O scale trains that sound like trains!

brr posted:

From my experience, the wheels need to be really loud to drown out the engine sounds. Most people run their loco. sounds as loud as they can, and are happy. Get a couple loco.'s on the layout, and it's so loud all the time, no matter where the loco. is, that you can't have a conversation with another person. 

Once at a train show I was viewing a beautiful N-scale layout built into a coffee table that the loco.'s were putting out 1:1 sound. Had to walk away, because it spoiled the scale, so to speak. Wish there was some way to make the sound scale, instead of "real life". 

A postwar Lionel 675 makes a sound that is beautiful to my ears. A Williams f3 set is very pleasing to me, listening to the slight "whir" of the can motor, and the cars clickity-clancking over the rail joints. Scale sounds. 

Bear in mind that this is my opinion, and what makes me happy, and not what I think everyone should do. If you like your engine sounds loud, do it. Everyone should enjoy the hobby in their own way.

That's one thing I really like about O scale, the clickity-clack is nice and loud. I have noticed that some Lionel and Weaver wheels even make a ringing sound if they go over a good sized joint, which I really like the sound of.

Just realized that Lionel must have changed the sound files in their most recent run of GP30's (that's what my PC ones are), the ones from a few years ago sound WAY better, and featured the correct rate of change in RPM level, unlike the new ones. Haven't had my Conrail GP30's on the layout for a year or two, literally just forgot what they sounded like.

Video taken by Bradstrains.

Steven Michael posted:

It's not too hard to change a sound file. If they did it on the GP35s, they can do it on anything.

 

Let me offer you some thoughts on that comment.

The first electronic sounds were synthesized.  Somewhat realistic and a great improvement over mechanically generated sounds.

Next came digitally generated sounds.  The first ones came from Right of Way Industries.  The neat thing about these sounds were that they were recorded from the actual locomotives, or horns, or whistles, or whatever was available to make it realistic.  Then they had to be digitized on a computer (386 as I recall) and then a memory burned for playback.  It took 9 support chips to play that memory back.

Now the electronics is simpler but the effort to record real trains is still a lot of work.  Finding the right location on a locomotive to get what one believes the customer will want to hear is quite a task.  Sounds are different when perceived from the cab versus 50 feet from the train. 

And every sound file required a lot of editing.  Keep in mind that there is software written to make all of the sounds compatible with each other.  Changing one file can disrupt the performance of another sound. 

Hopefully you can appreciate the that changing a sound file is truly not that simple.

Regards,

Lou N

Steven Michael posted:

The problem with DCS on my layout is the fact that we have blocks. It causes signals to bounce like crazy, and it also requires 6 TIUs (really should be seven because of sidings) to provide DCS signal to my entire layout. As far as I know, DCS works great on smaller layouts, in fact I would like to try it out on one some time.

DCS does work very well on small layouts and should also work well on larger ones too. I don't think blocks are your problem with your DCS system. Blocks, when done to meet DCS requirements, should greatly improve the signal and stop any signal bouncing. Your layout is bigger than mine, but six TIU's sounds like an awful lot of TIU channels for a basement layout? I would think six TIU's should be good for an awful lot of track, especially if you have Rev L TIUs with the improved signal strength? However, I am not familiar with the older TIUs needing the light bulbs and/or signal boosters.

I had a small loop of temporary track with no blocks which I believe caused the DCS signal to run all over itself. I had problems. When I went to a more permanent setup I followed the wiring guidelines in Barry's book. What a difference it made. I couldn't believe it myself. I didn't think blocks would make any difference in just a small, temporary loop of track, but adding them to my larger layout certainly did make a difference. I haven't had a problem since. I now think that a block would have helped my small, temporary loop as well. I have all sidings on the TIU channel that their respective track loop is connected to. The power is switched to each spur and siding so I can turn them off.

If you want to fix the operation of your DCS system, I recommend getting Barry's latest book (3rd edition) and comparing your wiring to his recommendations. Try to make your wiring match Barry's recommendations as closely as you can. This could be a lot of work on a large layout, but may be worth it to get your DCS system working properly. Tying two TIU channels together can cause big problems as well. I think this (among many other things) could easily happen without even realizing it, and especially on a large layout. I am not as knowledgeable on DCS as many here are, but I would be happy to try to help if you have any questions about it. Barry's book would be your best bet though. 

