Which of your Locomotives have sound?

[AntonioFP45]

So far a Genesis SCL SD45-2 with a LokSound system installed and wonderfully custom tuned by CMarchand.  I plan on having more sound installed over the year.

I absolutely enjoy hearing that turbocharged EMD "whine" and the smooth blast of a Nathan RS5T-RRO horn ( edited and uploaded from the Diesel Air Horns website).

I'm looking forward to the QSI sound units.  I very much like Lok Sound, but for the Nathan M5 horn sound, QSI's version sounds the most melodic, plus it has a sweet sounding reverb.  I'd like this for several P2K E-units that I'm repainting into Seaboard Coast Line's scheme.

 

[mustanggt]

I have 2 so far- an Atlas C40-8 and a kato F40PH. And I agree, it is more peaceful and theraputic without the sound. But a miniature locomotive making realistic noise is pretty cool though...

Dave 

[rogertra]

None.

And none will ever have sound until sound stops sounding like a 1960s transistor radio.

[dinwitty]

None.

And none will ever have sound until sound stops sounding like a 1960s transistor radio.

 

you forget the big sound they did have (echo chamber that is....)

 

BTW all my engines make noises...

 

errr....

 

I have an old sound system pre-DCC , actually 2, one steam, one diesel I tinkered with.

Today, 2 steamers, BLI-2-6-6-4 and LL NKP 2-8-4, just about everything I can may get sound/DCC as I can muster it as time goes...DCC too new, my equipment much older....

 

[UpNorth]

I have 2 Bachmann 2-8-0 with Tsunami, 3 IHC with Tsunami (installed myself), one Shay (to be modified for sound).  I enjoy doing the mods and I enjoy the noise they all generate.  If I can stop tinkering with the CV's it would be fun also.  

My roster will stop here. Small layout.

[AntonioFP45]

None.

And none will ever have sound until sound stops sounding like a 1960s transistor radio.

Funny, the latest units from BLI that I've heard sound anything but tinny.

Check this out: http://www.qsisolutions.com/news/qhbspk_072907.html

My LHS's owner was testing one of the new AC6000CW on his test track about a year or so back.  You could hear the horn outside of the shop with the door closed!  Tinny????????????????????? 

[riogrande5761]

I have 6 with sound (DCC). 2 are BLI locos, one is a genesis set (yes, with the MRC sound), 3 are set up with various types of Soundtraxx decoders. That's out of about 60 locos. Get more than 2 or 3 of these things fired up and it becomes more annoying than pleasant.

I have over 90 loco's so far and not one with sound yet.  Most of the loco's I've purchased haved not been offered with sound except for the Genesis F units.  I have 10 Genesis F diesels so far but due to reports of the low quality MRC sound units in them, I opted to save the money and get them as plain Jane Genesis.  I also believe that a layout full of sound equipped loco's would get annoying very fast so I'm not in a hurry to spend the very substantial extra cost on the engines.  As it is, I am ordering a Proto 2000 F7 set with sound in one of the AB sets because I do want to have a few loco's with sound for the novelty of it and they are supposed to be much better quality than Genesis.

[riogrande5761]

None.

And none will ever have sound until sound stops sounding like a 1960s transistor radio.

As soon as you can install a large woofer in them, they will stop sounding like a transister radio.  Ok, I know you exagerate but honestly, what can you expect from a speaker that will fit in an HO diesel?  There can only be so much base frojm them - ie, not much.

[Flashwave]

None.

And none will ever have sound until sound stops sounding like a 1960s transistor radio.

Easier solution: Forget what a Tranisstor Radio sounds like.

I'll give you that they may not yet sound real, but you also gotta remember we aren't hearing them the same way we hear a real loco. I like sound, because of the realistic options. It may not sound great, but it's there. Pressing F3 is still more realistic than blowing air through your teeth. Maybe not as fun... There are some bad decoders, but I;ve yet to hear one sound "Tinny" 

[nscaleboy77]

all ya gotta do is warm up the old vocalizers

 

chugga chugga chugga chooooo choooooooooo!

[Tjsingle]

I have one sound locomotive which is a atlas B23-7 in Conrail Quality paint #2011

Tjsingle

[AntonioFP45]

Yes, sound can become annoying.......so keep it a low volume generally. 

If you are running several units on a layout that are not mu'd together, than have only one or two making music; again at a low volume.  Like pasta sauce , sound is designed to "complement" not "overwhelm" a model railroad. 

It's to be enjoyed ,  especially by those of us that have been up close and personal with prototype locomotives.

[BRVRR]

I have several sound locomotives:

Two BLIs, a Hudson and a Mikado

A Bachmann Niagara with a MRC steam decoder

Three sets of Athearn BB F7s (AB, AA,AB) with Soundtraxx or MRC decoders

A set of Athearn BB ALCO PAs (ABA) with a Soundtraxx sound only decoder in the B-unit.

A ABA set of Proto2000 E8/7 with sound in both A units and auxiliary speakers in the E7 B-unit.

There is an Athearn Challenger with MRC sound.

