information on a williams train

[bigdodgetrain]

Hello all, I am new to this forum and just recently found  this williams by bachmann southern pacific passenger train set.  it is an ABA with three passenger cars.
I would like some history as it came with no manual.  I would also like to find and observation car to go with this set.

[DominicMazoch]

There ere F's made for W in ABA in Daylight.  But a 3 car streamlined set?  Looks like what you got are 3 cars from an original combo of a 4 -car base, and 2-car add on.  That first car behind the F's looks like a diner or combo car from an add on set!

[phillyreading]

Are you 100% sure that it is a Williams by Bachmann and not a plain Williams set?
I have found some odd sets that were sold by independent Williams distributors in the past.

Lee F.

[bigdodgetrain]

I did not do enough research, found that williams  "was recently sold to Bachmann Industries in October 2007."  so it must be just a williams.

found this web site http://yorktrains.com/WilliamsTrains/locos/f7.htm
it says it is copy righted 2006, am going to send an email to them.

the box says williams F-7 diesel F7107S southern pacific w/true sounds.

so this train must be a 1971 to 2006

[Joe Satnik]

Dear BDT,

That is a nice looking set. 

I have an old Williams Contemporary Line catalog from winter 2003-2004.

Page 15 shows SP Daylight F7-122 A-A and matching Dummy B available.  There are differences though.

The picture show silver trucks, and the sound is "True Blast II" digital horn and bell.

The catalog suggests 60' Aluminum Luxury Liners to match.  (Model bodies 15" long.)

The main 4 car set includes Baggage, Coach, Vista Dome & Observation. 

The 2-car add-on set is a Combine and Diner. 

On page 28, it shows an SP Daylight passenger coach (as a paint/livery sample) with silver trucks, LL1023.

My guess is that "True Sounds" came before "True Blast II" sound. 

3rail knows more on the history/dates. 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik     

[phillyreading]

Can you open the shell of the B unit or unpower A unit diesel and see if it has a QSI Industries sound board inside it? If it has QSI on it inside, a printed label with black letters on a silver background, the label is about one inch by one & a half inches. The possibility is around the late 1980's to mid 1990's, sometime before the True Blast systems came out.

I have an F-7 ABA set with QSI sound board in it.
The thing that throws me off, is having less than four or five passenger cars with it for an older set. Unless somebody sold one or two passenger cars from the set.

Lee F.

[bigdodgetrain]

no markings on the sound board.  but it is loud.

had the wife do some research  (she's good with train research can't work the computer for much else) and the ABA is a williams with the sound in the B unit and the three cars are k-line so this set must have been broken up.  oh well.  I will keep looking for some more k-line pasangers cars then. or I will just have to have a mixed train.

[3rail]

Bigdodge,

Start the loco with the sound unit installed, but keep the voltage under 10 volts.  If after 10 seconds you get an announcement like "1648 departing... 1648 clear on track 2"  or "leaving time for....." This is our True Sounds Board.

Regards,

3rail

[bigdodgetrain]

does just that, so it must be a True Sounds Board.

thanks for everyones help.

[Joe Satnik]

3rail,

Can you give us a brief history of Williams sound offerings? 

e.g., catalog dates, # of different recordings (steam, diesel, electric, or variations in each catagory), optional/standard equipment, etc.

Any magazine articles on Williams sound?

Thanks.

Sincere

[phillyreading]

Bigdodge,

Start the loco with the sound unit installed, but keep the voltage under 10 volts.  If after 10 seconds you get an announcement like "1648 departing... 1648 clear on track 2"  or "leaving time for....." This is our True Sounds Board.

Regards,

3rail

I have an F unit ABA set that has that announcement, except it says departing on track 10, clear on track 10. Also inside it has the QSI label on the B unit's circuit board.
Is it a differant version because it uses track 10 compared to track 2?

Lee F.

[3rail]

Hi Joe,

That history could take me some time to research to give you dates, but here is a brief history.

Electronic Horn - 1st sound basic oscillating circuit that sounded like a buzzer.  You could adjust the pitch and frequency of the sound, but not the volume.

True Sounds - Installed as an option in Diesel and electric dummy units. Also available as separate sale kit. The board was large so it was difficult to fit inside most powered units.  The sound chip was discontinued without a direct replacement around 2001 or 2002.  A special version was also installed in a passenger car that has train station sounds (These were produced one year only) .

True Blast - single digital sound unit.  Horn for diesels, whistle for Steamers, and a bell version was installed in the first run of the NW-2 switcher.  Installed first in BL-2, FA-1, E-7, Scale Hudson, and NW-2. Replaced electronic horn as basic equipment and sold separately.

True Blast II - Digital Horn & Bell or Digital Whistle and Bell.  Replaced True Blast as basic equipment and sold separately.


FYI. QSI sound was never factory installed equipment this was a dealer installed option or available in units sold by QSI.

Regards,

3rail

[bigdodgetrain]

found some great condition southern pacific passenger cars at a train show in southern calif.  the shipping box says part number  m-107, however the individual boxes has no part number and only states williams electric trains "classic madison style passenger cars" "the crown edition line".

does anyone know what kind of replacement light bulbs are use inside? several are burned out and I want to replace them.

[Joe Satnik]

Dear BDT,

#53 lamp, (Radio Shack 272-1117)

Perhaps more than you (or anyone else) wants to know:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,13285.0.html

Also, I have designed a flicker reduction mod for Williams and WBB passenger cars.

E-mail me at joebarb"AT"wwt"DOT"net if you are interested. 

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[bigdodgetrain]

Thanks