What you think about sound equipped locomotives

[RMax1]

I just reserved my first sound equiped locos, a Proto 2000 E8 A/B set. The bad news is that they will not arrive until late in the year. I think that you can have too much sound going on. I was demo'd a few months back a BLI steam engine and an E7. Both had sound going and sounded great. It was at low volume and in a big train show area. I'm sure it would be completely different in my den. Who knows what will happen when I get the first set but the volume settings are going to be great. There are times when i just want to read on the couch and let the trains go round and round at the same time.

RMax1

[orsonroy]

I'm a diehard steam fan. I'll travel 400 miles to SE Ohio to chase an OC steam special, but you can't get me to drive the piddly 20 minutes to Rochelle to watch an endless parade of modern equipment. Sound is a LARGE part of the equation in an obsession with steam. They're living, breathing, snorting, smoke-belching black monsters, which have 10,000 times the personality of ANY diseasel. And as any hobby show participant or museum railroad knows, steam draws a crowd; diesels don't.

That said, I always thought that sound was an expensive, cantankerous luxury in this hobby, and would never really become widespread or affordable, except for our tinplate bretheren. I was always troubled by the fact that my HO scale steam engines sounded like a blender (or worse, a geep!) and didn't produce beautiful smoke plumes while they ran around my layout, but I accepted it as a normal part of the hobby.

Well, no more. Running on one of the largest home layouts in the country, with a 100% stable of sound-equipped steam (and a few diesels, which rarely come out to play), and the introduction of AFFORDABLE sound from BLI and MRC has changed my mind. Sound is now a complete necessity for my fleet of operations engines. Sound in steam allows you to partially forget that you're running little toy trains. I can feather the throttle and play with my BLI Mikes until they actually sound like a hardworking freight engine working upgrade. I can pay attention to when and where I need to sound off for grade crossings or switching moves. In short, I can actually run a miniature steam engine! (now if someone will just come out with a DCC conversion for the Hornby live steam stuff!)

Real railroads are LOUD. When was the last time any of you stood next to three SD-45s or inside the cab of a 2-8-2 running at 35 mph? The sound is completely deafening and penetrates into your marrow. One of the best times I ever had running trains was when a friend and I set up a bar-grade sound system in my layout room, and ran video sound of steam fantrips through the house. We ran the models according to the sound coming from the giant speakers, and it was great! I generally run my BLI engines at about 80% power, but only to extend the speaker life.

As for sound-equipped layouts being too loud....nah. On a small layout stuck in a 10x14 room with six engines moving, maybe. But on a layout with a long, meandering mainline, where generally no more that 2-3 engines are in the same place (and not for long) universal sound is great. And listening to faint whistles blowing four "miles" away just adds to the illusion.

So gimmie steam, and give it to me with sound. I'll live without the steam effects (smoke particles don't scale well)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BMRR

Personally......I think I can live with out it.

Stan

We all did before and I'm DC but.

When the fire sales lite up last year I bot the discounts and got sound as a bonus.

First, the Challenger and the nice thing about the remote is that you can operate another
analog loco at the same time.
You can manage your analog with the power pack and let the remote over-ride the pack
and operate the Challenger independently thereby segregating the speeds.

Then along came the BLI, GG! with the optional sidekider for DC operation.

Should there be a summer fire sale, only then would I consider adding an E sound unit.

I won't chase sound, it has to come to me at the right price

[METRO]

I'll probably jump on the bandwagon when it comes down in price a bit more.

Today, I can almost buy two locomotives for the price of one that is sound equipped, so lol, I'd rather just have the two locomotives.

It's an interesting concept and I'm betting that it will become part of most peoples' layouts in the future, like motors with flywheels and superdetailed rolling stock. It just takes a while to come down in price, and until then, I'm happy to hear just the electirc hum.

~METRO

[SpaceMouse]

We have more senses than sight. Sound adds to the experience. Maybe sound decoders aren't the answer. Maybe we need a quadraphonic sound system and a mini-gps in each train so that a computer keeps track of them and the sound system simulates sound coming from a particular area of the track. I think speaker and digital sound quality will continue to improve--especially if there is a market for it.

[twhite]

I think it's yummy--so do the neighbors down at the end of the block when I've got my garage door open!
Tom [:P][:P][:P][;)]

[BMRR]

Personally......I think I can live with out it.

