A LOOK AT THE NEW LIONEL UP GENERATOR CAR

That’s pretty cool Alex!  I might need one of those now! 

sounds really good..a nice addition!

Does it come with a shell or body?

I see 2 wires for power, 2 wires to the speaker, and 3 wires for the volume control all going to/out of a sound board.  Pretty simple design.

Jim

I’m no Union Pacific fan by any means, but these do look and sound cool, and add a different flavor to a train.

Very cool Alex!  Thanks for the video! 

Mikado 4501 posted:

I’m no Union Pacific fan by any means, but these do look and sound cool, and add a different flavor to a train.

Alex, thanks for sharing your video.

Mikado4501, i don't think there's anything UP-specific about the generator car, as the American Freedom Train has one also.  The sounds of the generator car remind me of the sounds from the "work-house" that Lionel makes for the Legacy Crane.  Except with the Legacy Crane, we have the ability to toggle the sounds in the work-house on/off with the CAB-2, is  which is a really nice feature.  Plus there's a variety of sounds/dialogs with the Crane work-house, depending on what's going on with the Crane.  Whereas with the generator cars, it appears the sound is just a basic, continuous generator sound (which can get monotonous).  And it can only be controlled manually by a switch and a volume pod underneath the car.  

I'll need to experiment with the generator car in my AFT train later this week, and see how the genrator sound level should be best set amidst the locomotive Railsounds and wonderful StationSounds Dining Car dialogs.  In the case of the AFT, I'm wondering if the generator car is intended for times when the exhibit cars are parked on a siding... in which case it would be nice to control the generator sounds remotely.  So in that sense, Lionel didn't think the generator cars out too well.    We'll see....

David

Is that the only sound it makes?

...might be interesting if they would add something like a bearing squeak and failure and perhaps some billowing smoke if not shut down similar to the 'Breakdown' B units of some years ago!

I long for the days when someone would get a new set of passenger cars and post pictures from the outside.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can someone tell me what was the purpose of the generator car???

Thanks

Doesn’t sound much like the trackside work shed to me.  More like the reefer from the BNSF Ice Cold Express set.

Those generator sounds seem to be identical to the lionel Legacy genset sounds. 

I bought the MTH Premier UP 5 car passenger set instead of the Lionel 4 car UP set with generator sound car.  Saved a lot of money$$$$   I not paying over $600 for a 4 car passenger set!  

@T1Titan_ZachF posted:

Those generator sounds seem to be identical to the lionel Legacy genset sounds. 

I thought exactly the same thing when I heard it

Hi Alex,  thanks for taking the time to post the video!  

Tanner111 posted:

@T1Titan_ZachF posted:

Those generator sounds seem to be identical to the lionel Legacy genset sounds. 

I thought exactly the same thing when I heard it

Well thank gosh I'm not alone! I wish o scale locomotives would have interchangeable horns and bells like their HO counter types do!

Apples55 posted:

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can someone tell me what was the purpose of the generator car???

Thanks

To power the passenger car electrical and cooling systems.

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

 So in that sense, Lionel didn't think the generator cars out too well.    We'll see....

I definitely thought about these. The thinking was that since all the car does is make the generator sounds, it would not be a good use of a TMCC ID to make it command control if that makes sense. You already have IDs for the engines and then another ID for the SS Diner. 99 IDs tend to go quick! So a simple volume pot was the solution. It's a very loud car at max volume. When you turn it down, it makes a nice addition to the train.

Hi Dave,

So can this simple board have an R4 board plugged into it to turn on/ off the sounds ?

J Daddy posted:

Hi Dave,

So can this simple board have an R4 board plugged into it to turn on/ off the sounds ?

No, it isn't a standard RailSounds board. It's only meant for this type of use.

"Does it come with a shell or body?"

Do you see the shell in the photo, right behind the car?

Dave Olson posted:

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

 So in that sense, Lionel didn't think the generator cars out too well.    We'll see....

I definitely thought about these. The thinking was that since all the car does is make the generator sounds, it would not be a good use of a TMCC ID to make it command control if that makes sense. You already have IDs for the engines and then another ID for the SS Diner. 99 IDs tend to go quick! So a simple volume pot was the solution. It's a very loud car at max volume. When you turn it down, it makes a nice addition to the train.

Hi Dave, thx for jumping in to explain.  I agree that a modest volume setting will be the trick to making this work for most folks.  Who'd ever think 99 ID's would have been a limitation 20+ years ago!  

