Today I had a demo of the Bachmann RS3 sound loco and was very impressed and am on the verge of getting it. However I have about 10 locos without sound. I’m afraid that the sound loco will spoil me and I wont run the others at all. Have others done the same or have they gotten bored with the sound and gone back to using the soundless locos. I know some guys in O guage that have told me that, after awhile the sound gets on their nerves. What is the general feeling on this? Sorry if this has been discussed before, I’m just getting back in to HO.
Sound is like candy, too much of either gives you an ache! I usually have my engines sound volumes pretty low, and the occasional “silent” engine is appreciated for what it is, even without sound.
Once the novelty wears off, you will either go back to your old engines, or find a way to install sound in them![;)]
I’ve been running sound since 1983. Never gotten bored or tired of it. However, I still have piles of of non-sound locomotives that I have no problem running. Occasionally (even though the sound is tiny and tinny compared to the prototype) they do seem a bit lifeless. On the third hand, I have enough sound equipped locos that I could probably get at least one into each consist if I really wanted to.
I buy all my new locos with sound. Over all is cheaper and easier than installing it myself.
Hi alcofanschdy:
I’m sure that you are aware that you can add sound to your older locomotives. Depending on the locomotive some installs can be fairly easy whereas others can be a bit of a challenge. Some locomotives may not be worth the expense. Any candidate for sound should run well on DC. If you have three pole motors getting good slow speed operation can be difficult, as I have just learned. If the locomotive does not pick up power from all wheels the decoder may not perform smoothly. Fitting the decoder and speaker into some engines can also present some challenges.
As for the sound getting on your nerves after a while, one of the things that many decoders need is to have the sound volumes turned down from the factory settings. Most sound decoders have a master volume as well as controls for individual sounds. Speaker size and type can also make the difference between tinny and agreeable sound.
If you are interested in finding out which of your older locomotives are good candidates why not post a list here of what you have, including type and manufacturer. There are lots of people with specific knowledge who can advise you on which locomotives have good potential and which don’t.
You can also sell your old fleet on eBay and use the funds towards replacing them with factory installed sound.
Dave
EDIT:
My last piece of advise is probably not very good. You will get peanuts for your DC engines, so after rethinking your situation I think you would be better to keep them for now, at least until you decide whether or not sound is for you or not.
My road engines are all sound equipped and my switchers are silent. I like to let a road engine consist circulate while I do switching but there usually comes a time when I turn off the sound and enjoy switching in the quiet. I don’t think that I will add sound to my switchers but I’ll probably only buy sound equipped locos in the future.
Joe
I have about 10 or 15 Sound engines out of 65 units on the layout.
While sound is OK! - it can sometimes get annoying.
I can take ot or leave it.
Most of the tiem when I am switching I am concentrating more on the Operations that the Sound.
I wouldn’t get rid of any and if I can purchase a Sound unit at a good price I will usuallg get the Sound one.
BOB H - Clarion, PA
All I had were silent locos but decided that I would install a Sound Traxx decoder into my one brass (Sunset Models) Loco. Once a sound loco was operating on my layout the dynamic you are fearing came to life. I began equiping my other locos with sound because it provides another whole level of realism and operating capabilities. Installing each decoder was a challenge and expense which you may not want to undertake. I try to keep the sound at what I think of as a “scale level.” That is: if a prototype loco were far enough away to appear this small, I imagine how loud it would be and set the sound to that level. The sound has never become tiresome. But, the concern you have about putting your toe into the world of sound is real. Only you can decide if it would be a downward or upward spiral.
motopac
motopac, that what I’m afraid of, once I get one I’ll want more and more and there goes the train budget lol. I was satisfied with my current roster and wasn’t going buy any more locos and concentrate on scenery etc. Now I see myself going out of control and spending a ton of $$$ [xx(]
Like others, I have some with sound and some without. I find one or two generating sounds is enough on a small layout, probably some more as the layout grows.
As others have noted, some times I prefer no sound.
