Who notice that the Acela bistro car 3309 has the speaker seen through window

Putting blinds closed on one window set while the rest of the car would be equally as odd looking, in my opinion.

Looks like you could turn it into a large round table. Drape a cloth over it and put some seated figures around it.

Somebody on another thread made tables out of pizza box lid spacers, might work here.

@Zigmont posted:

Who notice that the Acela bistro car 3309 has the speaker exposed (seen) with wires seen through the window on mine. Demo with Dave said on Facebook live cast, that the speaker in  EP prototype he demoed had the speaker exposed, but Dave said it would be covered. Major oversight as the one window has beautiful  interior with people at the next window a speaker. Defeats the purpose of looking in, Disappointing. Easy fits would of been  shades/blinds on the windows, but it should of been covered with decor and furnishings.  Also I found nothing in the manual on the couplers. They're new design and plastic. The Acela  is  Such a Beautiful set with an incredible paint job on engines and a great sounds  features.  

That is EXTREMELY disappointing.  I, too, watched the Demo with Dave where he pointed out that the speaker was visible only because it was a prototype and that the final product would not have the speaker exposed.

Someone really dropped the ball on this one. 

My credit card has been charged by Charles Ro for the Acela set and expansion set.  So, I expect to  soon find out if my bistro car has the same issue.  If this is a universal problem on all the Acela bistro cars, I think Lionel is going to be receiving a lot of returns.

For other people who have received the expansion sets, is the speaker exposed in your bistro car?

@jini5 posted:

Looks like you could turn it into a large round table. Drape a cloth over it and put some seated figures around it.

But wouldn’t that make the sound from the speaker muffled?

On my layout the trains are very close to eye level so I can’t see the speaker, so it doesn’t bother me enough to return it. I do recall Dave saying the speaker would be hidden. It’s just so cool to have a model of a train I ride often for work and pleasure.

@Hudson J1e posted:

But wouldn’t that make the sound from the speaker muffled?

It shouldn't as its a "table with 3 legs", There is a enough air space for sound waves to bounce out of.

@VinceL posted:

If this is a universal problem on all the Acela bistro cars, I think Lionel is going to be receiving a lot of returns.

So that is where our hobby has evolved to. People returning a gorgeous train set because a speaker is visible in one car?

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

It shouldn't as its a "table with 3 legs", There is a enough air space for sound waves to bounce out of.

I meant if you "draped a cloth" over it. I agree the table with 3 legs will not muffle the sound. It is a very nice set. If I owned it I would not return it. I would probably cover it with the table or just live with it. Knowing today's BTO system I doubt a lot of folks will return theirs either.

It's Lionel. Guys have to have it. Buyers will learn to live with it no matter the cost. I never watched the Lionel presentation others on this thread have talked about, but if a Lionel rep said it would be fixed before production, then someone dropped the ball. I doubt Lionel will do anything about it. Why should they?, buyers will keep buying no matter the cost. Maybe Lionel can engineer a cover that looks like a large round table with passengers sitting around the table and maybe mold in dishes, silverware, etc. produce this item and let the buyers of the Acela lay it over top of the speaker with 2 sided foam tape. Not likely to happen I know.

@Hudson J1e posted:

But wouldn’t that make the sound from the speaker muffled?

I think thats the back of the speaker, so covering it shouldn’t affect it too much.

Is it normal for a few of the coaches not to have switches for the interior lights?

@jini5 posted:

1. It's Lionel. Guys have to have it. Buyers will learn to live with it no matter the cost.

2. ...but if a Lionel rep said it would be fixed before production, then someone dropped the ball.

3. I doubt Lionel will do anything about it. Why should they?, buyers will keep buying no matter the cost.

1. Yep.

2. Again.

3. Yep, again.

Mark in Oregon

There is a relatively simple solution to cure exposed speaker issue that should also improve the overall realism. Here is my photo taken from the condiments table side (left) looking towards the cafe counter (right):

The back of the speaker is obvious in the photo but it is also problematic that there is no server behind the cafe counter and no people waiting in line for service. I can attest that there is typically a queue of customers lined up against the window when the cafe first opens after departing Washington in the morning. Soooo....for someone willing to do some surgery on the car I would line up at least three people along the window at the cafe (black) counter and another three people along the window for the condiments (blue) counter. (I would also add the Amtrak server behind the cafe counter.)  I think the people lined up against the windows should sufficiently disguise the speaker. BTW, the Bistro Car audio quality and volume are both excellent.

So just curious, what's the solution?  An even big baffle?  A fake wall blocking it out not allowing the other items to be placed?  I certainly would like it not to be there but what would your preferred solution to hiding the speaker be?  This is in no way letting Lionel off the hook I just don't see what could hide it other than a wall which would change the layout of the car.

I would absolutely put some blinds there. Or find/take a photo of what should be there, scale it down, skew it, and stick it to the inside window.

Heck, it looks in the photos like that's just a baffle. If it is, I would just paint it. Don't tell a soul and only the most observant people will ever notice it. Models are bizarre in that way. You can create illusions to cover up problems.

@TheRambles posted:

Is it normal for a few of the coaches not to have switches for the interior lights?

Check the other side, both sides have hatches that open and only one hatch has the switches.

@Keith Crook 020419 posted:

Check the other side, both sides have hatches that open and only one hatch has the switches.

Thank you for responding! That was it. Not my finest moment lol.