Whaaaat??! I'm glad I pre-ordered!

Listening with headphones, I didn't get the overwhelming desire to smash things I got from the sound on hotbox cars.

A consist of a few, should add randomness Id think.

 

 I'm thinking the most hated effect in all model railroading, might need to be brought back now though.

I hear a hotbox, randomly, 2 -3 times a month on average.(less today than ever)

 

So here's three words. Random, chance, features.

 

Many loved the concept (I wouldn't sell mine), but I think the trigger time made it lose daily runner appeal to many.

 Maybe it would do better as a random chance sound only, skip the smoke & lights, tone it down and add a longer timed fade in and a fade out, or stopping to cycle, to get past it.

It would be the joke of the century if Lionel didn't warn us and it only worked once every 1 or 2 years each or even 10,000 cycles, or whatever

"Gee, What's that setting labeled oops about about? Oh well, better leave it on."

 

Thinking of my front yard again, How would you feel about a running heavy vs running light mode for cars? Empties are hollow sounding, full has more bass from weight.

 

I recently returned to model trains after a very long hiatus.

The most amazing thing to me in "toy trains" now is SOUND!!!

 

I don't have any of these cars yet but the concept does appeal to me.

 

I don't want to get locked into whatever box car Lionel is selling though. I want flange squeal, rattles and bangs from MY choice of road name box car. Preferably retrofitable into ANY old box car at all.

 

ERR, are you listening???

 

 

I would Love to see the hotbox return, but done right this time. This one suffered the same issues as the cattle car. Lionel can do this right this time with legacy. Used scale cars and have the hot box activated either on legacy command or at random.

I have the Santa Fe one and I like it, but it doesn't look right. Also, the sensor on the axle takes a couple seconds to realize the car is stopped, so the sounds keep going for that time. That annoys me a bit, but not a big problem.

https://ogrforum.com/t...imal-sounds-question

 

Check out the old ORG thread on the QSI cars. Fairly expensive at the time in the early days of sound.

 

This car I still have with lots of different sounds elephant, lion, cows and breaking glass; as the speed increased a pendulum would swing back and forth making contact and increasing the sounds to a more disturbed state with the animals.

 

I enjoyed having the breaking glass car and having guests do switching with a bit of speed, as the movement increased the sounds of falling and breaking glass increased!

 

Seems given the price of the early sounds cars these new ones by Lionel are well within the price range.

 

Being able to have some programing in TMCC/Legacy is interesting.

 

Originally MTH had cars with computers that talked with the engine. The Coors Silver Bullet train the DCS soft key would send a signal to the locomotive that also sent this to the following cars. It never really worked perfectly. MTH at the time said they would be having more cars with user activated features on the freight cars but they never seemed to do any more with the technology.

 

If Lionel can make it work well with Legacy and it seems to work OK at this point perhaps we could have some interesting new features coming.

The crew talk in the middle of a freight train like these box cars is a bit unrealistic, always think this should just be with the locomotives. But passenger train announcements mid train is appropriate when stopped at a station.

 

 

I was running my cars behind a new Legacy UP class H-7 2-8-8-2 last night with 35 reefers... I have to agree it gives the whole train 3-D sound.

It would be nice if you could purchase the sound modules...

I liked the hot box but the sound quit on mine. The smoke and flashing LED just doesn't "do it" alone.

Itt Products makes sound modules that will fit inside cars and can use several power choices.  However, you are limited to the list of sounds on their website and looping the same set per board.  I have a board for my campground with crickets, water and bull frogs.  $35.00.

 

FWIW

I put it in a scale C&O stock car and it makes a pretty nice car.

I have the cattle car and agree it was a let down.  It should have been a scale car.  The flange noises, creaking, air let off and other sounds of the reefer put the cattle car to shame...not even close.

Did you keep the chassis or did u di a wholesale electronics swap?