The voice of Union Pacific’s Defect Detectors, Majel Barrett, passed away Thursday, Dec 18th. For many, her voice is/was anonymous. But she had a rather famous claim to fame.
Heh, I just googled that claim, and you’re right, UP did use her voice for Defect Detectors.
I always thought her voice was used for USS Enterprise (and Voyager) Defect Detection only…
I recall her full name being Majel Barrett Roddenberry and she was the wife or Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and provided the voice of the computer on U.S.S. Enterprise…although I did not know her voice was used as that of the U.P. defect detectors…you live and learn a little every day.
How ironic - same function, but for two modes of transportation from different “time warps”, and that are about as completely different as could be . . .
U-P detector, milepost seven eight point eight, track one, no defects. Total axles six two four, temperature three zero degrees. Detector out.
May she rest in peace. [angel]
I wonder if she will join her husband in the Final Frontier?
I didn’t know she had passed, and certainly didn’t expect to find out here. Wow! She joins not only her husband but Scotty and Bones in the final frontier. Warp speed!
I debated posting it. I found out about her passing on an Astronomy website and about her U.P. defect detector voice from Wikipedia while looking for info to post to another astronomy website. Majel Barrett (Roddenberry) was in every variant of Star Trek. She was the computer voice. For UP and U.S.S. Enterprise. She also acted as 3 different characters in three different Star Trek series. And, she had married the creator of Star Trek. Just about the last thing I had expected to find in her resume was her UP connection. It’s an interesting world. May she rest in peace.
Did it say how old she was ? I checked UP’s website ,they dont mention it…
Thats really interesting…I would never thot about them hiring an actor or actress to do those voices…
I always thought those detector voices were computer-generated voice synthesizers, like the weather Service uses on their weather-radio broadcasts.
She was 76.
Jim, they can do a lot better than “Sven” these days (that voice on the caller’s system used to bug me no end–at least my name was one he could pronounce!).
She was 76.
Here is a link with more information. As for myself, I was surprised to see she played Nurse Chapel.
Tom
Some years ago I read that a voice like hers would be used for the data and if everything was OK - see Ted Marshall’s post above. However, if a serious defect was found such that a “STOP YOUR TRAIN” message was needed, that voice was much different - either the same person but in a strident or angry tone, or that or a Marine drill sergeant. (LOL) Any truth to that, then or now ?
Either way, an interesting “voice-over” career opportunity for unemployed actors/ actresses. I wonder how often do such things have to be updated or re-recorded, as the technology changes and new kinds of detectors are placed in service ?
Also, who - a “Trekkie” and with a sense of humor, no doubt - at either UP, the detector manufacturer, or its software producer, chose her for the UP’s detectors ? Who does BNSF use, for example ?
Finally, not a bad way to leave a piece or a remembrance of herself here, for at least a little immortality, esp. if it helps to promote safety.
- Paul North.
The detectors at Gurnee and Waxdale (Milwaukee sub) are male voices; however, recently the detector at Winthrop Harbor (Kenosha sub) was recently changed to a female voice, but it sure didn’t sound at all like Majel’s voice (and as a lifelong Trekker, I am quite familiar with her voice).
BTW, she also played the part of First Officer on the Star Trek pilot episode The Menagerie (aka: The Cage).
And of course she played Troi’s mother, apppearing on both ST The Next Generation and once on ST Deep Space Nine.
The Wikipedia listing said that Majel’s voice was used on the U.P.'s defect detectors west of the Mississippi. I suspect her voice was used on pre-CNW detectors and the CNW detectors kept their ‘voices’. Though, I cannot prove that. On another note. I’m impressed by the number of Trekkers and Trekkies who are railroaders. When I posted initially, I figured that there’d be a very good chance the post would go over with a resounding ‘thud’.
Re Majel Barrett:
Lived Long and Prospered.
Hate for this to be in the past tense.
Rgds IGN
This is the only female voice I have found on a UP detector. Any ideas?
Her voice was onSP detectors before the merger.
John Timm