A Proto2000 Berkshire with BLI sound.

A Spectrum K4 Pacific with a Soundtraxx decoder.

And a Spectrum SP J Class with a Soundtraxx decoder.

The last four locos belong to my 11-year old grandson but reside on my BRVRR layout.

None of my GP-type locos have sound yet, but the new BLI aftermarket decoders are tempting. When they are readily available, I'll give them a try.

One or two locos with the sound on are enough. Even when the sound is turned down, as it is on all of the above locos, it can be overpowering on the small BRVRR layout. About half of the time I run the trains with the sound off. But it is nice to have the option.

[alco49]

All of mine have sound! Bzzz, click clack, snap, crack, collide, smash, oh no not again!

[Texas Zepher]

One of my locomotives has sound that works while the engine runs on DC.  This has me hooked.  So the question for to all of you is do all of your engines have sound.

Yup, I've been hooked on sound since 1983.   My first installation was in a Rivarossi heavy 2-8-2 with a vanderbuilt tender.  I would guess that tiny percentage of my fleet is sound equipped.  It is much easier to buy them than it is to install the sound. 

Rivarossi 2-8-2 GN
Athearn F7 AB (two)
Most of the older ones I've forgotten about here
Kalamazoo 4-4-0 D&RGW (Fn3)
Bachman 4-4-0 (Fn3)
BLI  4-8-4  Santa Fe #3751
BLI  4-8-4  Santa Fe #3757
BLI  2-10-2 Santa Fe
Trix 2-8-2 Union Pacific
BLI 2-8-2 Missouri Pacific
BLI E7 Wabash
Proto-Heritage 2-8-8-2 D&RGW
Proto-Heritage 2-8-8-2 NP
Proto-2000 U28B Burlington (two)
Stewart FT A-B-B-A set NP
BLI F7 A-B set NP  (wrong horn sounds!)
Proto-2000 E7 Burlington
BLI E7 Burlington
Genesis 4-6-6-4 D&RGW  (Gag cough choke)
Proto-2000 E7 A-A set GN Empire Builder
Precision Craft F3 A-B set undecorated
Precision Craft F3 A-B-A set Burlington
Atlas U30B  SF Kodachrome
Atlas Trainmaster (FM Demo) #2 & #3
Proto-2000 F7 A-B-B-A set GN Empire Builder
BLI SW7 Texas & Pacific

And yes, while I love them all, they all sound tinny except for the G-scale ones.  They do a bit better.  Of course one of them has an 8 oz speaker magnet on a 4" speaker too. 

[AntonioFP45]

I'm still perplexed regarding those of you indicating that "generally" these sound equipped units sound "tinny".

Click on this BLI link:   Hear the GE AC6000CW's (Click here)

Please answer this question:  Does that clip sound tinny?  

This is one of the sweetest sounding diesel units that I've ever heard.  That Nathan horn, combined with that reverb is pure music! 

No way my lips could ever whistle that tune! 

[decapod39]

I operate about once a month with a fleet of about 30 steam locomotives, all with sound.  I keep the volume low so that the person running the train, walking with it, can clearly hear it and enjoy it.  People on the other side of the room cannot.  I run PRR steam, mostly brass.  I run DCC and will never go back to no-sound, or no-DCC.  My roster looks like this:

2 0-6-0's class B6 & B6sb - Brass

3 2-8-0's light consolidations class H6sb - Brass

5 2-8-0's heavy consolidations classes H8, H9, and H10

3 2-8-2's class L1s - Brass

6 2-10-0's Class I1sa - Brass & Bowser 

5 4-8-2's class M1 & M1a - Brass & Broadway

2 2-10-2's - class N1sa & N2sa Brass

5 4-6-2's - Class K4 Brass & Broadway

1 4-6-0  Class G5s -Brass

Also looking forward to adding about 3 of those BLI decapods to the roster in August!

 

Bill Neale

[Autobus Prime]

Folks:

All of them, supplied by a "neural sound card". Other similar plugins supply rod clank, flange squeak, flat wheel clatter, birds singing, cicadas in summer, towering plumes of smoke, and the wonderful smell of coal smoke and hot oil. You can't buy this device because you already have one. :)

Once in a while we even hear a diesel go by.

[anteaum2666]

All of my locomotives have sound except my SW9 (too small, without a lot of work) and an old F7 I only keep because I painted it.  But sound can be pricey so most of these are the LC low cost decoders from SoundTRAX.  I like these decoders, but they are basic, bell, whistle, chuff, blowdown.  I have a couple of DSX decoders, which add Fireman Fred, airpumps, and generator.  These are in my favorite engines.

[ChessieFan13]

does saying woo woo count?

[Texas Zepher]

Please answer this question:  Does that clip sound tinny?

I'm perplexed too, that was my answer to your question.  I guess I need to be more direct -  "yes".  Take that recording with you and find a real one to listen to.  Listen to the real one then (as soon as it gets quiet enougH) immediately listen to the recording, then re-answer your own question.  If you still think it sounds rich and robust then your ears are just connected differently than mine.

