I’m looking into ways of adding simple sound units to my Santa Fe Hi-Level passenger cars.
Thanks to a Christmas present (70 Years of Trains Magazine on DVD) I have been reading some old articles on the Hi-Levels. And one mentions that they were loud on the outside due to each car having its own diesel generator to provide electricity.
I never thought about how loud they were prior to Amtrak converting them to HEP. But it makes sense that they would be.
So I’ve been searching for a simple sound unit that plays a loop of a diesel generator.
I figured something like this must exist for HO scale mechanical reefers. Looking through the archives there are a few options, like Aztec Trains
But I’m not sure if this is exactly what I need. Unfortunately they do not have a posted clip so one could listen to a sample of the sound unit.
There are also the sound modules by Innovative Train Technologies. I use these for our G scale train layout. They have a sound for a reefer car, but it seems lacking to what I’d imagine the Hi-Level generators sound like.
I use the computer game Microsoft Train Simulator (MSTS) a lot and there is a pretty good sound of what I think the Hi-Level generators would sound like. It is for a mechanical reefer. I uploaded the sound file for those who would like to download it and hear it at the link below (Download link removed due to concerns from the hosting site 2shared.com) :
I think it would add some interest to my passenger train to hear multiple generators humming and with all the room downstairs I should be able to fit most sound units.
That is an interesting idea of adding sound to some of the reffers & other equipment, a good thought! I know I’m waiting the release for the GenSet Switchers, & that may be close (a start) with one engine running at an approiate rpm. I am not too into sound decoders as of yet, but my ubnderstanding is that a few may allow someone to load their own sound files, this may be just that occasion & opportunity!
I can help you out with the “Aztec Reefer Sound” part in one word. Horrible [tdn]
Although I’ll do a little more explaining.[:D] Inside each car is one very small calculator battery ( 1 1/2 volts ) plus a small perfboard hooked to a small speaker, though I believe it is called a peazer and not a speaker. There is a small slide switch on the underside of the frame were you must pick up the car each time you want to turn on/off the sound and set it back on the tracks and then you get a low bzzzzz sound that only a bee itself would think the noise was loud.
The only thing that is good about the deal is the Athearn reefer car. I know for I own two of the puny sounders and I paid through the nose for the two thinking I was getting something. [:(!]
OH, did I mention each car with the sound unit cost $24.95 USD.
I was thinking about a customizable sound decoder. The plus would be to have each car on its own address and I could also control interior lighting with the decoder. But the ones I know that you can load your own sounds to (Loksound, and maybe QSI?) are expensive per decoder. That can get quite expensive for a full Hi-Level trainset. I’ll have to look more into the Digitrax soundbug…not sure if you can load your own sounds to it or not.
Wish someone made a passenger or freight car sound decoder with limited sound capacity and very basic light functions. Without motor control features and a lot of the bell and whistles (pun definitely intended) I bet the cost per unit would be affordable.
Nice idea, but I think it is still in the future of the hobby.
Oh and a big thanks for the info on the Aztec reefer sound unit. It didn’t look too promising for what I wanted, but good to hear from another about the product.
I was even thinking about using one of those recordable greeting cards [:S] Who knows, it might be an interesting Frankenstein project. Be hard to get it to loop though.
Yeah I’d like some “Less Expensive Alternatives” as well, as I got a fleet of (& now outdated Kato’s) without sound, &/or sound approiated, for that matter.
For those that have not tried it, put a few 3+ sounders on a track & fire them all up! It is the coolest thing to hear them all singing in an uncoordinated way, -like real life…
I think this is what the O.P. wants & really, I do too, all thouse sounds making a RR medely, how nice!
It’s too bad it costs serious coin, right now, but I guess that is what we got.
*** These are just my thoughts, & personal opinions, please forgive me if I am in error. Thanks!
I apologize for the (Reefer Sound) link causing computer problems. I used the first free file hosting site I found via Google (2shared.com)
Didn’t have any issues on my side, but that could be because I uploaded it rather then tried to download it. In any event I removed the download link above to prevent any further issues.
I apologize for the (Reefer Sound) link causing computer problems. I used the first free file hosting site I found via Google (2shared.com)
Didn’t have any issues on my side, but that could be because I uploaded it rather then tried to download it. In any event I removed the download link above to prevent any further issues.
A thought: And this doesn’t allow you per car adjustable lighting, but if you can fid yourself a good decoder, then buy one and then put speakers in the cars and hook the whole mess up with wires & plugs, if done right, it won’t look too bad with the hoses that are between cars anyway. They sell single and double pin plugs, but if you can find them, let me know as I need some too.
A thought: And this doesn’t allow you per car adjustable lighting, but if you can fid yourself a good decoder, then buy one and then put speakers in the cars and hook the whole mess up with wires & plugs, if done right, it won’t look too bad with the hoses that are between cars anyway. They sell single and double pin plugs, but if you can find them, let me know as I need some too.
The Digitrax SoundBug units do allow you to download your own sound set. If you do this, get the SoundBug, not the SFX0416. The SoundBug has acceptable volume levels; the SFX0416 is inaudible with anything else running.
To program these, though, you need a PS2 or PS3 programmer, which is about $80. If you deal with a LHS, they may have one and can do the download for you. The SoundBug comes with default diesel and steam sounds. If you’re happy with the idling diesel sound, then you won’t need a programming unit.
The SoundBug has no lighting outputs. You may want to look at the newer Digitrax sound-and-motor decoders, which have light outputs (you won’t need the motor part, but it’s there) for the same MSRP as a SoundBug.
Interesting. I used to go down to the Lamar Colorado station every night and watch the Super/El Cap stop. I don’t remember the noise. Of course, I wasn’t really paying attention to the sounds, I was too busy mapping car window arrangements trying to figure out what cars were in the train. I had no idea there were books written on the subject.
There was an old Symposium on Electronics article in MR that gave plans for building a mechanical reefer sound generator, maybe in late 80s. I never got around to building one; it probably was just a buzzer circuit but was better than nothing and cheaper than a DCC decoder. I will have to dig around in my old projects files to see if I can find it.
Each reefer has its own Digitrax SoundBug, a QSI high bass speaker, and uses Ring Engineering power trucks.
Normally the sounds play a lot longer before cycling between on and off. But for the YouTube video I cut them down so the clip wouldn’t be too long. It is pretty cool to hear them cycle independently.
I haven’t added this sound to a Hi-Level yet, but plan to in the future.
Probably much the same, the method was pretty much the same, small diesel generator generating power for the cooling unit. “small” being realtive, this was not like your portable household generator, but comapred to a loco prime mover, it was ‘small’
GE Cummins Diesel or Galloping Goose could be options, I think the GE Cummins Diesel is probably close and with equalizer, etc can be made to sound very close. Cummins makes a lot of engines like this used in everything from stationary to marine to heavy equipment to over the road truck, to generator, etc