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Date: 10/27/24 23:30
Feel the Noize
Author: funnelfan

I recently purchased a couple of these reefer car sound units from Rapido. They are affordable at less than $20 each and come with the speaker in enclosure, sound unit and a magnetic activation switch. Also included is a magnetic wand that is not shown.
 I've bought several of these Athearn Genesis 57' FGE Mechanical Reefers over the years, and this one was still in the box awaiting to be placed into service. This scheme represents the 1990's rebuild of these cars. This was a good choice for this project, as even the non sound versions had the trucks with the electrical pickup plates. All I had to do was take some thin black wires from old 1.5v bulbs and solder them to the tabs in the bolster. But first things first, replaced the plastic couplers with Kadees and paint the wheel faces. That is a easy task with a paint pen.
 The roof easily comes off making installation a breeze. After feeding the wires into the body of the car and reinstalling the trucks, I pondered how to mount the boards for a time. Next I needed to solder the truck wires to the board making sure to keep the wire from each rail together as to not to cause a short. I used some foam mounting tape over the Athearn speaker mount to hold the Rapido speaker that is much larger. To mount the sound unit board, I drilled and tapped the Athearn mounting peg for a 2-56 screw, and also had to drill out the mounting hole in the Rapido board to pass through a 2-56 screw as it was a bit small. I mounted the board upside down because there is a small volume adjustment screw on the back of the board that I wanted to leave exposed. The board is supported by a capacitor that will keep the metal bits from touching the car weight. Finally I used the foam mounting tape to mount the mag switch at the top of the door on one side.This sound unit is designed to fit the 1950's built ATSF Reefers Rapido released last year, so they have the sounds of a Trane refrigeration unit from that era. The unit sounds like it has a rough start and the sound phases in tone as compressor bogs a little. Not quite what you would hear on a 1990's car, so I will likely trade it into a older car sooner or later. But the goal here was really to test the sound unit.
 I would like to find a way to have the car's sound unit automatically turn on as soon as it is fed track power like my other sound equipped reefer cars. My fear is that the car will reset any time it encounters more than the briefest of power interruptions and require the wand to turn it on again. It's a problem I'm having with the lights on my Tangent cabooses. I'm also considering wiring one of my home made keep alive circuits to the backside of the electrical bridge on the board to make sure the sound stays on.
 Overall I'm impressed with the sound unit and should soon be installing the other one into one my older SPFE reefers.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR








Date: 10/27/24 23:32
Re: Feel the Noize
Author: funnelfan

4. I now have three of these sound equipped FGE reefers, each with a different sound system. The FGE car has a first run Athearn sound unit. The BN yellow car has a Tsunami Sound Car with a current keeper that will have the sound going for almost a minute after track power is lost. And now my BNFE 90's car with the Rapido sound unit.

5. BNFE reefer with Rapido sound unit that has sounds of a Trane refrigeration unit of the 50's, 60's era. Will swap this unit into a older car at some point.

6. The Tsunami in the middle car starts first followed immediately by the Athearn in the FGE car. Then I turn on the Rapido unit with the wand.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/24 23:41 by funnelfan.

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Date: 10/29/24 18:16
Re: Feel the Noize
Author: atsf121

Cool project

Posted from iPhone



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