What's really important.

[Anonymous]

In this day and age there are alot of features that O guage manufactures think are important. 4 chuffs per revolution is the one that comes to mind. My steamers both OEM and DD conversions do 2 chuffs. When I run them fast or with 1 or more locomotives with sounds it actually starts to get annoying. I was wondering what your thoughts are on this?

Scott R. Conforto[?]

[Anonymous]

A real steam locomotive moving at speed sounds like a machine going off. Most of us have only "heard" locomotives from movies and TV shows. These have their sounds altered to sound "nice". I would prefer to have an engine with a nice horn/whistle/bell and not wory overmuch about the number of chuffs per revolution. Having heard real loco's at Greenfield Village and Cross Road's village, no one's sound system actually sounds like a real engine.

I'd rather they get some mundane things taken care of like it works out of the box, reasonably easy to repair when it doesn't, and not cost and arm and a leg to buy in the first place.

Just my 2 cents

chuck

[Big_Boy_4005]

I don't buy steam engines, so they can chuff til the cows come home. I always turn the smoke off on my diesels, and always turn the sound down to it's lowest setting or off. Sound is OK for showing off to guests, but I don't need it. Just give me vanilla command control, and I'm happy.

I'm with Chuck, I'd rather have it run right, straight out of the box. Horns and bells are nice too.

[Poppa_Zit]

"Nice Sound." That's the problem with today's steam sounds units -- they're TOO perfect. If you've ever ridden steam and really l-i-s-t-e-n-e-d to the sounds coming from the engine, you hear rods clanking, generators whirring and steam leaking. To me, those additional sounds are part of what make steam so charming.

[prewardude]

First off, [#welcome] to the forum, Poppa!

The sound systems are nice, but all I really need is a whistle or a bell (and some smoke) and I'm happy. Initial quality is the most important thing of all, though. Far more important than all the electronic doo-dads in the world.

Regards,
Clint

[Anonymous]

I love both. The conventional loco's and the ones with all the bells and whistles. I did start in O scale iuntil MTH came out with a decent locomotive whistle! Wi***hey'd eliminate the darn batteries. I personally prefer Lionels Railsounds 5 over Protosound II. The 2 chuffs doesn't bother me that much.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chuckn
[
I'd rather they get some mundane things taken care of like it works out of the box, reasonably easy to repair when it doesn't, and not cost and arm and a leg to buy in the first place.

I agree...and the "choo-choo" sound on my postwar AF is fine with me and my Grandkids. Wish my old Lionels had it. Joe

[brianel027]

Not trying to play the violins here, but I've been destitute, poor, homeless and bankrupt at different times in my life. As the song by John Gorka goes "Life is full of disappointment and yes, I am full of life."

Scott, I think your first line is of key importance: there are alot of features that O guage manufactures think are important. So while Clyde Coil and others rant about things like chuff rates, headlight placement and such, I think the so-called manufacturers (really importers) are aiming their best efforts at the minority of buyers in the spirit of wiping eachother off the map, while making the hobby more expensive for the beginner.

Score thus far: K-Line = Off the map. Lionel = expensive.

I'm quite thankful that I was even able to get back into the hobby and that my tastes are simple, because this is after all just a hobby. At one time the trains really were toys, played with by boys who used their imaginations. That boyish quality has never left me. I'm quite content with my mechanical "Sound of Steam" tenders - with a few modification they can be made to operate so much better. Even my electronic "Sound of Steam" tender is enough for me and impresses company just fine. Air whistle, basic smoke unit ... my imagination does the rest.

So Clyde Coil can take his "give me ozone and accurate chuffs or give me death" stance. I for one will take simplicity and affordability. I don't have the unrealistic expectation of getting a BMW for the price of a Saturn as far as trains go. The Saturn will get you the same place that the BMW will get you too. I don't need to impress people with how much moola I spent on something... all I need to do is impress myself.

[Roger Bielen]

I'm on the side with "yeah its nice, but ..." Like others I only use the communication features for guests and frequently turn down the volume when I'm running the trains alone.

[dwiemer]

After reading the above posts, I am with most in that I don't need it. I like it simple. I would rather have post war stuff that is almost indestructable. I have my father's set from 1949, it lasted through his childhood, mine, and I hope my son's. I have the smoke and whistles, that is all I need. It is also great because I can repair the trains myself (with a little help from this crowd).
If you want the sounds, they have CDs with all that noise.
Dennis

[laz 57]

When you have five and six trains running at once it starts to sound all jumbled up. It starts to clear only when the train is close to you. With all the noise of just the track and trains going sometimes its even hard to here my wife,yelling down to me?
laz57

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by laz 57

When you have five and six trains running at once it starts to sound all jumbled up. It starts to clear only when the train is close to you. With all the noise of just the track and trains going sometimes its even hard to here my wife,yelling down to me?
laz57

WHAT? I can't hear you. (Maybe there is a good reason to crank up the volume.)[swg]