ADDED A SPEAKER IN A LIONEL JLC CHALLENGER BOILER

Alex....HOLY COW!!!!  Your conversions and upgrades just keep getting better and better.  I've got this model and never thought about a speaker being able to fit in the boiler.  This is where the sound should really come from and so now the locomotive should sound more realistic!

 

Alan

Alex, you are amazing. 

 

Can't wait to see the video.

All I can say is wow!  Nice job!

Quite a project Alex. Sure hope that you can post a video of the sights and sounds before you deliver it to your customer.

 

Will we see you Sunday?

As always, awesome job Alex.

Alex;

Great job as usual!

I admire your tenacity; I would not have had the patience.

A couple of questions if I may:

I assume the two 8 ohm speakers are wired in series, and the single 16 ohm boiler speaker is wired in parallel with them, to result in an 8 ohm impedance?

The clear plastic baffle for the tender speaker; is it a standard Lionel part?

I have not seen one of that size. Do you have the PN handy by chance?

 

Thanks as always,

Rod

Hi Alan, Dave, BF166, Brian, Joe, and Rod, for the very kind words!!!!!!!!!

 

Rod, yes you're totally correct the speakers are wired just like you said.

As for the speaker enclosure it is a Lionel part, see the info below. You must use this bottom base plate with this enclosure

 

Alex, your work is awesome!

 

Alex, another well executed project.  I am also looking forward to seeing the video.  I'll bet is sounds great.

 

Thanks for posting the how to pictures.

 

Don

Alex . . . . 

The Navy just announced this new "Stealth" Destroyer which I would like to add to my bridge scene in O Scale with Six fat Boy speakers and a missile firing system. You could bash the old Lionel firing system and I could squeeze this in right next to the tugboat.

Can you have this done by the weekend? Thanks !

 

 

 

Alex,

If you finish the Destroyer early, I also want a machine to power the Bascule Bridge.

I came up with this simple design that you can knock out by . . . . um Saturday?

 

Great job Alex. I look forward to seeing you and getting you my stuff for you to work your magic.

 

Be careful with posting your innovative projects here Alex or Mike Reagan may swoop you up and relocate you to Concord NC!

Just amazing. You must have a few hours in that project!!

Looks great Alex, I'll bet that sounds as good as it looks!

Actually the magic happens in Santa Cruz CA, which is as good as anywhere to be swept away to

Alex,

 

You do amazing work! Thanks for posting for us. Will be watching for the video.

 

 

Yep, having done a similar complete electronic overhaul on an older Lionel Hudson I have great admiration for those with the patience and expertise to tackle these sorts of projects. As usual Alex you've done a bang up job here, and I'll add my shout outs to John and Marty for all the help they've given us!

Alex your innovative technical abilities continue to astound me.  I'm just thankful that you're here on the forum.  BTW is the rubber insulating gasket a section of inner tube?

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

I thank you all for the nice words

 

Wild Mary (AKA Nick ), yes that's exactly what it is. Inner tube from a bike tire.I have so many inner tubes left over from years ago, when I use too repair the tire's on my kids bikes. lol

 

 

Thanks again,

Alex

Remarkable work once again Alex! Terry

Like everything else you do Alex, it is a winner.  Some lucky guy has a very cool locomotive that runs and sounds great.  Well Done.

That's an awesome upgrade, tons of time and work on that thing, but you're slacking now... where's the video so we can hear and see it?? Huh where is it? huh? huh? huh?

I know you have so much free time in your life so what's taking so long? We want a video... we want a video!

WOW !!!!!

Good morning everyone,

 

Thank you for the kind words!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Gerry O'hara , it's great too hear from you. Where have you been !!!!!!!

 

Marty couldn't do this without the help from you and John

 

Pat hope too see you at Allentown

 

Doug your project on that GP35 was outstanding. The best word for it is WOW,

 

I might as well tell the truth the reason why there's no video yet, is because when I test ran it I didn't realize I left the tether between the engine and tender

to long. What had happened is it got caught on the point from a switch track, and ripped the tether in half. So needless to say I'm waiting for another one.

As soon as I install it I will post a video.

 

Thanks,

Alex

 

 

 

 

 

Can you explain changing it from 2 chuffs to 4?

WOW Alex, ripped the tether right in half!   I guess that's one vote for a wireless tether.

 

Chuck, the chuff on most of these locomotives are determined by a cam on one axle that actuates a microswitch, it yields two chuffs/rev of the drivers.  Alex previously had added to lobes on the cam using JB-Weld on another project, though he didn't mention how he did this one.  I've looked at the cam, but taking that all apart to add material looked like a PITA, so I've never done one that way.   That's why we call him the Smoke King.

 

OK Alex....I'm next.   I just picked up this engine and I'm not impressed with the sound and smoke at all.  We'll have to get together and you can do that magic you do so well!

Everyone is impressed with the workmanship but was the sound quality improved and was it worth the effort ??

I am the owner of the challenger and yes the sound quality IMO is much improved. You get a stereo effect with the speaker in the boiler. The four chuffs really improves the sound overall. 

 

I am am very happy with the results of the upgrade. Alex is the man!

Just discovered this thread.  Awesome, truly awesome, Alex!

 

 

Hi Harold,

 

Thanks very much for the nice comment!!!!

 

Alex