Of course I have ceased being amazed at people who can't tell the difference between mono and stereo, can't tell the difference between Advent Series 1, JBL, Klipish, Bose speakers, and can't tell the difference between the Marantz vs. RCA stereo systems?    People's ears are just different. 

[Texas Zepher]

does saying woo woo count?

I still do that.  Plus Vruuummm,  Vrruummmm, Vrrrrrruuummmmm sounds.

[Anonymous]

1 personally, my club runs like 10,(yes it is very noisy in there,) and we are by a mainline, it geets pretty crazy iin there

[jbloch]

Just two, my BLI 2-8-2 USRA heavy, and my P2K SW9.  Both QSI--I like the way they sound.  Agree with all of the above discussion: I like sound equipped locos, but if you have several going at the same time can get a little distracting.  I don't plan on adding sound to any of my upcoming DCC conversions.  But if BLI or P2K were to offer an E8 in Frisco logo, well . . . . .

Jim

[Bill54]

My first sound loco was the Athearn Genesis Big Boy.  Of course it has the MRC sound decoder and is ok but not great.

My second loco with sound I purchased was a Proto 2000 E8/9 with the QSI decoder which is soooo much better in quality than the MRC stuff.

The third one I bought was an Athearn Genesis F7A-B both powered.  Again, the MRC sound decoders are much less quality than the QSI decoders.

The forth purchase was a PCM Chessie Special Steam Loco. 

I have a Bachmann Heavy Mountain 4-8-2  Steamer.  It has the limited version Tsunami decoder in it but sounds great.

A Bachmann Decapod 2-10-0 Steam loco also with the Cheap Tsunami decoder.

And finally 2 Bachmann 2-8-0 Consolidation's.  One B&O and one Western Maryland both with the cheap Tsunami sound decoders.

That would make 8 sound locos out of 63.  I hope to put sound in a few more of my steamers.  I also hope to do a few of the diesels.

Bill

   

[GLH]

My first sound locomotive was a C&O E7A.  It was by far the most costly locomotive I have ever purchased.   Turned out that sound is addictive (no one tells you that at the hobby shop) and that diesel one got me started on a LOOOOOOONG path to add more.  I have 72 diesels and my goal is to get at least 24 of them sound equipped.  Current count is 20.  That first E7 is to blame for it all.  There ought to be a warning label.

I usually run 3 unit consists and having 1 of them sound equipped is enough.  Otherwise it gets loud and annoying.  Besides, blowing the air horn and ringing the bell is at least half the fun and 1 locomotive/train is all you need for that.  I also find myself muting the engines I'm not using.

I would recommend cutting to the chase and going 100% DCC though.

 

 

[MRRSparky]

All HO:

(1) Bachmann Consolidation - Soundtraxx Tsunami

(1) 0-6-0 Camelback Mantua (heavily modified, NWSL gearbox) - Soundtraxx Tsunami

(4) Atlas RS-3s with Soundtraxx DSD-100LC for sound only with TCS M-1 for motor/light control (Soundtraxx for motor control resulted in very noisy motors)

(1) Kato RS-2 with DSD-100LC for sound only with TCS M-1 for motor/light control

(1) boxcab (heavily modified and stretched MDC boxcab) with sound in a trailer - Soundtraxx DSX sound-only

The lonely holdout is a GE 44-tonner.  I can't figure out where to put a speaker. 

 

[steam618lover1]

 Hi Flashwave

   My name is earl I have a proto-2000 berk from walthers, my layout is dc my walthers berk is dc/dcc sound i have three MRC-9500 transformers, with an atlas/bli engineer to run all my sound the engine is a pm 1235, i took the engine to my local train shop and had the 1235 changed to 1225, the only problem the number boards still show 1235, just a minor glitch and put the polar express under the numbers, you have to go to someone privet to get the decals made because walt disney has the rights to it. my decales where made in arizonia, and many decal companies will not do it. the cars i used are IHC heavy weights, NEW JERSY BLUE COMET cars i have four, i used maroon acrilic paint, to paint the strip around the windows, i should be done in a short time, and hopfully i'll be able to have a picture to post. good luck with your lay out, my layout is the cripple and handicap railroad.

                                           Earl

       if you need help with decals email me at [e-mail]

[Don Gibson]

After installing speakers in a couple of engines I prefer a 'sound car' being part of the consist -  behind the engine.  (a  baggage car and stock car are best).

Saves money. I will do a QSI in an 'F7-dummy B' NEXT. Connecting ABBA with 4 separate sound sources is overkill. So that's the only way they come?  Give it time.The first one to offer 'F7B' dummies with sound, get's my dollar. 

Right now I can get a Genesis/ QSI  B, strip the motor & gears, cheaper than installing sound at Tony's.

Not to throw bricks at Tony's. Labor is labor. Chinese work cheaper.

[da_kraut]

Hi Scott,

you mentioned about trying to find a location to put a speaker in a ge 44 tonner.  Take a look at this link http://cs.trains.com/forums/1237975/ShowPost.aspx .  Hope it is of help.

Frank