K-Line Amtrak F40PH with New Sound & Circuitron Strobes

Other upgrades include new Railsounds (with turbo) and I moved the ditch lens lens to the inside of the body. Something that was an error from the factory.

thanks!

-Mario

Where did you get the turbo on the railsounds? Perhaps you used the sd40 sound board?

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Where did you get the turbo on the railsounds? Perhaps you used the sd40 sound board?

I actually used a GP30 sound file, as I had it on hand.  I would have liked to use one with the correct horn, but the Railsounds board I purchased didn't work well in this unit.  I used the SD40 sound board in the Atlas GP35 I upgraded a while back, and that turbo sound is fantastic!  I call the video below HEP mode.

@CharmCityAirLine; here's a good video of the strobes...

Thanks!

- Mario

@CentralFan1976 Hmmmmmm
Thank you for that idea!! I'm sourcing a shell to practice with as we speak

@CharmCityAirLine posted:

@CentralFan1976 Hmmmmmm
Thank you for that idea!! I'm sourcing a shell to practice with as we speak

Here’s the first test and the relative sizes.

thanks!

- Mario

Around 2007, I upgraded and modified an MTH F40PH for New Jersey Transit and added a Circuitron HO strobe circuit.  I connected it to the ditch lights.  For the strobe caps I used small translucent plumbing connectors.  It worked out really well.  The other modifications included fixing the pilot, adding Kadee couplers, removing the dynamic brake, and repainting for my hometown road.  My only disappointment is this is the older MTH model that has the short Blomberg truck block, but I am probably the only one who notices when I run it.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Around 2007, I upgraded and modified an MTH F40PH for New Jersey Transit and added a Circuitron HO strobe circuit.  I connected it to the ditch lights.  For the strobe caps I used small translucent plumbing connectors.  It worked out really well.  The other modifications included fixing the pilot, adding Kadee couplers, removing the dynamic brake, and repainting for my hometown road.  My only disappointment is this is the older MTH model that has the short Blomberg truck block, but I am probably the only one who notices when I run it.

That does look nice!

Powered off the ditch light circuit, you say?   …interesting.  Is the Protosound2 ditch light circuit 9VDC?

Thanks!

-Mario

@GG1 4877, Have you seen @David K. Simpson’s work he’s done with the small head 3D printed couplers that bring the cars really close together?

Thanks!

-Mario

Very nice!  Closest yet on strobes.  I am still waiting for someone to offer a strobe kit that duplicates the random strobe on both sides as the real ones operated.  They rarely flashed simultaniosly but rather very random, alternating.

@VistaDomeScott posted:

Very nice!  Closest yet on strobes.  I am still waiting for someone to offer a strobe kit that duplicates the random strobe on both sides as the real ones operated.  They rarely flashed simultaniosly but rather very random, alternating.

Hi Scott!

I like them as well, but could be a touch bluer, I may just put a drop of blue ink in alcohol and try to get it inside the press fit between the bulb and the housing.

As originally installed, the Amtrak strobes on the F40PH flashed together, as well as the AEM-7s.  Later installations and rebuilds of the AEM-7s went to strobes that would flash independently.  Some decoders, Like the Tsunami, have this option in their CVs, where you can have them strobe together or independently.  There have been a few discussions on Trainorders about this and here’s just one:

There’s several videos on YouTube that show the paired strobes.

thanks!

-Mario

@CentralFan1976 posted:

That does look nice!

Powered off the ditch light circuit, you say?   …interesting.  Is the Protosound2 ditch light circuit 9VDC?

Thanks!

-Mario

Mario,

It was so long ago, I honestly don't remember!  I have a second strobe kit somewhere I turned up a few months back, but it lost again in my various piles of parts.  As I recall I just took my voltage meter and found a good place to solder the light kit to.  Vaguely thinking that my kit wasn't a full 9V. 

@VistaDomeScott posted:

Very nice!  Closest yet on strobes.  I am still waiting for someone to offer a strobe kit that duplicates the random strobe on both sides as the real ones operated.  They rarely flashed simultaniosly but rather very random, alternating.

I recall NJT's flashing simultaneously, but that was long time ago.  I first saw the NJT F40PHs testing prior to service in the summer of 1982 and was largely away from the Jersey shore after summer of 1987 except for brief visits back.  My memory may be flawed on that, but it did stand out as the E8s and GP40Ps didn't have strobes so it was something new to me.

Mario,  great idea to add a hint of blue!  Please share the result if you try it.

Very interesting about the original display strobing at the same time.  Most of my Amtrak riding and viewing was in the 1990s.  Must have been reworked by then.  Many rides in the Capitol Limited dome car through the West Virginia and Pennsylvania night watching those strobes.

I may have to convert my MTH yellowish strobes to the kits you are using.

Excellent topic!  I like the F40PH strobes enough that I have a pair of the bulbs on my shelf!  Lol

Here's a video of some F40PHs with some decent strobe action!

Thanks,

- Mario

Mario.. love the video.  Here is one showing the random strobing. 

I am glad to have learned that the simultanious version is correct though!  My memory must have liked the rarer random version.. lol. Here is a link to a video of one like that.

https://youtu.be/rULAaVDH4vs

@VistaDomeScott posted:

Mario.. love the video.  Here is one showing the random strobing.

I am glad to have learned that the simultaneous version is correct though!  My memory must have liked the rarer random version.. lol. Here is a link to a video of one like that.

Very nice!

If I ever get ambitious, I want to change my Atlas AEM-7 over to Bluerail DCC with a Tsunami that has the random Amtrak strobes... Some day.

Thanks!

- Mario

Mario, I will be following any updates you have.   Inspires me to update my F40s

Scott