Stan

[tcf511]

I think like most things, sound is good in moderation. I have three BLIs including the new J and I love all three. A lot of the time if running by myself, I turn the sound off. But all of the grandkids love it. I do not keep the sound up full however. I want everything on my layout including sound to blend together, not have one particular feature stand out. So far I just have steam but my next big purchase will be an early 50s diesel with sound. I'd love to hear recommendations from others.

[Virginian]

I got my first sound equipped engine sort of as a bonus; the BLI Class A was the only non-brass A ever. An N&W modeller needs at least a couple of Class A's (I sure wish someone would make a set of aftermarket roller bearing rods). I found I really like sound... sometimes. Not blasting either. Now I have 3 and another coming. I sometimes like the whistles at opposite ends of the layout in the early evening. I don't know if I will retrofit very many, but I like BLI/QSI systems (if QSI does release their systems seperately) and there is no way I would consider DCC in the foreseeable future.
When I do want sound, I operate only sound equipped units because the silent and sound equipped don't mix well aesthetically in my eye.

[AggroJones]

I would NEVER go out of my way to install sound in a locomotive. My BLI steam usually run with the sound off anyway. Not really an important feature to me.
If one of my 'chosen' engine came with the option of no sound, I have no choice but to get it w/o sound and save my $100.

[grayfox1119]

Personally, I love sound, but this is a personal choice. As Fergie stated earlier, it is not for everyone, and I totally agree with this. If you have a "community" layout with engines running all over the layout, 5, 8, 10 or more, this is not realistic and can drive people nuts with horns and bells blowing every second. You must maintain "realism" for sound to be enjoyed in my humble opinion..

[Marc_Magnus]

Never forget this rule for a good level of noise; it's only the size of the speaker and his capability of bass and treble rendering

[Anonymous]

Sound is cool. It is one of the reasons I have DCC. Jeff, The sound levels can be individually programmed. Soundtraxx makes this easy, BLI crams it all onto three CVs. I love sound, but I also frequently use the F8 button (mute). I am hoping that more companies get in the sound game and the quality improves while the price drops......

[jeffshultz]

Sound is okay.... with at least one caveat. The real trains don't run around with their bells on super loud all day long.

You probably shouldn't either.... <grin>

I haven't seen any of the details of the decoders so I don't know if you can program the volume level for the discrete sounds like the bells, but it would certainly be something I'd want. And they need to make the decoders more impervious to electrical defects in the track - I understand QSI is doing this, with some other side effects.

[aloco]

Garbage. I'll stick to my locomotives with noisy drive trains if I want sound.

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRVRR

I have one factory equipped sound loco. A BLI Heavy Mike. I love it....

I just got off the ship today and it has been a busy two weeks. Went down in the basement with Dad for an hour to "Play Trains" and had to turn the volune off. The silence was golden.

Three steam engines were idling and the noise was deafening[:(]

There's a time and a place.

Regards

Fergie

[BRVRR]

I have one factory equipped sound loco. A BLI Heavy Mike. I love it. Turn the sound down to about 50% and it is enjoyable. I also have an MRC steam decoder in my Niagara. Love it! I installed a Soundtraxx decoder in an F-unit. Like it too. I just installed a MRC diesel sound decoder under the BRVRR layout. Still working on tweeking it, but I'm sure it will work out. With everything on at once it can get intense, but that's what the volume controls are for. Generally with two steamers and the F& running, you can still talk to the other operator(s). I love sound in model railroading. Hopefully, the costs will continue to go down. If QSI and Digitrax come out with aftermarket sound decoders at competitive prices, everyone will benefit.

[IRONROOSTER]

I voted one is enough. My one is a Lionel NYC Flyer set that I run whenever I want to hear the sound, smell the smoke, and blow the whistle.

Enjoy
Paul

[rrinker]

Well, the sound market is about to get a whole lot better. A dealer on the DCC4EVERYONE Yahoo group posted that his Digitrax rep did indeed confirm that they are working on sound decoders. No details though.

--Randy

[AntonioFP45]

Have enjoyed seeing sound equipped locos in action.

Looking forward to installing sound decoders in various locomotives.

Frustrating aspect is that currently it is expensive. Hopefully with more companies getting involved in sound, prices will drop.

IMHO, part of the problems is that a company like Soundtraxx is a very small "Mom and Pop" type of operation. Resources are limited and overhead costs may impact a small business more than a larger business.

A larger company producing sound would likely able to produce sound units in larger "bulk" quantities and be able to offer units at lower costs.

Just my 2 cents.

