I so enjoy the DCC and its" bells and whistles". I have had a digitrax empire builder? it had the ut4 throttle. wow what a useless throttle. then i got a couple dt300. now i want dt402d…when i can find it cheap.
but on to my point.
i was happy to get independent control of my 55 loco’s.
then i got a 2 engines with sound 1 steam 1 diesel and i just let the sit on the track while im working and listen to the motor rumble or the steam hiss.
now they have coupler sounds and reving engines under load… so cool
im waiting for the “real smells” of a train. then i can really annoy my wife o joy
Been there. Sometimes it was from something I ate, but the one related to my layout was when I stained my scratchbuilt trestle with real creosote oil. That got me the ‘look’, let me tell ya…
And now, you’ll realize that you mostly run those two engines, and the other 55 sit quietly on sidings and roundhouse stalls, or in boxes under your layout. One by one, you’ll add sound to your favorites.
Some of us, me included, are addicted to sound. We’re hooked. My only non-sound engines only run in consists with sound engines. Columbian drug cartels could take lessons from Soundtraxx.
Beas, While I wouldn’t call it an addiction I find that sound helps me to run more prototypically and I do really notice the absence on layouts without it. That said my MU’s mostly have sound in only one unit and the others are powered. My upcoming project is putting a Tsunami in an F3 so I can have power control and sound and Rule 17 lighting…Oh my! Enjoy! John
what is the point of any thread other than to communicate what ever is on your mind… and id let that ut4 sit and gather dust than give it to you …say hi to the other dwarfs for us will you grumpy
and the point of this thread is that the only thing left for prototypical trains is smell they have sound independant control and couplers…so youre welcome for the clarification
Guess I am a little odd, but I am to the point I don’t care much for sound engines. I now have 10 sound engines and 90% of the time I run the none sound ones. Racket just gets on my one last nerve.
For me, it is more soothing to watch the silent engines gild around the bench. I have my monuments when I want to hear my Big Boy drag a 60 car long train, or the air pump of my GE AC 6000’s kick in.
If I where to do it all over, maybe 4 sound engines.
My layout is in a two-car garage and presently I am finishing building the locomotive yard. One afternoon Il was admiring the recent work I had accomplished and was surprised by a smell of creosote. For a minute I thought my old age had finally taken over my senses.
Then I realized a few months ago I had my driveway sealed for the winter. They brush on a tar-like substance, which smells just like the creosote that is common to train yards. The smell wandered inside under my garage doors.
It occurred to me that it might add that final touch of reality to your layout if you hid a small can of driveway sealer under your bench-work just before the arrival of layout visitors. I would remove it after the visitors leave and store it outside.
I can only say that I enjoy my sound-equipped engines immensely. I have also installed ambient sounds on the layout (3 channels) as well and that makes it so much better as there is more then just the engine sounds now.
Ah, yes, the joys of savoring the lingering aroma of a cattle or hog train. Some of the smells of railroading should obviously be kept under wraps. [tdn]