|
|
Post by kpack on Aug 30, 2021 6:15:42 GMT -8
Does anyone know what air compressor the ET44's use? I'm getting conflicting data about whether or not they retain the classic "whoop" compressor (Westinghouse?) of other GE's. Some sources say they have a new compressor that doesn't making the whooping sound (Knorr), but some say that certain railroads kept the old compressor as an option.
I'm trying to make sure I have the correct sound files for my ET44. Any help would be appreciated.
-Kevin
|
|
|
|
Post by jonklein611 on Aug 30, 2021 6:44:51 GMT -8
Dove through the ESU files, none of them list a changeable compressor, so I'm assuming they are all the same, some show a changeable air dryer sound but that's different.
|
|
|
|
Post by nsc39d8 on Aug 30, 2021 9:04:25 GMT -8
Kevin,
Best I remember the ET44 has a new compressor that does not have the "Whoop" like the Dash 9's did. I leave Sunday going rail fanning with Tony. Sissons, so I will try my best to video one of the ET44's with the compressor running. Will be in the Pittsburgh area for awhile and maybe head to Altoona at some point. I will try to get a BNSF unit if I can but pretty sure I will get a NS unit.
|
|
|
|
Post by kpack on Aug 30, 2021 11:29:33 GMT -8
I would be surprised if something like a compressor would be specified by individual roads. My guess is that the compressor on the ET44 is much like the horn....everyone gets the same. I haven't been around ET44's enough to hear the compressor go off, which is why I ask. Right now it seems like the ET44 compressor does not have the "whoop".
-Kevin
|
|
|
|
Post by bnsf971 on Aug 30, 2021 15:17:00 GMT -8
The older compressor suffered from reliability problems, so it would make sense if they put something better on the new ones. I'll look around, and see if I can find any of my personal videos or others that have the compressor running.
|
|
|
|
Post by bnsf971 on Aug 30, 2021 15:24:26 GMT -8
I got lazy, and did a search on Youtube. I found this one, which I can plainly hear the compressor starting and stopping. No "whooping".
|
|
|
|
Post by kpack on Aug 30, 2021 20:25:52 GMT -8
Thanks for the video. I had seen that one before, and for sure the compressor is not the "whoop" type. But that's a ES44, not an ET44. Could it be that the ET44's use the same compressor as the ES series?
-Kevin
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2021 9:54:34 GMT -8
I have not been up close to a real unit.
I have both ScaleTrains ES44C4 units and ET44C4 (Tier 4) units.
I contacted ScaleTrains, and they stated the sound files in these models are the latest and best that they can get and that the two units sound different in real life.
The Tier 4 units are more environmentally efficient. They do not really have the pronounced GE 4-cycle engine idle of earlier GE models and just in general sound "smoother" to my hearing. The "whoop" appears to be long gone.
The Tier 3 units, at least from ScaleTrains, and in the case of the ES44C4 (one of their most recently designed models) do have a much more pronounced GE 4-cycle engine idle, and not just when they begin moving but through at least half of the speed steps.
Hope this helps.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2021 22:08:20 GMT -8
deleted
|
|
|
|
Post by kpack on Sept 9, 2021 10:51:09 GMT -8
I have not been up close to a real unit. I have both ScaleTrains ES44C4 units and ET44C4 (Tier 4) units. I contacted ScaleTrains, and they stated the sound files in these models are the latest and best that they can get and that the two units sound different in real life. The Tier 4 units are more environmentally efficient. They do not really have the pronounced GE 4-cycle engine idle of earlier GE models and just in general sound "smoother" to my hearing. The "whoop" appears to be long gone. The Tier 3 units, at least from ScaleTrains, and in the case of the ES44C4 (one of their most recently designed models) do have a much more pronounced GE 4-cycle engine idle, and not just when they begin moving but through at least half of the speed steps. Hope this helps. Thanks, yes that does help confirm what I was thinking. The ET44 and ES44 are completely different sounding beasts. The ES44 has what I might call the "GE Chug". Same with the Dash 9's. The ET's, however, are much quieter and don't have much of the chug at all. Engineers I've talked to say that you can't even hear the prime mover from the cab. Great to drive, but not exciting to railfan because of the lack of deep exhaust thumping. The sound file that Railpro just released for the Tier 4 units originally was going to be released with a "whoop" style compressor. However that was changed and now, thankfully, it has the correct compressor (with no whoop). Thanks everyone for your help! -Kevin |
|
