ,futher I think its just a brainfart moment for an assembler I think Ill nip the two tabs off the incloser and fip it over ,1 minute job or less ...Jerry

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Friday, June 10, 2011 7:08 PM

I do not know how they differ but I have three Stewart VO-1000's and have a 16mm x 36mm speaker mounted one one end of the frame firing down over one truck. They sound just fine.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
Posted by BIG JERR on Friday, June 10, 2011 5:58 PM

thanks Randy ,but I think you missed my main ? is the speaker pointing up or down as Im sure the ft-B unit is sealed (my dummy b is),unless you left the windows out ?.... Jerry

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, June 10, 2011 2:59 PM

 I have a B unit one, it fit fine and is plenty loud. My B shell is from an AB set where the B was a dummy, my sound chassis is powered. It just assembled per the original instructions, I did nothing special. Per the instructions I added the appropriate roof detail options, and cut off the one set of steps. There's a list in the instructions as to which details are for which roadname.

 The decoder is a full Tsunami, not a customized version like Bachmann's, so just download the full decoder isntructions from the Soundtraxx site.

                          --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
sound chassis for Stewart/bowser FTs ?
Posted by BIG JERR on Friday, June 10, 2011 1:12 PM

you know I'm sure this has been ask but I just started to put a bowser FT sound chassis in an A unit and noticed

1.the speaker/incloser is pointing up but theres no opening or screens for sound to release from ,but if you turn the incloser over (doable with minor tab removal) sound would come out of rear truck opening ?

 

2. the two caps on the soundtraxx board appear to be a smidge hi but not sure (the a units roof detail is not installed yet) but again looks like some minor trimming on the plastic pcs on the CHASSIS would cure or flipping the sountrax board UPSIDE down may work (the board is just taped in place)

Any.... one have these issues with the sound chassis from bowser? ,there a good deal but instructions are lacking , and again  both issues looks to be very simple adjust/fixes ..Jerry

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