One thing I have noticed is that the real ES44AC horns are a lot louder, sounds better than a model and the Lionel version horn makes it sound like an F Unit or Alco. For a fact that is how the GP30 is suppose to sound but there 44 toner could be better with the horn and bell. the one at Cumbres and Toletec sounds nicer than the one in the WBB. I know their bullet proof. Because one fell off the lift bridge to the ground and the owner picked it and it continued to run.

Steven Michael:

Since you indicated an interest in N scale, here is a video (not mine) of the recently released Atlas S-2 with factory equipped LokSound. The LokSound system provides a very accurate reproduction of the 539 series prime mover and the level of sound is not diproportionate to the size of the model. I hope to be getting one of these models soon myself.

Best regards,

Bob

WILLYGEE,

Tell us more about the FM transmitter and the receiver system you have put together. It is very interesting and obviously adds another  dimension to the sound.  Also I didn't see anything relating to it on the link you listed. 

Conductor Earl

Conductor Earl posted:

WILLYGEE,

Tell us more about the FM transmitter and the receiver system you have put together. It is very interesting and obviously adds another  dimension to the sound.  Also I didn't see anything relating to it on the link you listed. 

Conductor Earl

Conductor Earl posted:

WILLYGEE,

Tell us more about the FM transmitter and the receiver system you have put together. It is very interesting and obviously adds another  dimension to the sound.  Also I didn't see anything relating to it on the link you listed. 

Conductor Earl

Probably best to call or i will call you  as a tutorial on this would get quite involved. Use my email in my profile and provide your contact # if you like

CNJ 3676 posted:

Steven Michael:

Since you indicated an interest in N scale, here is a video (not mine) of the recently released Atlas S-2 with factory equipped LokSound. The LokSound system provides a very accurate reproduction of the 539 series prime mover and the level of sound is not diproportionate to the size of the model. I hope to be getting one of these models soon myself.

Best regards,

Bob

Can't go wrong with ESU LokSound.

rtr12 posted:

Steven Michael posted:

The problem with DCS on my layout is the fact that we have blocks. It causes signals to bounce like crazy, and it also requires 6 TIUs (really should be seven because of sidings) to provide DCS signal to my entire layout. As far as I know, DCS works great on smaller layouts, in fact I would like to try it out on one some time.

DCS does work very well on small layouts and should also work well on larger ones too. I don't think blocks are your problem with your DCS system. Blocks, when done to meet DCS requirements, should greatly improve the signal and stop any signal bouncing. Your layout is bigger than mine, but six TIU's sounds like an awful lot of TIU channels for a basement layout? I would think six TIU's should be good for an awful lot of track, especially if you have Rev L TIUs with the improved signal strength? However, I am not familiar with the older TIUs needing the light bulbs and/or signal boosters.

I had a small loop of temporary track with no blocks which I believe caused the DCS signal to run all over itself. I had problems. When I went to a more permanent setup I followed the wiring guidelines in Barry's book. What a difference it made. I couldn't believe it myself. I didn't think blocks would make any difference in just a small, temporary loop of track, but adding them to my larger layout certainly did make a difference. I haven't had a problem since. I now think that a block would have helped my small, temporary loop as well. I have all sidings on the TIU channel that their respective track loop is connected to. The power is switched to each spur and siding so I can turn them off.

If you want to fix the operation of your DCS system, I recommend getting Barry's latest book (3rd edition) and comparing your wiring to his recommendations. Try to make your wiring match Barry's recommendations as closely as you can. This could be a lot of work on a large layout, but may be worth it to get your DCS system working properly. Tying two TIU channels together can cause big problems as well. I think this (among many other things) could easily happen without even realizing it, and especially on a large layout. I am not as knowledgeable on DCS as many here are, but I would be happy to try to help if you have any questions about it. Barry's book would be your best bet though. 

 

I think a lot of the problem on my layout is the bus wires. My dad has wires to every single piece of track, I know for fact that this is a crime against the TIUs. Unfortunately (or thankfully, depending on how you look at it) the bus wires are NOT coming out. That's why I want to start experimenting with DCC.

I imagine with wiring to every piece of track you certainly would have DCS problems. Wiring is definitely a personal preference thing, like choosing track or trains. Some folks have had success with DCS and bus wiring, I think by using light bulbs and filters. Others have not and have had lots of problems with that type of wiring. Re-wiring would be a huge task for many layouts. I have some small changes I want to make to my layout and I am dreading getting under the layout to do it. I like the wiring part, just hate getting under the layout.

I think DCC has some particulars with it's wiring as well, but it is more suited to bus wiring and all the smaller scale folks usually like to wire to every piece of track. You are probably better set up for DCC than DCS.