[johncolley]

I love sound, in moderation! That's why I run around 40-50% volume. It definitely makes me want to run realistically and operate prototypically. I presently have a pair of BLI e-7's and a four unit Stewart FT ABBA with decoders in 3 power units and a dummy B with 2 woofers and a tweeter. Great! Warning, once you get into it there is no going back, silent engines don't have that thrill anymore. I am now waiting for an NW2 yard switcher.

[Pruitt]

Before I got my first sound-equipped loco (BLI heavy Mike), I didn't think I'd care for sound.

Now I have three of the BLI Mikes. They came with the sound set at full blast, so I opened the tender water hatch and turned the volume down to a tolerable level. Now, when one is on the far side of the layout I can hardly hear it, but I hear a soft chuffing when one comes by. The whistle is a little louder, but not by too much. One of these days I will have to turn up the bell through the software, though - it's almost inaudible. Even running all three Mikes at once isn't too much sound, but I do turn the sound off sometimes when I want to listen to music while I'm running trains.

My other steamers (Proto 2k 0-6-0s and 0-8-0s) seem kind of "dead" without sound. But right now I have no plans to add sound to them - might become way too much of a good thing!

One drawback to sound - it pretty effectively masks the sound of wheels on the ties, so it's tougher to spot derailed equipment until it splits a switch or leaves the rails completely.

[Anonymous]

I like the sound output of my BLI steamer and my MRC Diesel chips. However, the two complaints I have :

1) The chips are flaky. At least the ones I have had. I had a MRC steamer go kaput after 1/2 hour of usage, which prompted me to buy the BLI... Which went kaput after 1/2 hour of usage. The MRC steam chip has been more reliable so far.

2) Sound has no low-end frequencies... But that is to be expected with such tiny little speakers. Until someone invents a mini-subwoofer :)

[ClinchValleySD40]

Sound is okay, take it or leave it. From what I've seen so far, it's more trouble than it's worth.

[Anonymous]

This is really cool seeing what peoples likes and dislike are, Thanks a bunch.

I somewhat like the sound of the locos I have and in my locos. I have the volume @ 50% and mute at 10% just so I know that engine has been called up at one point while I was running. My biggest thing is I have 6 with sound installed, one was a SD60M that I use for coal drags. I decided to take it out and stick it in an SD9 that lives in the intermodal yard so it could be off most the time. Most of the time I just like listening to the hum of the rails and knowing that if something does go on the ground I'll hear it.

QSI equipment just isn't all that good in my eyes and that is what everyone is getting and loves (I have 4). I mostly don't like them for the simple fact that they are LOUD and the motor noise sounds like it should be coming from a diesel truck (faster you go more RPM). Soundtraxx on the other hand has an option where you can manually notch the throttle so you can make it more realistic as to what you’re pulling and if it’s on a grade or not. They are all missing the mark on Dynamic Braking with one sound and that’s it. On a real loco you engage the dynamics then the throttle glide and you can increase up on the braking efforts. QSI doesn't realize how the real trains work and it shows in the lack of manual operations with throttle and emphasis on being the loudest.

Until they make them realistic sounding and less in price, and the new wears off and people turn them down, I will stick with the Sound is ok, I could take it or leave it.

Ross

[Anonymous]

Personally I wish Digitrax made something that you mounted under a layout with a speaker and an amplifier that tied into the DCC system. Maybe have it fixed so you could load sound waves of your favorite locomotives. Just whistles and horns and bells then when you pushed the specific button the sound would go off for which ever loco youhad dialed up. I only run two locos at a time so it really doesnt make any sense to have sound in everyone i just need the one sound. Of course I only run challengers, bigboys and Northerns which I htink have the same 3 chime whistle.

[Anonymous]

I have the P2K/QSI Rock Island E6A - great sound, detail, lights and drive!

While I don't want to convert ALL my locos, I plan on having a select few (3 or 4 of my 50+ locos) with sound (and all of the layout ones with DCC).

Specificly, the passenger train diesels and one of my steamers.

Lots of fun !!

As far as loudness goes, that's what volume controls are for !!!

[simon1966]

Keep the sound down low and it is great when there are more than one sound loco on the layout.

[Anonymous]

What is you alls opinion as to the better of the sound equipped locos, BLI, LL p2K with factory sound, or a unit with a Soundtrax decoder installed (by ones self or from a custom shop). I've got the resources up to finally take the sound plunge, but would like to hear some input from others, especially people tat own or have owned more than one brand of sound equipped loco.