Alco diesel sounds

I would be surprised if they did not do that.  They have great sounds.

Actually its Alco (American Locomotive Company).

 

I started the concept of using real train sounds in Right of Way Industries locomotives.  It was the first ever on board digital sound system.  So most of the sounds you hear form these locos are recorded from the actual locomotive.

 

I am very sure Lionel does the same thing, as does MTH.  There are many first generation diesels available for recording.

 

Regards,

 

Lou N

The only issue is the ALCo recordings are of the 244 aspirated type. I would like to hear a board with the ALCo 251 found in many Century units. It sucks that my well detailed Atlas O c628 and C425 sound like an rs unit.

I haven't heard any production models that have that RS-3 sound-like a valve from a four stroke is about to let go. They all have an interesting sound.

 

A very nice dream to get some accurate recordings.

Alco prime movers are of a completely different design than EMD.   The engines develop their horsepower at lower RPM's and they are four cycle.  The old EMD engines were two cycle, ran faster and therefore produced a higher sound range than the four cycle engines. 

 

MTH did a masterful job of capturing the sound of the slow turning 539 engine which develops it's horsepower at only 740 RPM.  I have a model of the S-2 switcher with a 6 cylinder engine and listening to it "start up" is really neat.  It slowly starts to turn over and then gradually picks up speed until it reaches idle speed.  I often play that sequence for visiting friends just to have them hear it.

 

Since there are Alco engines still in existence in various operations, the sound technicians can make good digital recordings and transfer them to the model engine's electronics.  Where you have a problem is with the sound for which no operating engine exists.  I have a Weaver model of a VO1000, which had an old De La Vergne engine which developed it's maximum HP at only 625 RPM.  No one seems to have captured the sound of one of those engines, digitally, so Weaver chose the sound of an EMD switcher.  The one case in point for using this sound is that many of the VO1000's were re-engined, at an early date, so my model is one of those conversions.  Would have rather had the correct sounds, however.

 

Paul Fischer

 

 

I just watched an YouTube of the MTH S-2. It sounds to me that MTH recorded the engine from the RS-3, and not from the S-2? I could not hear the turbocharger.

 

Maybe the sound quality on the video was not reproducing the turbo whine? But, it sure sounded like a non-turbocharged ALCO 539 to me. Or, maybe I saw a different version of the MTH S-2?

 

Anyway, that MTH S-2 switcher sounds GREAT! I really enjoy the prime mover sounds in these engines.

EBT JIm:  The RS-3 used a 12 cylinder series 244 engine.  In addition to double the number of cylinders, that engine eveloped it's HP at about 1000 RPM.  There fore it has a much faster "beat" as well as a higher frequency sound.  I have a Weaver RSD4/5, which is supposed to have the same engine as the RS-3, and it has a very convincing "Alco" sound to it.

 

Incidentally,  The MTH S-2, DOES have a turbocharger sound to it.  You don't hear it until you go up to about step 3 in running speed, but from that level up, it's definitely audible.

 

Paul Fischer

 

 

You're right, Paul. Thanks.

 

I see now that it was the S-1 and S-3 that had the non-turbocharged 539.

 

I'm only aware of this non-turbo version because SoundTraxx makes a sound decoder for it, and I knew I had heard it someplace.

 

Jim