Which sound of a locomotive do you prefer? A Diesel or Steam? I prefer a diesel loco, I love to hear them rev up when they are getting the trian moving. Although I am a gear head, I do like my planes (F-15), trains(SD40-2) and race car (drag racing). The diesels just do it for me! [:D]
I like both steam and diesel but lean a little more to diesel. When it comes to diesel sounds what does it for me are the old Alco’s and Geeps & Cadillacs.
A steam locomotive has a lot more “soul” to it’s audio output than any diesel.
Still, I love the sound of a roots blown EMD digging in. ALCos seem to get a lot of love for their “burble” but I think the roots blown EMDs have a nice little growl that seems to be underappreciated. Adding a turbo to the EMD kind of kills it, though. I think there’s too much turbo whine and the bass growl gets lost in the whistle of the turbo.
either steam or a gp 38-2 shoving cars in a yard works for me.
stay safe
joe
I love the sound of a normally aspirated EMD like an E or F unit accelerating or when in dynamic breaking…it is really a neat sound to hear…but alas, we don’t get to hear that much any more outside of yard limits except on rare occasions around here.
I’ll go with Chris’s evaluation.
I noticed this when playing with MSTS and Trainz - and since while working with real EMD’s - when the throttle is advanced, the engine revs just a little above its target RPMs, then settles back in. It’s not easy to explain, but if you’ve heard it, you’ll know exactly what I mean. I don’t notice that our ALCOs do it, and I’m not around GE’s enough to notice.
Steam locomotives are more about the whole show–sound doesn’t do anything for me without the visuals! You haven’t lived until you’ve seen and heard a Shay!
No visuals for diesels (with the possible exception of exhaust on non-EMD units). Alcos had the best idle–I used to love hearing the GTW’s S2s and RS1s. More cylinders might have ruined the effect. Nowadays, the most thrilling sound is a diesel locomotive–any diesel–notching out under load.
Dynamic brakes add a little variety to the sounds. That’s one thing I like about Elmhurst as a train-watching spot: if you stay long enough to get a good number of eastbounds, you will definitely hear the d/b on some of them. This is where the visual helps–in the short distance between the station and the control point, the speed can really drop, and if no air’s being used, you realize what the d/b is doing with the train.
ALCOA PA-4’s grinding up hill into Bristol Tenn-va hauling southaern train #46
Back in the 90’s when the NS was running steam excursions, there was a Chicago-FtWayne run on a Sunday morning. I was in church when the train passed thru (NS 611 I think). The sound was really incredible, particularly with the whistle tailing off…
ed