Model Railroading > lionel New Haven EP5

I want to install a sound system in this locomotive I would like some advice from my fellow model railroaders which would be the best system with regards to performance sound quality and ease of installation which system is best.

I know nothing of available sound systems...

But I remember the EP-5s as being
relatively quiet... cruising along..

They were exciting when starting...
They were built before the days of high current, solid-state rectifiers...
so, starting currents ( with decent trains) could be high.... to keep the earlier rectifier banks cool, large, noisy electric-motor, cooling fans would start very loudly and blow continuously until the trains got up
to speed..

It was especially loud on the platforms of Penn Station in NYC..
The blowers exhausted out the car body top, so with the low overhead in Penn, they were very loud— you couldn't shout over that noise..

So, the sound system for the model would be most accurate if it emulated the ‘blower noise’ at startup... probably the blowers would cut-off at about 22 to 27MPH...

After, the introduction of high current, solid state rectifiers, the blowers were not needed..

I’d doubt if any EP5s were up
Graded..

PRR’s E44s (4,400hp) were delivered with the
Earlier rectifiers, but were soon upgraded to the solid state rectifiers..

The original E44s had small, round portholes ( rear-end of the carbody,
waist high)... when operating,
there were orange neon lights behind each porthole..

The upgraded E44s eliminated the neon lights, and were up-rated to
5000 hp, for tonnage hauling capacity...,

The descendants of the earlier rectifier locos were today’s “A/C”
Traction motor locomotives...

Today’s diesel-electrics generate,
( crankshaft-RPM-frequency,
3-phase A/C current... it is immediately rectified to DC, but has
Peaks...

A variable-frequency inverter synthesizes the DC into variable
Frequency, 3-phase A/C current fed to the A/C traction motors...

The frequency of the applied current is controlled by the wheel speed of the loco...

The Traction motors operate on magnetic-induction between the field-coil windings of the 3-phase
motors and the copper bars of the rotating motor armatures...

The fixed motor, 3-phase, coils
induce a current flow in the armature bars —- that attracts the bars towards the strongest part of the field of the nearest coil...

If you control the ‘speed’ of the inducing current, just slightly ahead
Of the attracted copper bars... the bars never ‘catch-up’ to the “moving 3-phase field”...

On-board Computers, using true ground-speed (radar sensors) generate the variable frequency
A/C current that matches the exact rotative speed of the wheels...
But the inducing current
( frequency) is actually a few degrees ahead of the actual rotation of the wheel set...

There is no ‘wheel-slip’ control circuitry needed with A/C traction
Locos... it is impossible for the armatures to be induced to spin faster than the applied frequency, or
Track speed..

Nicola Tesla perfected the 3-phase
current transmission technology,
solid state rectifiers allow 3-phase generators to produce DC current that can be inverted to 3-phases of A/C current, and computers can control the variable frequency to
Match true ground speed —- the armatures are like the greyhounds chasing the motorized rabbit at dog tracks... the dogs chase the rabbit, but never can catch it..

The same with 3-phase A/C induction, traction motor powered
locomotives...

The engines that started the revolution were the EP5s of the
New Haven...

Now you know ... so you’ll have to
Lead the fight for generating the correct fan-noises, nice and loud, at start-up of your models..

The fans ran at one speed, cut on and off very quickly, —/ so it should be possible to simulate that in the programming noises...

That would be very realistic..
Keep me posted on you search and your progress..

W.

Not proofed, yet...

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