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Post by atsfan on Aug 10, 2012 18:53:10 GMT -8
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Post by roadkill on Aug 10, 2012 19:46:52 GMT -8
As I understand it the Intermountain car is a prototype used extensively by Pacific Fruit Express and the new Athearn car is a design used extensively by Fruit Growers Express... they seem to have had different ideas of what constituted an ideal reefer should be.
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Post by bdhicks on Aug 10, 2012 21:24:29 GMT -8
The most obvious difference to me is the roof.
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Post by buffalobill on Aug 11, 2012 6:16:48 GMT -8
The Intermountain car is a model of a Pacific Car and Foundry product built in the early 1970's. It is a plate B car, equipped with 70 ton trucks. The Intermountain version of the car is from a Pacific Fruit Express order. However Burlington Northern, Santa Fe, Milwaukee, BAR, and others all had similar PCF built cars. Each roads version having some differences from the PFE orders. Differences include Door width, refrigeration systems, underframe cushioning system, truck spacing, etc.
The new Athearn car is a Fruit Growers Express built car from the same time period, built in FGE's Alexandria VA shops. They were Plate C cars, equipped with 100 Ton trucks. It is slightly larger than the PC&F car, and has a higher load limit. The BN had some from the start, but most were leased by FGE member roads from FGE and wore the FGE yellow scheme initially. Then the FGMR scheme of the 1980's.
Interestingly most of the remaining PC&F and FGE cars have gravitated to the refrigerator car fleets of Union Pacific and BNSF, and many have been rebuilt with the modern truck style refrigeration systems.
Bill
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Aug 11, 2012 7:20:55 GMT -8
More white noise...a novelty.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Aug 11, 2012 8:59:44 GMT -8
More white noise...a novelty. I think these reefers make an unusually good use of sound. The protoypes operate at higher sound frequencies than locomotives, and that fits well with the teeny speakers we can use. And the car is a nice big box that will hold a larger speaker(s). And that will also provide better lower end reproduction. Add in that the sound from these units is much more subtle (quieter) than a locomotive. My point is that these reefers should/will sound more prototypical than our locomotives. Of course, if ya don't want sound, don't buy the sound ones. Seems kind of obvious. Ed |
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Post by riogrande on Aug 11, 2012 9:09:43 GMT -8
On the one hand it is nice that Athearn is offering sound, but when I showed this to my wife, who likes my train hobby and thinks most of the things are cool, this one definitely came off as daft. I played the sound bite and we were both shaking our heads.
I could use a few of these as FGE box cars made their way across the Rockies as did the SP and UP SPFE and UPFE cars made by Athearn and IMR. I haven't gotten any IMR cars yet but I do want to get some.
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Post by mlehman on Aug 11, 2012 9:49:41 GMT -8
Doesn't sound like a Thermoking or Carrrier nose-mount truck units I'm familiar with, so must be the sounds for the original gensets.
It may be white noise-ish, but it's also realistic, even though I'm not real familiar with RR units. In fact, to my ear it sounds like a rather well-worn unit, with the jangling sound that might be a loose clamp or vibrating tubing. Nothing major or worth a write-up, but if it came into the shop for some other reason or for scheduled maintenance, I'd look it over to see if something obvious could calm it down some.
Kind of gives it character. In fact, it would be really cool if the Tsunami had several options available, so you could have sounds from a factory fresh one, a still running, but somewhat worn one, or one that seems to be having a problem. The last would make a cool operating feature. Might need a reload or service, thus could be set-out for that to happen. Then once it's fixed, put it back in "Running, Good" mode. I wonder if they've thought of something like that, as it would be very easy to implement.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Aug 11, 2012 10:01:44 GMT -8
Doesn't sound like a Thermoking or Carrrier nose-mount truck units I'm familiar with, so must be the sounds for the original gensets. It may be white noise-ish, but it's also realistic, even though I'm not real familiar with RR units. In fact, to my ear it sounds like a rather well-worn unit, with the jangling sound that might be a loose clamp or vibrating tubing. Nothing major or worth a write-up, but if it came into the shop for some other reason or for scheduled maintenance, I'd look it over to see if something obvious could calm it down some. Kind of gives it character. In fact, it would be really cool if the Tsunami had several options available, so you could have sounds from a factory fresh one, a still running, but somewhat worn one, or one that seems to be having a problem. The last would make a cool operating feature. Might need a reload or service, thus could be set-out for that to happen. Then once it's fixed, put it back in "Running, Good" mode. I wonder if they've thought of something like that, as it would be very easy to implement. Athearn, take heed! This is a great idea. I don't want all my reefers sounding like they have the same loose part. Ed |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Aug 11, 2012 10:08:15 GMT -8
The Intermountain car is a model of a Pacific Car and Foundry product built in the early 1970's. Bill A picky snicky point, but GN got theirs in 11/69. Ed (who's very fond of that big round Rocky emblem)(and who also likes the BN logo) |
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Post by SantaFeJim on Aug 11, 2012 12:30:49 GMT -8
If you like it, that's great. As for me... I would have to put this item on the top of my do not need and do not want list.
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Post by tracktime on Aug 11, 2012 13:20:21 GMT -8
For those of us who have heard a long string of loaded reefers whir by behind 15,000+ hp on the head end and another 12,000+ hp midtrain, you'd understand!
Cheers,
Harry
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Post by valenciajim on Aug 11, 2012 13:26:58 GMT -8
I was thinking that the sound was a stupid idea, but now I am not so sure. Might have to look into this.
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Post by Judge Doom on Aug 12, 2012 9:53:38 GMT -8
Next, stock cars with real animal sounds. Choose from realistic cows mooing, chickens clucking, or pigs oinking.
Set a cut off on the layout near the "crew lounge" for maximum annoyance.
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Post by theengineshed on Aug 12, 2012 11:16:19 GMT -8
I can't see needing more than one sound equipped reefer per cut.
Someone did the cow sounds in large scale. There was a motion sensor installed, if you shunted hard, the cattle balked loudly...
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Post by mlehman on Aug 12, 2012 12:04:16 GMT -8
Next, stock cars with real animal sounds. Choose from realistic cows mooing, chickens clucking, or pigs oinking. Set a cut off on the layout near the "crew lounge" for maximum annoyance. BLI already did them, maybe 6 or 7 years ago? But a properly set up Tsunami would lets you do pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens.... Hmmm, maybe Blackstone could drop some stock car noises in their Rio Grande stock cars....? ;D |
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Post by buffalobill on Aug 12, 2012 14:57:45 GMT -8
Ed: I knew the GN's were delivered either very late in 1969 or early in 1970. Beside the Berwick 50' box order, some of the last cars delivered with the goat on them
Bill
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Post by valenciajim on Aug 12, 2012 19:56:02 GMT -8
BLI did the animal sounds, which I thought was hokey. Not sure what to make of the reefers with sound. I am considering getting one.
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Post by el3637 on Aug 17, 2012 9:24:59 GMT -8
My point is that these reefers should/will sound more prototypical than our locomotives. The irony of that fits right in with the notion that an HO scale F unit representing a 1500 hp locomotive will outpull an HO scale SD45 representing a 3600 hp unit, and the only reason being the F unit has more room for weight under the hood. Andy |
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