It is a Proto 2000 0-6-0 with oil bunker.
I was able to squeeze a speaker in the slope back MDC 0-6-0 tender. The floor is metal and I was able to drill four ¼” holes in the floor for the sound to escape. I also have a Vanderbilt 0-6-0 tender that was easier to install the speaker.I had to go with a thin speaker for the slope back but a large 1” square speaker fit in the Vandy. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
rrebellIt is a Proto 2000 0-6-0 with oil bunker.
OK, engine done. Got enough sound from shell, just aimed the speaker enclosure up in the removable oil bunker separate peice. Funny there was not enough sound with speaker and enclosure out in the open but once in shell all was fine. Thought I needed holes but think maybe the separate peice has enough open seams for it. Could always drill out the loading hole and leave it open like someone didn't bother to close it, do beleave they were hinged. Coments and feedback please
Yes, replacing the shell makes a noticable change in the sound. Usually better, sometimes not.
I did two L-L 0-8-0s and used speakers facing up.
L-L_0-8-0b by Edmund, on Flickr
The whole bedplate is a slug of pot metal. Plus the decoder fills that whole space so downward-firing isn't an option without a lot of extra work.
Mine are coal fired so I did drill dozens of small holes, maybe #60 or so. You can't really notice it in the coal pile.
I recall with the WOWsound decoder and ESU cube speaker I had to really dial the volume levels way down. Great sound, though
Regards, Ed
I went with digitrax decoder made for it and soundbug. Eventually I will have to download a better sound program but will do for now.
I have had good results in a couple of locomotives by gluing the speaker enclosure directly to the roof of the shell with no extra holes. The speaker diaphram (or rather, the side of the enclosure closest to the diaphram) should be pointing towards the shell. The shell itself seems to transmit the sound quite well when the speaker is firmly attached to it.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I pointed the diaphragm towards the top and just sat it there, you say making a permanent bond will transmit more sound?
You don't have to glue it. I used Gorilla mounting tape to secure the Loksound 5 and two boiler speakers in my brass 2-6-6-2 Mallet:
The mounting tape is a clear, 0.04" thick silicone with an adhesive backing on both sides and holds VERY well. It can also be carefully peeled up in one piece if you want to move your speaker to another location. The silicone should also help deaden any exterior vibration of the speaker baffle that would cause the tender shell to vibrate undesirably.
FWIW...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Well mounting a speaker may or may not give you more volume but it will sure keep it from flopping around. I do quite a few sound installs. When I used an old style speaker (a cone mounted in a frame) holes seamed to help. But with the newer sugar cube speakers mounted into a closed enclosure I find no improvement with holes. But I do mount the enclosure to inside of the shell or floor with a good cement.
rrebellI pointed the diaphragm towards the top and just sat it there, you say making a permanent bond will transmit more sound?
First question is: Are you using a speaker enclosure? Without an enclosure the speakers won't sound nearly as good and in some cases will only produce a buzz.
I have had success with both mounting the enclosure to the shell or just mounting it inside on the chassis. I have never done a comparison test of which way works better. Both sound good.
The last locomotive that I glued the enclosure to the roof of the cab was an HO scale Thomas the Tank Engine by Bachmann. The sound is very clear. The locomotive was intended primarily to be used to entertain kids at train shows, and it can be heard quite well over the din of background noise.
As I mentioned in other threads, Streamlined Backshop has some specially designed curved speakers that tuck up under the hood of steam locos and some diesels. In some, such as Alco diesels, it doesn't even really protrude below the cab windows. Pretty neat. Larry Puckett, The DCC Guy, has a video of squeezing a sound decoder and this speaker into an Atlas S2.
When I get around to upgrading my PCM T1s from Loks 3.5 to v5, I'm going to try to get one speaker up in the loco itself so the sound at least appears to come from the correct area.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
It is a soundbug in the tender and it is not loose. Comes with speaker already in enclosure.
rrebellIt is a soundbug in the tender and it is not loose. Comes with speaker already in enclosure.
Hi rrebell,
Okay, that answers a lot of questions. Thanks.
Let me ask you how your current setup sounds to you? Is it tinny or buzzy or is the volume too low? If you answer 'yes' to any of those questions then you might need to rethink the whole setup. If it sounds fine then then there might be little to gain by changing the installation. In other words, are you satisfied with the sound or not?
If you are not satisfied then perhaps gluing the speaker to the shell might work. I don't think that doing that involves too many risks. The sound is unlikely to get worse. If you are still not satisfied with the sound then the next step would be to upgrade the decoder to something like a Loksound or a TCS decoder. That will cost money.
That brings us back to the question of whether or not spending the extra money is worth it. If your current sound output is disappointing then spending the money will solve your problem. You have to really mess up a Loksound installation to make it sound bad.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
I did that about ten years ago with a Bachmann oil tender. I looked in the Bachmann site at the diagram page for their oil tenders. Used an oval speaker and bafle. It worked quite well.
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.