A New Outlook For Me and My Trains

Bob Severin posted:

Last year I succeeded reaching the seventh decade of life.   As I have aged, noise has become a greater irritant in my life.  Here begins my dilemma.  For a long time, I sought out and purchased trains that had "sound".  Chuff sounds, hissing sounds, motor revving sounds, crew talk, station talk and so on.  I didn't mind the sound of older post war motors and noisy, chattering reverse units didn't bother me.  I rather enjoyed the sounds of running my trains.  Today, things are much different.  

Now, one must take into account that I am ambitious about running my trains.  My layout is rather simple.  It starts at the ceiling with a shelf loop of track that circumvents the entire room on O-54 curves.  Two home built tables, one on either side of the room accommodate  three loops each.  These are just simple roundabouts consisting of some O-54 track, O-42 track, O-31 track and O-27 track.  Now there are some clearance issues, so I have to be careful when running all the individual trains to avoid collisions.  I can do it by myself, but when the grandkids come over, there are always mishaps.  

And, when the grandkids come over, it's loud sounds, chuffing, crew talk, constant whistles and bells and lots of questions that I am unable to hear and answer without leaving the room.   I started wearing earplugs, and thought to myself, why?

So, I began to turn down, or turn off the sounds to lessen the noise.  But there was always the noise of the older Pulmor motors.  So, I started to eliminate them from the layout.  I have recently purchased more than a few Williams steamers and diesels.  some have sound, but it is not as obtrusive as some other manufactures sounds, at least to my ears and hearing ability.

Another thing I have discovered, the new Williams locos are all smooth runners, with very little noise being generated at the motors and wheels.  Did I say they are smooth runners?  Well, they are.  They will run very slow, down at seven or eight volts, and their finish and painting is superb.

So, I have already disposed of many of my older steamers and growlers both with and with-out sound, and will be happily running my new fleet of Williams and O-Line reproductions.  I still have steamers, nice diesels and several GG-1 electrics.  All are pleasing to look at, and a dream to run.  No complicated systems to program and remember how to operate.  

I am sure there are detractors who do not share my view, but I am happy with my trains, my train room and my simple layouts.  And, I do not suggest to anyone that my view is the correct view.  I know that we all have strong feelings on our collections, our layouts, and how we operate them.  

So, there you are.  It's my story of the present day, and probably of the future of my hobby of model railroading.  It makes me happy, as I hope everyone's particular train running makes themselves happy.

 

Hello Bob

I don't have any noise problems because I am "DEAF" !!! and have been since 1959.   Quiet is nice when sleeping at night !LOL

For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean.  Isaiah 28:8 NKJV (New King James Version)

Tiffany

Speaking for the masses without consent, the train noise drowns out other auditory irritations in life - like our wives calling us.  Just kidding, my wife's voice is music to my ears (unfortunately the equivalent of Willie Nelson, the late Leon Russell and Iris Dement singing Louie Louie in harmony). 

What, me worry? 

I have found myself turning off the sound on my locos from time to time when running just to make sure everything is running okay. All are sound-equipped but every now and then, I'd rather run silent:

You don't need the sounds all the time!

I've never really cared for generated sounds. Unless I'm testing, I rarely blow whistles or sound horns on the engines that have them. I do enjoy hearing the noises that the mechanisms make, and the wheels clicking over the rail joints.
Same goes for smoke.

Since I like playing music while I run trains, I usually run with the sounds set low. Just enough to hear when the engine runs by where I am sitting.  That generally how it works in real life.

I work in an environment of jet engines, bells, alarms, equipment noise, conveyors and a radio in my ear all day long.  When I get home it's quiet running Williams passenger locomotives pulling consists from MTH, Atlas, GGD, K-line, and Lionel.  I do have many MTH locomotives with sound but often turn the volume way low on these.   Williams F3, E7, GG1, Alco FA or PA, are usually what runs the most around my layout.  

When I converted to battery-powered, remote-control (BPRC) I did so without any hesitation, knowing I would lose generated sounds (and smoke).  As it turned out there's plenty of sound/noise made anyway from the engine and cars moving around the layout.

 I do not miss it and can hear the engine sound vary as it tries to go up or down an incline.

My ears ring all the time so any noise I can eliminate can only be a good thing.

Having not had any sound equipped engines until I switched from HO to O gauge about 5 years ago, I still find it pleasing, but on a fairly low setting like 20 or 30 percent on DCS.  Often I don't run the trains because my wife has suffered from almost endless headaches for about 4 years.  It wouldn't be a problem but the dog hears the trains on track from anywhere in the house, then she has to run in barking.  Not good for headaches.  She is a good dog, and my wife really is attached to her.

Bob I have done some of the same thing you have done. About 3 years ago I tried running my trains in the conventional mode and just love it so much that I removed my DCS, TMCC, and Legacy systems as well as my remote control of switches and block. I then installed a control panel with toggle switches for blocks. Started buying Williams engines and put all the others on the shelf. I now have over 20 Williams engines and love them all. Some have the new 16 bit sound and some True Blast II. I enjoy the simple world of running my trains and watching them run on the layout. Low sound but great runners. I also wired them in series to slow them down even more on start up. Using Z4000 for power. I use Lionel, K-Line, and others for rolling stock and passenger cars. I do have some Williams passenger cars. As you said this view may not be for everyone but I enjoy my setup and others enjoy their setup I am sure.

I still like the sounds of my engines and the rolling stock on the rails but I do keep the volume down.  I am all MTH with DCS currently but I do have TMCC hooked up and they run simultaneously when a Lionel engine shows up.  I need to buy one for myself.  One of these days . . . . .

Dennis