Installing True Blast II into American Flyer 4-8-4 Tender

[azflyer]

Adding Williams by Bachmann True Blast II Whistle & Bell to American Flyer 4-8-4

These are both American Flyer / Lionel #800 4-8-4 Northern' from 2006. The one steamer on the outside is all original with RailSound 5.0, less smoke with crew talk. The steamer on the inside, with the RailSound "fried" after about 6 months. Without being able to get replacement parts for the sound unit.
I went ahead and changed out the "squeaky smoke unit" to original American Flyer smoke unit, which gave it lot more smoke with cho-choo and no squeak. I also converted the front truck to knuckle coupler (the steamer on the inside) for double-heading the two 4-8-4 steamers. 

All I needed now was to add a little sound, and it wound sound better then new. I ran across this forum were this guy was installing a Williams - Bachmann sound into an American Flyer Box Car for very little cost. The Williams sound card and speaker is made for 0 scale. The speaker was large for the AF tender, but I already had a speaker in tender. You can see by the picture how much larger the O scale speaker is from the Flyer/Lionel speaker. The sound card fit just perfect between the tender body with the double sided mounting foam tape that was provided that I cut (see photo) into two pieces.

Side and top views of speakers on tender

Bachmann Sound Board # 00246 True Blast II Whistle & Bell (Steam)

Lionel Speaker # 003-01, 8 Ohm, 2 Watt, X75

 

I added a video so you see the difference between the two 4-8-4 steams.

The True Blast II bell I did not care for, but I did like the whistle.

Which do you like the Lionel RailSound 

or the Williams True Blast II Whistle better?

AZ-Flyer

You can go to my web site American Flyer Cabinet-top Layout to view more videos on restoration and installation projects at: http://az-flyer.blogspot.com/

watch?v=Zgjrr5rPXU4&feature=youtu.be

* Notice the difference in sound quality with tender body on,

than with it off!

[LittleTommy]

I prefer the True Blast with the Gilbert Piston style "choo-choo". (I even like the bell) It works reliably and is easy to replace if something goes wrong. I put a True Blast in a 951 baggage car (the trucks are already insulated, there is an opening in the floor for the speaker {light socket opening} and there are little holes in the floor that are just right for installing an on-off switch if I am running that car with an American Models Loco with sound). It is a quick and easy install. You are right about the tender shell. I played around with baffeling the speaker until I got the whistle and bell to sound just right. I put a Williams True Blast Diesel unit into a 364 B unit after that horn "died" and it is head and shoulders better than the original "Nathan Air Chime Horn" That is a VERY EASY installation. Little Tommy