Crew Talk Suggestion

Didn't Lionel use our publisher's voice several years ago!!!

Do you need radio conversation from a cab of most steamers?  And if you have crew talk, have it for the particular road of the locomotive.  SPish for 4449, UP for 844, Milw for 681, N&W for 611......

For steam it could be in-cab conversation between the Engineer and Fireman instead of radio talk.

Yes they did, in the NKP Berkshire. I recorded some new lines for the new release that's coming out soon.

I agree with Tom, however. Much of the conversation in the MTH and Lionel cab audio is stilted and not realistic at all.

What we need in the steam engines is the engineer yelling at the fireman complaining about the water level being too low, too much smoke and not enough steam! 

all true. Nobody said "Roger that!" in the 1940s and fifties.

A person brought in to the Lubbock, TX hobby shop a large steam locomotive to run on the test track.  And it featured crew talk.  I don't remember any of the jabber except one transmission from the hogger to the DS saying something like, "we need to get this train going..."

The DS flatly replies, "X-####, you need to wait for my signal"

That cracked me up, since I have witnessed that a time or two.

Have radio talk of an engineer telling the roadmaster why he needs to get past the red flag, or some such, and you have the REAL thing.

I happen to like the crew talk, but I agree with you that it should be made more realistic like actual railroad employee conversations as you have suggested. It is a good idea you have. It would also be nice to have a more conversation/dialog added, so you don't always get the same few lines in the same conversations.

You mean you guys didn't sit there and discuss Plato and Socrates?

Rusty

Right you are, Rich.  Complaining, mostly at the Fireman, but also about the train crew and the Train Dispatcher, and about delays, and about the engine, was constant with many crabby old steam Engineers.

However, there is ample opportunity for in-cab conversations about block signals, train order signals, upcoming meets, how much water is left in the tank, where to take water, where to go to beans, use of the injector, etc.  Different crew talk when stopped than when running (but also containing complaining).

For diesels when running, add radio calls to Maintenance of Way Foremen to get authority to pass through limits of his main track authority, radio calls to the Dispatcher (not "Dispatch") trying to avoid taking siding (with proper reply and answer), etc, and when stopped, 2-person radio conversations about being ready to move, in cab conversation about good beaneries, moaning and groaning about last trip, griping about the Trainmaster, etc. And of course, all the railroaders on this Forum will want the most realistic crew talk of all - the Train Dispatcher telling the Engineer, "I'll dispatch the railroad.  Just proceed on signal indication.  Out".

I've said the same thing many times Tom, just not so politely or politically correct.

I agree 100%

I doubt the Dispatcher EVER told the steam crew to "Start 'er up" and stand by for track orders! That's one of the dumbest things said in crew talk.

Good suggestion, Tom. I would write directly to both Lionel and MTH with your suggestion.

True, because MANY railroads didn't even have radios anyway in the 1940s and 1950s. 

Great idea.  I hope it gains traction with Lionel and MTH.  I like the cab chatter in general and would like it a lot more if it was more realistic.

Art

I think I'd rather have "roger that" than a miserable curmudgeon spouting correct dialog.

Just sayIn'.  

Here's one that didn't make it into production:

I was sitting in on a recording session for an MTH diesel, and at one point I had to "big hole" the recording when my friend (who has done a lot of the subway sets) addressed the brakeman by title as if using the radio...as part of a conversation where said crewman is sitting right across the cab from him.

Yes, he was going to go "engineer to brakeman" to someone sitting in the cab with him. (insert facepalm here)

Now, the guy is a fountain of knowledge that went into crafting the subway sets, but his voiceovers sounded like he was a probationary conductor making his first announcements with the head of the transit agency, all his foremen, a pack of lawyers and the FCC standing right behind him .   

---PCJ

Yo...you talkin' 'bout me?  

Data didn't understand  human nature again?

Why settle for someone's canned spiel, particularly with Legacy or PS-3.  If the future of command control is smart phone, tablet, or laptop interface, it should be possible for the user to load his own re-writable sound file more tailored to the scenarios on his/her layout.

Poppyl     

Not a fan of crew talk.  

I know others in the hobby enjoy it though.  

Tiny people talking nonsense in toy size locomotives that you can hear all over the layout !

My solution.

What about the dog barking sound bite?!?!?!  I've only had it on one of my steam files and did a double take when I heard it.  It could have been the engineer "barking" at the fireman but I don't think so.  How bout some female engineers in modern diesels?

