I recently picked up a Lionel 8466 Amtrak at a train show and I have been wanting to install Railsounds, but I know very little about Railsounds or Lionel electronics in general. I’d like to keep the Conventional control, and thought about using the sound files from the Postwar celebration series 2328 Burlington GP7. So basically what I’m asking is what board should I use and how do I install it? I’m not very experienced with electronics so I thought it would be a fun project to learn a thing or two. Thanks
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The easiest way would probably be to get 3rd Rail/ERR's RailSounds Commander kit with the F3/F7 sound files. The instructions are here.
The boards for the 6-18892 GP7 are no longer available on Lionel parts, so Matt's idea is the only game in town.
I picked up a railsounds unit from Ebay for $90 and installed in in my southern crescent tender as the sound of steam board was bad. Took me awhile since it was my first time doing it but wildly happy with the results.
Knowing how to solder and having a hot glue gun helped the process greatly.
It was a REALLY tight fit in the tender but I got it to work.
The instructions were clear and I eventually turned the sound down via a knob on the board as it was so loud it shook the tender.
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If you do get ERR's Railsounds (RS) Commander, I recommend GRJ's YLB, which eliminates the need for a 9V battery and the potential damage that a leaky battery can do.
And, while you've got the locomotive shell off, you might as well add a TVS diode to protect the RS board, and LEDs to replace the incandenscent bulbs. :-)
Also note, you can skip the battery all together with railsounds. It provides power while changing directions so sounds dont drop and gives you an extra few seconds of shut down sounds when powering down.
Doesn’t the Amtrak F3 #8466 have a Pullmor motor? How well will one of these sound upgrades work with the noise a Pullmor motor makes?
I'm interested in this too, the Amtrak #8466 does have a Pullmor motor and I have one.