INSTALLATION OF SOUND INTO YOUR LOCOMOTIVE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD IF YOU PLAN IT OUT PROPERLY. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH BEFORE STARTING.  THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO, AND FOLLOW EACH STEP CLOSELY.  IF YOU FEEL YOU DON’T WANT TO DO THE INSTALLATION YOURSELF, CONTACT YOU LOCAL HOBBY DEALER, HE CAN PROBABLY RECOMMEND A PROFESSIONAL TO PERFORM THE INSTALLATION FOR YOU.

FIRST, AND MOST IMPORTANT IS THE INSTALLATION OF THE SPEAKER.  WHATEVER SCALE THAT YOU ARE DOING, TRY TO USE THE LARGEST, HIGHEST QUALITY SPEAKER AVAILABLE, WHENEVER THERE IS ROOM FOR MORE THAN ONE SPEAKER, PUT IN AS MANY AS YOU CAN.  THE MORE SPEAKERS, THE MORE AIR THEY WILL MOVE, THE GREATER THE VOLUME AND THE HIGHER THE QUALITY OF THE SOUND. 

FIGURE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO USE ONLY ONE SPEAKER.  Sn3, S SCALE, On3 AND O SCALE GENERALLY HAVE A GOOD VARIETY OF SPEAKERS AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE ROOM IN THE TENDER.  WHEN INSTALLING IN SMALLER HO AND HOn3 LOCOMOTIVES, THE SPEAKER STARTS TO GET TIGHT.  AGAIN, CHOOSE THE LARGEST AND HIGHEST QUALITY SPEAKER AVAILABLE THAT WILL FIT INTO THE AREA PROVIDED FOR THE SPEAKER.  SOMETIMES IT IS NECESSARY TO TRIM DOWN A SPEAKER TO MAKE IT FIT.  WHEN DOING SO, TRY NOT TO CUT INTO THE CONE IF POSSIBLE.  IF THE ONLY WAY IS TO INSTALL A SPEAKER IS TO CUT THE CONE, DO THE BEST YOU CAN.  IF THERE JUST ISN’T ENOUGH ROOM FOR A SPEAKER IN THE LOCOMOTIVE, MANY PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THE SOUND IN A CAR (BOXCAR, STOCK CAR, BAGGAGE CAR, ETC.) AND PULLING IT RIGHT BEHIND THE LOCOMOTIVE.  THE CAM CAN STILL BE IN THE LOCOMOTIVE SO THAT THE CHUFF IS PERFECTLY SYNCHRONIZED.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO DO THIS TYPE ON INSTALLATION, CALL, WRITE OR E-MAIL US.

MANY NEWER LOCOMOTIVES COME FROM THE FACTORY WITH HOLES PREDRILLED FOR  A SPEAKER.  IF THIS IS TRUE WITH YOUR LOCOMOTIVE, TRIAL FIT YOUR CHOSEN SPEAKER OVER THE HOLES AND MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN’T INTERFERE WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE TENDER.  CAREFULLY CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR SPEAKER IS A (NO CLEARANCE) SPEAKER AS SHOWN IN (FIG. 1).  IF IT IS A NO CLEARANCE SPEAKER, BE SURE TO MAKE A RING TO MOUNT THE SPEAKER ON SO THAT THE CONE OF THE SPEAKER DOESN’T HIT THE TENDER FLOOR.  IF THE SPEAKER FITS, SIMPLY GLUE THE SPEAKER OVER THE HOLES WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF CLEAR SILICONE SEALANT, SUPER GLUE OR EPOXY ON THE COMPRESSION RING ONLY. MAKE SURE THE COMPRESSION RING OF THE SPEAKER IS COMPLETELY SEALED ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE TENDER FLOOR. 

IF THERE ARE NO HOLES IN THE TENDER FLOOR FOR THE SOUND, SIMPLY LOCATE THE SPEAKER IN A LOCATION WHERE THE TENDER SHELL FITS OVER IT WITHOUT INTERFERENCE.  DRAW THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THE SPEAKER ON THE TENDER FLOOR, AND DRILL HOLES TO LET THE SOUND OUT.  SEVERAL SMALL HOLES WORK AS WELL AS ONE LARGE HOLE.  THERE IS A LOT LESS CHANCE OF DAMAGE TO THE TENDER FLOOR BY DRILLING SMALLER HOLES.  ALSO, BE SURE TO DRILL ONLY WHERE THE CONE WILL BE, DON’T DRILL IN THE AREA OF THE COMPRESSION RING.  (SEE FIG. 2)

IN THE TENDER WE WILL BE ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS, THE G.M.E. NON-POLARIZED D.C.  BLOCKING CAPACITOR AND THE G.M.E. MINI R/F TRAP.  THE BASIC WIRING FOR THE TENDER IS SHOWN IN THE SCHEMATIC. (SEE FIG. 3)

CONNECT A WIRE TO THE TENDER FRAME AND HOOK THE OTHER END OF THE WIRE TO ONE SIDE OF THE SPEAKER. (EITHER SIDE IS OK)  WIRE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPEAKER TO ONE SIDE OF THE NON-POLARIZED CAPACITOR.  (EITHER SIDE IS OK)  CONNECT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAPACITOR TO ONE SIDE OF THE MINI R/F TRAP.  (EITHER SIDE IS OK)  THE OTHER SIDE OF THE R/F TRAP WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE FRAME OF THE LOCOMOTIVE. (SEE FIG 4.)  NOTICE IN THE SCHEMATIC IN FIG. 3, THAT ONE OF THE COMPONENTS ARE ON EACH SIDE OF THE SPEAKER?  IN FIG. 4, THEY ARE BOTH ON THE SAME SIDE.  WHY?  IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE AS LONG AS THEY ARE ALL IN THE CIRCUIT.  YOU MAY PUT THEM ANY WAY THAT YOU SEE FIT AND IN MANY CASES (ESPECIALLY WITH VERY SMALL LOCOMOTIVES) HOW THEY WILL PHYSICALLY FIT INTO THE SPACE PROVIDED. 

