The Ultimate Railsounds Experience

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I just purchased the new Lionel C&NW GP-7 Command Control Special(6-28517) from my local service station. I grew up near C&NW tracks
and frequently heard their diesel horns. Back then, when I was close to the trains, the sound those specific diesel horns made sent chills downs
my spine. Needless to say I tended to keep my distance from them. I still ride their commuter trains (now Union Pacific) and todays horns do
not have the same sound or effect on me.

Tuesday night I tried out my new engine. It runs great. However, when I pushed the horn button, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I got the same
feeling I had as a kid. I kept repeating the horn for almost 10 minutes. It has been years since I heard those old horns. Could it be that Lionel recorded the sound of an acual horn of the type used by the C&NW in the fifties.

I e-mailed Lionel yesterday and they got back to me today. Yes it is a recording of the actual 1518 C&NW Geep. I just finished searching the web and discovered that 1518 is a part of an ongoing restoration project at the Illinois Railway Museum. I will be going to the museum on Father’s day again this year (my family takes me there every year). I will make a point to see the engine.

To date I have always enjoyed the sounds of Lionel’s Railsounds, but this is the first time I have heard one from a prototype I had heard as a child. What an incredible job the Lionel sound techs are doing reproducing these sounds. Until today I realy had no idea how faithful to the prototypes they are.

Has anyone else had a similar experience.

Tim P.

2

When I was in the second grade we moved from Long Island to Pearl River, NY. I thought it was great living across the street (Railroad Avenue) from the Pascak Valley Commuter Line. We were only about 500 feet from the station. The Erie Railroad ran the line and used RS-3’s for commuter and local freight service. When I replaced the signal sounds board on my Lionel PA-1 with a RailSounds board, I was transported back in time to 1960. The horn and engine sounds were like what I remember the sounds of the RS-3’s were. The loping engine at low idle and the bleating horn at start up were the same. As I nudged the throttle, the engine revved up and the horn blare became more distinct, just like the old RS-3’s as they lurched out of the station, horn blaring at the three grade crossings near our house. The only thing missing was the big cloud of black “turbo lag” smoke! Thank you Neil Young for coming up with an audio time machine and Rudy Trubitt and crew for the masterful job done capturing these sounds.