performance of the RMT "Beep"

I have a Rock island beep and its my favorite engine i own

i like it so much that I'm toying with the idea of buying more beeps and making them my main work horses

i think my hobby shop still has a bunch left

We can only hope RMT thru Emery Distributors will reissue the Beeps. I for one would like to see a Strasburg RR Beep.

I have used Beep chasses to power scratch built and kit built (American Standard Car Co., for example) gas electric models, and am currently lengthening the frame of one to power a McKeen car model, with what may be my last Beep, which had been planned to power a Walther's gas electric kit.

I enjoy my beeps, especially the OGR Beep that pulls my OGR  commemorative boxcars, from the era when OGR was into that.

can any one list a pic of the beep drive?

BEEP Drive?  It's just two small motors each driving a a single axle with a worm gear.

The newer BEEP version re. 2011+ production had a different circuit board that allowed a faster speed (up to 42mph) and also had molex plugs on each end that would mate with other so-equipped BEEPs and BEEFs to allow at least 6 metal wheel pickups + 2 traction tire equipped wheels.

NOTE: No matter how 'fast' you increase voltage with your power supply, BEEPs will only go so fast. Scale 25mph on original and 42mph on upgraded versions. Trying to 'push' too much voltage can damage the circuit board.

Hopefully, BEEPs will return some day. They are neat little locomotives that offer alot of kit-bash ability in addition to being great runners.

I upgraded one of mine with ERR boards and sound. Lot's of fun!

I upgraded one to TMCC as well.

Cruise Commander Lite Beta Test, Part Deux

I changed USAF ones into my Hanukkah Engine set.  They run great!

I also have 2 W&LE that I upgraded to TMCC.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

BEEP Drive?  It's just two small motors each driving a a single axle with a worm gear.

thank you

This seems like a good thread to ask this on...my BEEP has started running very jerkily, for want of a better word.  I'm cleaned the wheels and rollers, and suspect that I might need to lube the gears, but I have no idea how to access them!  Got the shell off, but I'm mystified as to how to go further.  Also, if there are any other things I should check I'd appreciate knowing it.  Thanks

Greg

Check for dirty track.

The pre-2011 RMT BEEPS are woefully slow.  Like watching paint dry.

For guys like me, who like to run two trains off of one transformer throttle at a time, this means that if you the BEEP on the track, you really can't put any normal loco on the same tracks, because you have to turn up the throttle to full blast to get the BEEP moving, and your other loco will fly off the tracks.

Mannyrock

@Mase Senior posted:

This seems like a good thread to ask this on...my BEEP has started running very jerkily, for want of a better word.  I'm cleaned the wheels and rollers, and suspect that I might need to lube the gears, but I have no idea how to access them!  Got the shell off, but I'm mystified as to how to go further.  Also, if there are any other things I should check I'd appreciate knowing it.  Thanks

Greg

If you want to lube the worm, take the bottom plate off and the gears are exposed.  The motors are solidly mounted to the frame, so it's easy to access the gears for lube.

gunrunnerjohn

Perfect...thanks.

Greg

@paigetrain posted:

I have a Rock island beep and its my favorite engine i own

i like it so much that I'm toying with the idea of buying more beeps and making them my main work horses

i think my hobby shop still has a bunch left

I got my first one this week, Im looking to get 1 or 2 more. Would be interested in know what hobby shop has them.

If anybody wants a detailed list of the post-2011 improved RMT Beeps, which run at a much more normal speed, then just e-mail me.   I also posted this list on this site last year, so you might be able to find it using the search function.

As mentioned last year, when RMT shut down, they dumped a large number of the older BEEPs from their inventory on the market.   So, lots of the NIB Beeps you saw advertised last year were the old, super slow, ones.  Of course, if you like super slow diesels, then that is another story.

Gunrunner, the improved BEEPS have a much more dense, crowded- circuit board, and one of the upright round cylinder objects on it actually gets "crunshed down" a bit when you put the shell on.    Is there any room on these board to add the sound function?  Or, is it just too crowded?

Thanks,

Mannyrock

Hi,

I have the Susquehanna Beep issued by a model train club some years ago.

Dick

Adding sound to a Beep is an interesting challenge. Like many forum members, I have a number of Beeps, all of which run well. One approach would be a trailing car containing the motor and sound electronics and a speaker with the Beep modified for external motor power. I have used this many times with small engines but never with a Beep. Placing everything inside a Beep would be a very interesting project.

@BOB WALKER posted:

Adding sound to a Beep is an interesting challenge.  Placing everything inside a Beep would be a very interesting project.

How about cruise, custom lighting and full sound?

https://ogrforum.com/...1#159237711902254781

GRJ, nice work. Where was the speaker mounted?

In the top of the cab.  The baffles on the side were to make somewhat of a "cab" for the engineer.  I drilled a bunch of holes in the frame for the sound.  It's not as loud as it could be, but for it's size, it does pretty well.

The board on the left is for all the lighting components and the latching relay controlled by the coupler outputs for an extra lighting control.

Here's the whole thread on the upgrade, hard to believe that was eight years ago!

Cruise Commander Lite Beta Test, Part Deux

I really like my little Beeps that I've had for several years.  I use them on my around the room ceiling tracks.  They're running on 0-27 track with 0-42 curves.  Being slow is great for me because there's no chance of them flying off the track at high speeds.  There is only powered engine on each track.  The second engine is a dummy that I made from extra shells.

My tracks are powered from an old American Flyer transformer running about 12 volts each.

@boomer0622 posted:

I really like my little Beeps that I've had for several years.  I use them on my around the room ceiling tracks.  They're running on 0-27 track with 0-42 curves.  Being slow is great for me because there's no chance of them flying off the track at high speeds.  There is only powered engine on each track.  The second engine is a dummy that I made from extra shells.

My tracks are powered from an old American Flyer transformer running about 12 volts each.

What frame did you use for the dummy engines? I have a couple extra shells too.

@BOB WALKER posted:

GRJ, nice work. Where was the speaker mounted?

I cut out the rear (long hood) cab windows to let the sound out. Worked well and you can't tell they are gone.

Bob

RSJB18,   I just used 1/4"  plywood and mounted a pair of old trucks,  I also cut a small block of wood to simulate fuel tanks.   To attach the shell to the plywood I used  small screws and inserted them through the fuel port on each side.

If you would like a picture of it, I can post one later this evening.

Doug

@boomer0622 posted:

RSJB18,   I just used 1/4"  plywood and mounted a pair of old trucks,  I also cut a small block of wood to simulate fuel tanks.   To attach the shell to the plywood I used  small screws and inserted them through the fuel port on each side.

If you would like a picture of it, I can post one later this evening.

Doug

No need. I thought maybe you used a caboose chassis. Very creative.

Thanks

Interesting speaker mountings in those command control installations in Beeps. I have found that with installations that include sound, the speaker and its placement was critical to the sound quality and output level. When I looked at the Beeps, it did not seem obvious where the speaker should be located. One thought I had was underneath the frame between the two trucks which is where a lot of speakers are positioned in larger diesels.

@BOB WALKER posted:

When I looked at the Beeps, it did not seem obvious where the speaker should be located. One thought I had was underneath the frame between the two trucks which is where a lot of speakers are positioned in larger diesels.

No doubt that the speaker mount may not be optimum for sound quality, but it's the only place it fit.  I did toy with a much smaller speaker, but I found that a larger one mounted in the roof had better sound, so that's where it ended up.

In any case, mounting the speaker between the wheels is a non-starter, that space was already spoken for by essential components!