IF YOU INSTALL MORE THAN ONE SPEAKER, BE SURE THE SPEAKERS ARE WIRED TOGETHER IN PARALLEL, PLUS TO PLUS, MINUS TO MINUS. (SEE FIG. 5)  IF YOU ARE INSTALLING MORE THAN TWO SPEAKERS, BE SURE TO CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO WIRE THEM PROPERLY.

IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO INSTALL A CAM, WIPER AND CHUFF CAPACITOR IN THE LOCOMOTIVE.  (SEE FIG 4.)  INSTALL YOUR G.M.E. CAM PER INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED WITH THE CAM.  (ALSO AVAILABLE ON THIS WEB SITE)  AGAIN, DO A LITTLE PLANNING BEFORE YOU START.  IN MOST CASES, THE WIPER IS SOLDERED TO A PIECE OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) MATERIAL SECURED BY ONE OF THE SCREWS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LOCOMOTIVE FRAME.  BE SURE TO GRIND AWAY THE COPPER FOIL ON THE PCB SO THAT THE SCREW THAT WILL BE USED TO HOLD IT IN PLACE DOESN’T SHORT OUT TO THE FRAME. (SEE FIG. 6)  POSITION THE WIPER SO THAT IT CAN BE SOLDERED TO THE PCB MATERIAL, AND THE ROUND END CAN REST ON THE CAM.  CAUTION!  DO NOT LET THE WIPER REST ON THE CAM WHEN SOLDERING!!  THE HEAT CAN DAMAGE THE INSULATING MATERIAL ON THE CAM!!   ADJUST THE WIPER SO THERE IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE PUSHING ON THE CAM.  (JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE GOOD CONTACT—TOO MUCH WILL DAMAGE THE WIPER AND CAM.)  YOU MAY USE THE G.M.E. WIPER MOUNT INSTEAD OF THE PCB MATERIAL.  COMPLETE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON THIS WEB SITE.

NOW SOLDER ONE END OF THE G.M.E. MINI CHUFF CAPACITOR TO THE PCB MATERIAL.  (EITHER SIDE IS OK)  THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MINI CHUFF CAPACITOR IS CONNECTED TO THE TENDER CONNECTION.  (ON MOST LOCOMOTIVES IT IS THE DRAW BAR CONNECTION)  (SEE FIG 4.)

THE LAST WIRING STEP IS TO RUN A WIRE FROM THE LOOSE END OF THE R/F TRAP IN THE TENDER TO THE LOCOMOTIVE FRAME.  YOU CAN HARD WIRE IT, OR INSTALL A SMALL CONNECTOR SO THAT THE ENGINE AND TENDER MAY BE TAKEN APART. (SEE FIG 4.)  MAKE SURE ALL CONNECTIONS IN THE TENDER AND LOCOMOTIVE ARE NOT SHORTING OUT TO THE FRAME, AND YOU SHOULD BE READY TO TEST.

PUT THE UNIT BACK TOGETHER AND TEST RUN THE LOCOMOTIVE.  IF ALL SOUNDS ARE WORKING, THEN IT IS TIME TO “TUNE” THE TENDER.  IF ALL SOUNDS EXCEPT THE CHUFF ARE WORKING, YOU MAY NEED TO ADD AN R/F TRAP IN LINE WITH THE MOTOR.  (SEE_FIG_4.)

HERE IS HOW WE ARE GOING TO “TUNE” THE TENDER.  FIRST, RUN THE LOCOMOTIVE WITH THE TENDER SHELL REINSTALLED AND LISTEN TO THE SOUND.  NEXT, LINE THE TENDER SHELL ON THE INSIDE WITH SOFT ACOUSTIC FOAM ABOUT 1/8 INCH THICK.  REINSTALL THE TENDER SHELL AND RUN THE LOCOMOTIVE AGAIN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE QUALITY OF THE SOUND.  NOW COMPLETELY FILL ALL THE VOID SPACES INSIDE OF THE TENDER SHELL WITH THE FOAM, REINSTALL THE TENDER SHELL AND LISTEN TO THE SOUND QUALITY.  YOU SHOULD NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SOUND EACH TIME.  USE THE METHOD THAT PRODUCES THE SOUND OF YOUR PREFERENCE.  IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SOFT FOAM, COTTON BALLS WORK VERY WELL.  MOST LARGE TENDERS (S SCALE AND LARGER) GENERALLY SOUND BEST WITH THE TENDER COMPLETELY FILLED WITH FOAM OR COTTON.

WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS INSTALLATION AND ARE HAPPY WITH THE END RESULTS.  IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING SOUND INSTALLATIONS, YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO WRITE, CALL OR E-MAIL OUR COMPANY.  WE ALSO WELCOME ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE OUR PRODUCTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW PRODUCTS