Any guesses? Does the whistle provide a clue?
Pet Sounds was released in May, 1966, so it has to predate that.
It is my understanding that Brian recorded his dogs barking, and then overdubbed them onto an existing recording of a passing train. The train recording could have come from a sound effects album or a production sound effects library, so there is no telling how old the train recording is. However, the fact that it is hi-fi would suggest that it must be from the 1950s or later.
Here it is. The train arrives at around the 2:16 mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoqYQdregRI
Could it be an RDC? That's either a really short train or it was edited dramatically right after the whistle.
The horn is certainly distinctive, and perhaps so is the exhaust note. Keeping in mind it might have been heavily edited and engineered in post...
Shock Control Here it is. The train arrives at around the 2:16 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoqYQdregRI
This source suggests the train is travelling at approximately 80 mph:
https://books.google.com/books?id=eplFDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=caroline+no+train+horn&source=bl&ots=oEBl06E3sh&sig=ACfU3U0yZ_r4I3kLEF_ruBcQXwjuzo6lOg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizmqi9wv_nAhWXnp4KHS0ED24Q6AEwCHoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=caroline%20no%20train%20horn&f=false
The diesels sound like non-turbocharged EMD 567's, at high RPM.
A poster in this thread claims (without a source) that the train was SP's Owl, and that the sound was recorded in Edison, CA.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3801777
This article confirms that, and gives the source of the sound as the classic "Mister D's Machine" album:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beach-boys-pet-sounds-15-things-you-didnt-know-186297/
Which of course led me to here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHveIIYcQxg
The locomotives are Southern Pacific EMD F7's.
I'm not good at identifying locomotive horns, but this sounds a lot like a Nathan P3.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
WOW, THANK YOU BOTH!
So now I know the album that the train sound was drawn from.
Love the fact that it is an F7. My favorite locomotives are EMD F units!
So now I have an accurate visual when I listen to that tune!
Nice detective work there Dude!
.
BigJimNice detective work there Dude!
Every bit of that!
Note that particularly good transcription of liner notes in the associated YouTube video. To quote here (in case anyone has trouble accessing the video later):
"Scene One: No. 58, the Owl from Oakland is captured at Edison, a few miles east of Bakersfield on the mountain district of the San Joaquin Division. Rolling at a good 70 MPH across the flatlands before assaulting the "Loop", three EMD (Electro-Motive Division of General Motors) F-7 units geared for passenger service startle the world at 4:50 A.M."
(Incidentally, Scene Two features this same train closer to Tehachapi (amusingly referred to as "Tehachappi" in the liner notes) along with a military train...)
Based on the audio, can we tell which paint scheme the engine used? :P
"Mister D's Machine" was released in 1963, five years after the SP grey/red 'Bloody Nose' scheme came into use.
It is likely that a number of F7's were still in the previous 'Black Widow' scheme during that time.
(I'm assuming the recordings were made relatively soon before the album's release)
SD70DudeIt is likely that a number of F7's were still in the previous 'Black Widow' scheme during that time.
Interestingly enough, it might be technically possible to actually answer this.
One of the comments to the 'video' mentioned that train orders for at least one of the specific trains involved a special note to 'whistle freely' as a recording outfit was going to be present. They even mentioned the name of the engineer who had told them the detail (I believe this was from the Coast Lark with the 3 E units).
Should be possible to track down the date(s) involved from surviving copies of train orders, and perhaps compare this with individual lead units assigned, and thence to photographs of locomotives in this service at corresponding time. Meanwhile ... wouldn't the rear helpers going up Tehachapi be a dedicated set for a few days or weeks, or be 'recognizable' from photos as the interestingly-mismatched set?
Vince, give Mike his marching orders and turn him loose...
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