QSI's sounds aren't very good anyway in my opinion. They all seem kind of muddled and dull, and there's not a whole lot of variety between engine types (granted, the GG1 is an obvious exception to that, but I still don't like the way it sounds). Although they've introduced a downloadable capability to their latest systems, so you can replace the sounds with a different set, the actual sound sets are still proprietary and uneditable.

I'm not that interested in LokSound at this point because although the Digitrax decoders have a long way to go in terms of add-on sounds becoming available, my belief is that they'll be more flexible for sound programming in the long run, and they make it cheaper to add sound to a whole fleet. They also work with ordinary 8-ohm speakers, so you don't have to worry about finding a 100-ohm type that fits and will work with LokSound.

The P01235 recording I have was made by a friend who owns at least one of those horns, so I can't just send it to you, but there may be something usable on his website. He also has in-cab audio from an E60MA late in its life, and that will serve as a guide for when I start assembling my sound set. But I don't expect to get around to that for many months yet...I still have to do F40PH and P40/P42 sound sets, essentially from the ground up, to simulate the way those engines sound depending on whether they're supplying HEP or not.

I plan on eventually coming up with E60 sound effects that would be downloadable to a Digitrax SoundFX decoder. I have the horn sounds already, but getting the decoder to properly simulate the way electric traction motors whine as speed increases may require some complicated computer programming.

With regards to AEM-7s, I haven't proven this yet (because my AEM-7s aren't at the forefront of my roster) but I took some measurements and believe that it will be possible to fit a Digitrax SDH104-series sound decoder in place of the original light board, with a 14x24mm mini oval speaker from Tony's Train Exchange where there is space at one end. Alternatively, the same might be possible using one of the new DH165 decoders with an SFX004 sound board added onto it.

Quote from: the Bach-man on July 30, 2007, 11:24:13 PM
Dear Sean,
The loco is a Standard Line model, and there is no second tool to move the number boards. The artwork was done from photos.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

In that case, Mr. Bach-man, I'll just have to take your word for it - and hope that the Amtrak striping and lettering are indeed represented properly. I still have my doubts about the announced #974 in Phase III, as I've never seen a photo of this unit in that paint scheme, and even if it did exist, it's anything but typical. Maybe that is just a typo like you said and should actually read Phase II - but it would be nice to know for sure what was intended, instead of all this guessing.

Like I said, my advice and prototype information are here, but hey, I can't force you to make sure your models are as accurate as they can be...just because it's Standard Line doesn't mean it can't be prototypically correct.

Well, they could do a correct model if the roadnumber were #975 for the Phase III version:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=30532&nseq=1

This is the only 900-series E60 (whether E60CH or E60CP) that I've ever seen photos of in Phase III paint - a slide was sold on eBay a few months back showing the opposite end with the pantographs more clearly. Note that one pan has been replaced with the red Brecknell-Willis design that has since become standard for Amtrak, so presumably this unit was a test bed for that style. By the way, the 975 was an E60CH, one of 19 built with head-end power instead of the steam generators that the first 7 E60CP units (i.e. 950-956) carried.

I also want to point out that for several years, the 1983/1984-rebuilt E60MAs wore Phase III with their headlights and numberboards still in their original position on the nose. It wasn't until roughly 1987-1989 that these were relocated due to water leaking in through the rubber gaskets, getting dangerously close to the electronics behind the control stands! If you search the RailPictures site, you'll find a number of photos showing E60MAs with nose numberboards in the mid-1980s.

Personally, I'd prefer to get an RTR model with high numberboards, in Phase III paint and numbered in the 600 series. If doing the relocated numberboards isn't practical, I'd just be content to see a correct model, period, such as the 975 in Phase III paint or a 600-series unit in Phase III with low numberboards.

By the way, if Phase III is in fact being done, I have data that describes the exact dimenions of the red/white/blue stripes and the lettering. I'd be interested in sharing this, as I'd hate to see a repeat of the oversized-lettering fiasco like on the Amfleet cars.

QuoteI'd imagine they're going to re-use the E-33 chassis for the E-60. Apart from the trucks and the battery box, very little would need to be changed. I certainly hope that's what they're going to do, because the E-33 runs great!

The E-33's frame is shorter than on the E60, so that doesn't exactly leave much to be shared between the two units. The design of the chassis might be similar, which would be perfectly fine by me.