I wouldn’t spend a lot all at once (unless you have the money and no other hobby wants). Get the layout going first, sound can be added later.
Enjoy
Paul
I operate my sound equipped Bachmann S4 both ways…F8 shuts off the noise…When Bachmann releases their GP9 with sound then that will be the last sound equipped locomotive.
I’m not overly interested in sound.
I now have 2 sound locos but because I tend to operate late at night I find myself muting the sound a lot. I also have an MRC Symphony 77 sound system which I use for background noise sometimes. However I run both with and without sound all the time so its your choice
I just switched to DCC a little over a week ago and I have one sound equipped locomotive, an SD70ACe. I LOVE it (as does my conductor and junior engineer…my Son). It just adds a new demension to the layout that wasn’t there before. The factory sound is pleanty loud enough for our tastes, allowing us to talk to each other without having to raise our voices too much. Now I just need to figure out how to covert our DCC ready Bachmann GP38-2 and SD40-2 to DCC[:|]. I know that any future locomotive purchases will have sound already equipped.
I recommend it.
Regards, Don
I am semi anti sound… I had 3 locos with sound and sold two of them. Like said before it is candy… but after a while the diesel sound starts to wear on me. I have one sound loco left for when showing my layout.
I have about 15 sound engines- half of them from the factory and half installed by me. I love the change it has made in the hobby but as others have said; it can be annoying at times. I have most locos set to play the sounds only when it’s address is selected but some come on as soon as the power is turned on. With 7 or 8 engines all making sounds at the same time, even though at idle, the noise can be a little distracting. I will go around selecting the loudest ones and turn the sound off. I am starting to lower the volume on them all now as ‘standard operating procedure’. I will still buy most future locos with sound if I can afford them. I am also replacing some older ones with newer versions with sound, especially the Bachmann newer low priced ones.
-Bob
HECK NO!!!
I gave up on HO sound equipped locomotives after trying numerous different units of multiple makes.
I will buy a sound equipped unit if it only comes that way–My son is due to receive a BLI ACL purple and silver E-6A any day now, and they only offered it with sound.
Why have I given up on sound in HO?
The various HO diesel sounds just don’t cut it, in my book–none have been really all that satisfactory for me because the diesel sounds definitely get covered up by train noise (though BLI’s latest RSD-15’s are improved over previous runs).
I just don’t need the noise. I’m perfectly fine with just the quiet whirring sounds of today’s Genesis, P2K, and Atlas mechanisms. It’s relaxing and I can hear a problem if there is one, as long as there’s no noise makers installed. I like being able to hear wheel slip or if I’ve got something working too hard.
Also, given a choice between plain DC operation and paying $75 to $100 more for DCC with Sound (in most cases) my budget now requires that I save that $100 luxury, as DCC and sound are both things I just don’t need.
John
I’d love to have all my locos sound-equipped as many of my friends do, but I simply don’t have the money or the time to retrofit 30+ engines with Tsunamies. Sure I could maybe fix up a half-dozen, but then I’d always have to worry about how to make sure I include one in every consist.
I was quite pleased with my older Stewart/Kato/Atlas models before sound became the norm, no reason to let that change now. Then again, if I win the Lottery…hmmm…
If the decoder craps out will the loco still run? If you take the decoder out will it run? Decoder problems are something I hadnt thought of.
Karl said it best! I’ve gone with sound and yes some of my older engines are now relegated to the sidings. However they are slated for sound installs eventually. If you double head stick the quiet ones in behind. Like any technology there are failures but for the most part I have found once the decoder is installed properly you shouldn’t have problems
Fergie
I like sound; but, I also like my locos that don’t have it; so, no I didn’t get rid of my soundless locomotives.
I am not antisound, I just think silence is golden. Not that i haven’t thought about sound, but when I have listened, it doesn’t seem all that realisitic and, IMHO, makes the engines more toy like. This may be more of a function of the speaker than anything else.
That said, here is a newbie sound person question - how are sounds made? Are they recorded, stored and then played back or are they electronically generated?