Can't wait to check one of these out on the AFT, but I may need to wait an extra day or two now.  My AFT 4-pack is due to arrive tomorrow (Wednesday) -- and the weather folks are forecasting 8"-16" of heavy wet snow in our neck of the woods.   Sounds like a sloppy day for deliveries.

David

I assume that AFT generator car works the same way.  It would have been nice to pull into the station, turn on then off the generator sound for the display cars using the handheld, then pull out. Is there an ERR board that will do this?

CAPPilot posted:

I assume that AFT generator car works the same way.  It would have been nice to pull into the station, turn on then off the generator sound for the display cars using the handheld, then pull out. Is there an ERR board that will do this?

I guess you could theoretically use a mini-commander and hook the power outputs to the power inputs of the sound board. Then adjust the output to 18VAC. Basically a TMCC on/off switch. The volume would still be controlled only via the POT.

The board is the new Railsounds Lite board. It's in all of the newer ERR sound kits and I know for sure it's in the Legacy Chessie Steam Special. I've gotten this board in 2 different sound kits with different sounds. It's the same board in both of my kits, just programmed differently. 

Jayhawk500 posted:

The board is the new Railsounds Lite board. It's in all of the newer ERR sound kits and I know for sure it's in the Legacy Chessie Steam Special. I've gotten this board in 2 different sound kits with different sounds. It's the same board in both of my kits, just programmed differently. 

It's the RSM1 board. Not a RSL board. The code in it that plays the generator sounds doesn't allow for TMCC operation. It was created for use in the non-command sound cars that we're doing like the PS-1 and the 30k Gallon Tank cars.

Dave Olson posted:

I guess you could theoretically use a mini-commander ...

Dave,

Thank you.  I'll take a look at that.

Yes, a couple of loops around the layout and I am going to want to turn that off... or someone will be giving me the rolling pin...

Dave Olson posted:

Jayhawk500 posted:

The board is the new Railsounds Lite board. It's in all of the newer ERR sound kits and I know for sure it's in the Legacy Chessie Steam Special. I've gotten this board in 2 different sound kits with different sounds. It's the same board in both of my kits, just programmed differently. 

It's the RSM1 board. Not a RSL board. The code in it that plays the generator sounds doesn't allow for TMCC operation. It was created for use in the non-command sound cars that we're doing like the PS-1 and the 30k Gallon Tank cars.

I stand corrected. Thanks for clarifying.

J Daddy posted:

Yes, a couple of loops around the layout and I am going to want to turn that off... or someone will be giving me the rolling pin...

 

J Daddy, correct.  I think the message we're sending to Lionel is, "We like to have sounds on our layout, but we want to be able to CONTROL them to the fullest extent."  True, we can control the volume on this car... we just need to pick the car up off the track though to adjust the pod, which isn't the most ideal thing.  But if the sound adds to the train in a positive way, I'll just a modest volume level and leave it alone.  If it turns out to be too annoying, then it'll be a "quiet car" with a flick of the on/off switch. 

About 50% percent was the magic number, the sound is a good filler behind the locomotive and it did not drive anyone up the wall.

Apples55 posted:

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can someone tell me what was the purpose of the generator car???

Thanks

Back in the steam loco era, steam used for heat in the passenger cars, came from the boiler in the locomotive, after the evolution to diesel, a steam generator was needed, so it, and a more powerful HEP, plus walk in freezer, walk in refridgerator,  for commissary and small crew quarters with shower where all combined in this car. Theres a large fuel tank and several other tanks for fresh and gray water underneath.

Is the generator car the same length as the other 3 passenger cars?

 it is shorter.   I believe it’s 18” I think.   Here is a video of the train that I ran over the weekend.   The generator car is the first one in the consist.   This is every car Lionel has done in the new 21” inch runs in Union Pacific to date.   For comparison.   

Squirrelstrains posted:

Apples55 posted:

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can someone tell me what was the purpose of the generator car???

Thanks

Back in the steam loco era, steam used for heat in the passenger cars, came from the boiler in the locomotive, after the evolution to diesel, a steam generator was needed, so it, and a more powerful HEP, plus walk in freezer, walk in refridgerator,  for commissary and small crew quarters with shower where all combined in this car. Theres a large fuel tank and several other tanks for fresh and gray water underneath.

Thanks Squirrel