# AristoCraft Pacific Sound



## Larry Cooper (Jun 5, 2009)

I have not been able to find a post about this so, at the risk of being redundant, I am going to ask the question.

I have an older Aristo Pacific with the sound in the tender.

When I apply track voltage it makes the stationary chuffing sounds just fine.

However, it does not add the synchronized chuffing sounds with speed when it is moved.

I wonder if there is something wrong with the rotating thing on the tender truck.

Is the metal roller magnetized? Is there a way to make sure it is not slipping? If there a better way to attach it to the axle?

And lastly, what are the two magnetic sensor like things that are on wires coming out of the front of the tender floor?


----------



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Has this sound system been added? Or do you believe it is original?


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Larry, as I posted on Facebook, it is usually the Hall Effect transistor that gets bent and no longer provides the chuff. It is mounted over the magnet on the truck axle on the tender.

There's a bunch of info on George Schreyers "Tips" page(s) including the sound problems:
http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips2/pacific_tips.html


----------



## Larry Cooper (Jun 5, 2009)

I do not know if it is original or not.....no experience with making that determination.

I will see if I can open it up and see about the Hall Effect Transistor.

Thanks!


----------



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Can you post any images? I don't believe Aristo ever used Hall sensors. You may have a simple reed switch and magnet.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Treeman said:


> Can you post any images? I don't believe Aristo ever used Hall sensors. You may have a simple reed switch and magnet.


From George Schreyer's 'tips' on the original Pacific:
"The chuff trigger is a Hall effect device mounted above a tender axle. A doughnut shaped magnet rides on a rubber roller on the axle. The Hall effect device is mounted next to the magnet. If the chuff isn't working right, make sure that the rubber roller is clean and that the Hall effect device is *RIGHT NEXT* to the magnet. "
http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips2/pacific_tips.html

From the photos Larry posted on Facbook he has the newer model with the universal gearboxes. (My older loco had a little transistor floating on its wires just above the magnet.)










George had a lot to say about them too:
http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips10/new_pacific_tips.html


----------



## ereuter (Feb 7, 2017)

I just bought one of these that has never run. I put the tender on the track (without the engine) and moved it, and it started chuffing. The quality of the sound, particularly the bell, is comically terrible.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

> I put the tender on the track (without the engine) and moved it, and it started chuffing.


There must be a battery in it then?


----------



## ereuter (Feb 7, 2017)

Pete Thornton said:


> There must be a battery in it then?


No, sorry to be unclear. I put DC on the track. My point was just that it will chuff on its own if the axle sensor is working properly.


----------

