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Bob’s Train Box: Episode 58
The Rail Dynamics recording of the New York Central in the transition era is significant to audiophiles in addition to train fans because Emory Cook, the guy who made and sold the original recording, was one of the great eccentric geniuses of audio sound recording. His binaural recordings were a version of stereo but instead of using the two sides of a single groove to capture the stereo sound, as is the case with your regular stereo vinyl disc, Cook’s binaural used two parallel groves for which you needed two styluses and a special cartridge. All very tricky to set up and quickly made obsolete by the regular stereo LP system. Cook originals get a premium price from collectors and almost lost in the collector mania is the actual recording content itself. Some of his recordings were of music, some of pure “sound” including insect sounds and as in this case, trains that were otherwise not captured in true high fidelity much less stereo. I wonder if this is taken from the original tapes or is recorded off a clean disc using rare equipment.
Another fun episode! Bob is just plain fun to watch and does a nice train show.
Maybe we can get the Smithsonian to redo the Vinton Wight recording of steam on the UP and CB&Q in Nebraska?
Thanks for making this available on the Model Railroader newsletter, not just the one for Classic Toy Trains. We like them too.
Bob, I see you have the Maltese Falcon on your back bar! Better keep your door locked. That is the “stuff dreams are made of”
Another great episode, thanks,
Love it!
Wish it included a modeling tip!