Adding sound to a layout / anyone familiar with ALPS Sound (not the printer)

[cruikshank]

I would like to add sound to our layout, not engine sounds, but area sounds like the sound of a coal breaker at a coal mine setup, farm animals, a baseball game. etc.  I know there are digital building blocks for this, and maybe thats the way to go, but I thought old school itmes would be dirt cheap by now, cassette players with endless loop tapes.  Anyone doing this ? please share your ideas.

Also the previous owner left what was probably an expensive piece. It's an ALPS sound system with a wireless contoller, dozens of sounds, a wireless throttle, inputs for I/R triggers.  I was going to set it up quick on sunday and use the remote to cue cows, etc, but the speaker jacks are RJ-11 phone jacks, and there is no instruction manual  Anyone know how ths operates? I can't beleive using very thin wire from RJ-11 for speakers.  Thanks again and again,  Dave

[cnw1995]

Sound sure adds a lot to a layout. I am not familar with the ALPS system though - I browsed the web a bit and found references that look interesting. I've done what you are musing about - with the bias of keeping everything extremely simple. Firstly, I purchased a few very inexpensive memo-takers - you know those little recorders designed to allow you to give yourself a message. I think I found them at Radio Shack and even a dollar store. I've recorded my own home-made sounds - basically off a sound effects album - on them, then place them around the layout - they're battery operated and activate them manually. I've also used a (more expensive) mini-tape recorder - in fact, I think it was part of a tape-based answering machine - for longer effects, like traffic noises. As I'm currently messing around with the layout, I'll be changing some of these too.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Take a look at this web page: http://ittproducts.com/hqpage.htm I have two sound systems in place and it can make the layout come to life.