New Athearn Reefers With Sound

[cfritschle]

I always thought they cut the hole in the roof to make it easier to drop the reefer unit in, or replace it if it failed.

Carter

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I always thought they cut the hole in the roof to make it easier to drop the reefer unit in, or replace it if it failed.

Carter

You would be correct. If I remember correctly, they did not get GPS until several years after the Carrier units were installed.

[nkalanaga]

Mine started out as the BREX car.  As I model the early BN, it was right at home, but I agree on the sound.  I wouldn't want to listen to it for very long either.

The FGCX cars are the only ones I could use, and one of the prototype photos has a reweigh date of 1972, so I might get one.  Even if the Athearn model's number is a later car, I have decals for early FGE cars, and could renumber it.  I'm not going to spend the money for sound, though.  If I had the money for a sound car I'd buy two silent ones.

[bbussey]

I installed battery-powered sound in an MTL mechanical reefer decades ago, built from Radio Shack components. Yes, it was cool, but the novelty wears off. I ran the car a lot, but only turned the sound on during club exhibits at public shows.

[Denver Road Doug]

You would be correct. If I remember correctly, they did not get GPS until several years after the Carrier units were installed.

All those reason are possible.   I was going off research I did for an article back in the mid-2000's that said that the open top was for satellite communications.  It wasn't completely relevant to what I was writing about so I didn't include that or follow up on its accuracy, but I just always took that as the reason.   It likely just made sense on all those levels (airflow, ease of installation, access for maintenance, and satellite capabilities) and since the Carrier units were more "weather friendly" than the units they were replacing then it was the path of least resistance. (aka a "no brainer"  )

[lock4244]

Sound is so annoying 

[nkalanaga]

Unless one lives next to an industry that ships/receives mechanical reefers, most people have probably never noticed the sound from one.  In a moving train the other noises tend to attract ones attention, and they don't usually sit around in public places, unlike refrigerated trucks.  I would think that most people would find the noise distracting after a while.

[Denver Road Doug]

My takeaways from this: (especially after seeing the video of the sound from the HO version)
-If the sound is like the HO version, it doesn't cut it.  I'm not sure the volume control will allow it to be low enough to be appropriate, even assuming it did sound better.  I think a better path (if you did want to have a sound equipped reefer, which I'm still not 100% sure I really would) is to have a sound decoder that is programmable.   Then you could also use it to drive an EOT.  (and have more adjustment capability, and also have the "other" railroad sounds like the creaking and rail squeeking and brakes squeeling, etc.)
-I like the idea of having pickup-ready trucks, and I'm hoping they are available, or better yet that the non-sound units are still equipped with them.  If nothing else but for use with an EOT...saves a few steps.   And, if available separately, they could be useful for other freight cars.
-It's a newly tooled reefer!   Which is the biggest thing, IMHO.   Nice to have a compliment to the IMRC reefers.   Cold storage is big in my realm so I like having some nice freight cars for that purpose.  Especially excited about the BNFE's and hope they do the simple white scheme like they have done in HO.
-Athearn is "back in the game".   They went into coast mode after the Great Recession and it's nice to see them follow up on their promise for new tooling.    Great news.

[nkalanaga]

I'd like to have the IMRC reefers.  I started to replace my MDC cars with newer ones, then IMRC cancelled all of the ones I reserved.  The two cars I received looked nice, but out of place with the dozen or so MDC, so they're back in their boxes.

[Denver Road Doug]

Found this gem (in the n-scale category, no less) and thought y'all could have some fun with it, photoshop-wise.   
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Tyco-902-Box-Car-With-Chug-Chug-Sound-Baby-Ruth-/331372130241?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item4d27516fc1

[tom mann]

Found this gem (in the n-scale category, no less) and thought y'all could have some fun with it, photoshop-wise.   

I remember wanting this car as a kid!

[Denver Road Doug]

Went back for some research from my own stash.  This is one of the cold storage industries that will be a major industry on my layout.  Interesting to see the Solid Cold car, which I thought had almost completely disappeared from the scene by 2001 when this photo was taken.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

It's very difficult to read, but I *think* the number on the Solid Cold car is 12724.  If that's the case then it would fall in line with the Athearn cars.  Can anyone confirm this car as a match?  It seems to pass the eyeball test.

Looks like the third car is also "Athearn" and the middle car "Intermountain".

[Denver Road Doug]

And the plot thickens...

Meet SoundTraxx SoundCar.  Or, "why you might want to rethink your sound-equipped reefer order." http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/soundcar/soundcar.php

There's a review in the new Model Railroader.  It appears to solve most of the problems (sound quality probably; the ability to have different sounds...including ancillary "car sounds" like wheel screetch; likely infinite volume adjustment; additional decoder functions; et al) we've pondered here about the stock Athearn sound units. (which, weirdly, are SoundTraxx I believe.)   The premium at the MSRP level is somewhere around $8 if you buy a three pack...or $12.50 individually.*   The capabilities though, are night and day. 

Biggest thing for me is...they'll drive four lighting outputs.   So built in circuitry for an EOT, which to me seems like a no brainer.

*The real question is....does the non-sound Athearn car come with the the contact-equipped trucks?  In their PDF, it shows it under the standard features but we'll have to find out.  That will be key.   

Also, I don't believe the decoder price includes a speaker.   So, maybe the premium is too much for some.  I cannot imagine hearing the HO-version of these cars on YouTube and not wanting to spend an extra bit to get a better sound and then some...but who knows.

[bbussey]

The announcement states it uses minimal track power and the volume is adjustable with a potentiometer. Full specs in the PDF announcement.

http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/112814/10_N_57_Mech_Reefer_112814.pdf

[Denver Road Doug]

The announcement states it uses minimal track power and the volume is adjustable with a potentiometer. Full specs in the PDF announcement.

Yes, but I thought I recall from one of the YouTube videos that there is limited range on the pot, whereas you cannot get it quiet enough before it drops out altogether.   I will concede that I cannot recall the source of that information.

Regardless, that sound quality itself seems pretty lame.  I'm hoping they will have demos of these at the OKC show so I can hear them outside of a YouTube video.  (at least the HO version, and of course I'll ask if the N are the same, and the other questions I have)   Perhaps I'll have a different view then.

I have questions about SoundCar, too.  I'm wondering if it has the "randomizer" function of cycling the reefer units, etc.   Perhaps that info is in the MR review...I need to read it more in-depth.  I was actually scanning for some mention of N, and had to go to the web for that info.