What are your opinions on them? Worth the money? Are the sounds random or based on movement?
I believe this are scale size cars. Did they make any tradition size sound cars?
MERRY CHRISTMAS 
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Sounds are random, to me it sounds like cars being shuffled around the yard. I was kinda disappointed as I was hoping for the clicky-clack of the diners. Would I pass on it? NO, It's still a fun car.
I like the sound effects...they catch me by surprise and represent metal under stress, and are based on motion. Lionel should have had the squealing flange to rail sounds come on at slower speeds however, as they come that effect doesn't activate until 35 scale MPH on the DCS remote, or around 87 increments on Legacy remote - and that is a fast freight on my RR.
They did come under hard press with the critics here. Some even sent theirs back. I believe people expected a similar sound version of the VL sound cars, however these were unique.
For an extra 20 bucks I thought they add another dimension to your long string of freight cars. Well worth it in my book.
On a previous thread someone talked to Lionel and they said they were going to do possibly a fix for the unhappy people who did not get the clickety clack sounds of the wheels on their cars... but I never heard when or what the result was...
Joe,
They were discussed ad nauseam when they first arrived. Some liked them, some didn't. Some loved them, some hated them (maybe hate is too harsh a word). Some compared them to the VL Sound Reefers and expected the same and were significantly disappointed. Some sent them back. And still others, like myself, really dig them. IMHO they are pretty cool and can be adjusted to the point where I am really happy with the frequency and type of sounds them make. Then again, I'm a post war guy at heart with a new found interest in the world of modern toy trains.
Like everything else in the hobby, and life for that matter, you can't please everyone all of the time.
Mike
So how do the VL Sound Reefers work? My understanding is that you get the freight sounds automatically with additional sound features activated with TMCC or Legacy. Correct? I like them better because they were closer to traditional size but really don't need a three car set.
I have the scale PS-1 car and I like it. One car is pleanty for the size of our layouts. There is a switch to minimize the sounds or turn them off all together and a volume control. The vision line cars are nice and you get some extra sounds via the remote but for the price of these new PS-1 I can't complain. These are plug and play no programing involved and work fine in a traditional or command environment.
Chris,
How about size wise? Do they look okay with traditional cars?
Joe, they're scale cars. So try any scale car next to your traditional ones and see how you like it. 
After watching the video I am happy I sent mine back. I wanted flange squeal at slow speeds. All I heard in the video was an occasional bang. If I wanted banging, I could hit a pipe with a hammer, LOL.
J Daddy posted:On a previous thread someone talked to Lionel and they said they were going to do possibly a fix for the unhappy people who did not get the clickety clack sounds of the wheels on their cars... but I never heard when or what the result was...
There is a software update available for customers who want more frequent clickety-clack. Contact lionel customer service.
The PS1 sound boxcars do play wheel-flange scraping sounds at various speeds, including slow. There is an element of random chance, but motion start, stop and acceleration/deceleration are more sonically active.
Sound example here: http://www.lionel.com/products...sound-boxcar-6-83533
Railsounds posted:J Daddy posted:On a previous thread someone talked to Lionel and they said they were going to do possibly a fix for the unhappy people who did not get the clickety clack sounds of the wheels on their cars... but I never heard when or what the result was...
There is a software update available for customers who want more frequent clickety-clack. Contact lionel customer service.
How does one install such an update?
gunrunnerjohn posted:Railsounds posted:J Daddy posted:On a previous thread someone talked to Lionel and they said they were going to do possibly a fix for the unhappy people who did not get the clickety clack sounds of the wheels on their cars... but I never heard when or what the result was...
There is a software update available for customers who want more frequent clickety-clack. Contact lionel customer service.
How does one install such an update?
I called Lionel and got a RMA number and sent them the boards to be updated.
Kinda' what I figured, thanks.
Let me see if I am reading and understanding. You must remove the boards and send them back to Lionel for an upgrade? Am I correct? And then hope for an occasional flange squeal at less than 35 mph? But if you don't need clicketty clack or squeal and just want banging once in a while, you're OK? Really?
Man, I must have too many trains.
.
NJCJOE posted:Chris,
How about size wise? Do they look okay with traditional cars?
I took the shell off of mine and put a scale Polar RR rounded roof box car on it. "I think I sent you the video" I have it between 2 gondolas and it looks fine. Just don't put it next to a piece of rolling stock that looks obvious.
One car doesn't really do it... you need at least 2, but even more (+VL cars) than that makes the effect even better. Several of them running random sounds makes it sound like it should (its the same reason the VL cars should be a 3 pack of noise cars (even if only 1 was a legacy addressable one).
I found them worth the money, but I also got 2 and I have a pack of VL reefers and the cow car that moos. I hope they make a few more runs, maybe even with some other car body styles to keep this going....
I am curious to hear the cars with the updated sound file. Has anyone posted video of the updated cars yet? I wonder if it is worth send the card to NC. Thanks to whoever posts the updated video.
I love mine, got one of each, and once I got the volume to the same level as I run my VL reefers, I am happy.
I'd also like to hear the updated sounds vs the as shipped sounds. I might send half back to get a variety of sounds. Unless Lionel uses the new sounds going forward, then I'll just buy the next new cars the sounds are added to.
T4TT posted:I am curious to hear the cars with the updated sound file. Has anyone posted video of the updated cars yet? I wonder if it is worth send the card to NC. Thanks to whoever posts the updated video.
Me too. I may just purchase another and send it to Lionel for updating.
I like mine, though I have to adjust the volume. They look okay next to traditional sized cars (really wish Lionel would just standardize on one size).
I'd be curious to know whether its worth it to send back, because as much as I like the banging, I'd love more squeal and clickity-clack.
Until someone gets the updated one back, it's hard to say what the new audio will sound like.
NJCJOE posted:Chris,
How about size wise? Do they look okay with traditional cars?
These are scale PS-1 boxcars, which are pretty large compared to traditional cars, especially in height department, and are noticeably wider. They're going to look pretty big next to a traditional boxcar or other cars. Some folks won't mind, of course.