Wyhog has some great suggestions, plus I'm sure they talked about other things other than the job at hand like "What's for dinner?" or company/union policies, or "I remember when...".  Crew talk could definitely be more realistic, but then someone would complain about some of the language if it got too spot-on.

I have been saying for a long time that there are scanners out there that can monitor the RR radio channels. Too bad the manufacturers are too cheap to make use of them to learn how real conversations play out over the radio.

There is so much really stupid talk programmed into these engines, but, the one that makes me cringe is when the dispatcher tells the engineer to "Take the green". Never happened!

And here is another one.

I watched the Lionel N&W Y3 review Eric had posted. Listening to that chatter really showed how they don't care what is said, only that a voice comes out of the speaker. The engineer asking the dispatcher if he could start his steam engine up was one of the stupidest conversations I have ever heard!!! Did I put enough exclamation marks in there?

Once again I say that, early on many people were complaining about not being able to understand the crew talk. Now, the sound it is like everyone is sitting around a table and the conversation is clear as a bell (which I suppose they really are). What a bunch of hooey!  

You sound folks know what I'm speaking of. I don't know the correct term for the sound quality/tone/whatever. I don't know how to explain it other than there is no distance in the sound. And, there is no background noise.

Putting all of these stupid sounds into the lofty premise of "Vision" or "Premiere" does nothing but beat those two words down into the vulgar gutter!

I make no apologies if I have stepped on any toes. Suck it up boys! Go learn how to do your job and do it right!

It's a good idea.  I agree.

All realistic dialog, with realistic appearing locomotives, with voices of Professionals who have been there and done that, sounds great to me.

I'm from an era when you listened to your Seniors, no matter how the Senior said it,

so's that the new kid, or man did not to get anyone killed, injured and to properly learn the job 'RIGHT!'

Just like in the Armed Forces!

It may sound rough, but for the most part, that's really how one learns.

Later on, once everyone is established, then a more gentle CONVERSATION can be exchanged.

Ralph

I quite like the crew talk in my Legacy locomotives, but there are times when I wish it could be disabled when using the sequence control feature. I use sequence control quite a lot, and think that it is a great feature, but the excess chatter when switching etc. can be annoying at times.

Good morning

How about an-off- button?

Clem

There are two sets of crew talk on MTH engines that have it. The random chatter that pops up is scripted studio talk for sure. All engines have the same voices saying almost the same thing. Then there is the PFA sequence talk. For the steamers that is a set of station announcements for an arriving train. For the diesels every one is completely different and sure sounds authentic to me! Sure don't see how the PFA dialogues can be made to sound more realistic in MTH PS2 and 3 diesels.

I'm all for this.  There was once a switch to turn off RailSounds but keep the horn/whistle and bell, why not now put a switch that turns off the chatter?  Then I can keep it off when I run trains, but my 10 year old can turn it on when he runs.  That's the one thing I am dreading about getting the new Lionel Big Boy, it's all the chatter it'll have.

Believe it or not, I still like the random cab chatter from PS1 diesels better than my PS2, PS3, or Legacy. It might not have produced a conversation, but the chatter sounded better to my ears.

Good Day,

Just thinking................I'd like to hear a conversation between the lead diesel locomotive and the caboose!

Regards,

Swafford

I thought that cabooses were eliminated some 30 years ago.

Just gotta point out, In DCS you CAN turn off the chatter.

Also, there is No chatter while in motion except PFA which you have to trigger by pushing a button.

I'll agree, a lot of the voices are repeated in far to many engines.

But they did PFA right in both the Imperial big Boys I have had.

One is a Flag stop, one is a switching operation.

Both are correct for the Era as far as I can tell, No radios, just a very convenient phone and conversation between Engineer & Dispatch, then Eng & Fireman.

The other is just conversation between Eng & Fireman during a switching stop to drop some cars.

And that's what I hate about crew talk. It's anachronistic. Almost no one had radio communication until after WWII. Listening to modern slang coming from an old steam engine drives me bonkers.

How bout Cal's famous saying on the Cajon Sub? "Well nobody told me"

The dispatchers are NOT allowed to tell the crew what the signal indication is, but on the Cajon Sub we have one that says "Come on down, the waters fine" or "Come on down and take a look"

And another crew favorite required by the rule....

conductor: "BNSF 7780 Cajon Sub, stopped all red at Cajon over!"

dispatcher: "Train ahead, Cajon Sub DS OUT!"