Dreyfus Hudson fixed: VERY good smoke and whistle!!!!!

I am sincerely pleased that you got this running. Streamlined steam engines are my slippery slope and the NYC engines are especially appealing to me. You've got a beautiful engine there!

Gilly

I can't say this any way nice.

That sound is so MTH generic I hardly ever blow one of their whistles anymore..

Love the engine though, they do make good looking ones.

Great looking engine.

The whistle, though the same as my Premier Dreyfuss from 2000, still sounds good to me.

MTH seems to be getting better with their chuffing sounds as well.

Glad you were able to fix it easily.

Enjoy.

I can't guarantee the sounds here are authentic but they might just be.

As for the sounds of the older models, replacing the speaker will make a world of difference. The sounds are there you just can't hear them with the 25 cent speaker they used to use.

Pete

Are they ever going to improve  the sound set? Very disappointing IMO. 

Those sound like the way I remember them. You'll also noticed those NYCs were not running passenger trains at 30 scale MPH either, like some of my club brothers do.

Hi Lee,

Thanks for posting "the rest of the Story"  Its an impressive engine! I had confidence that you would be able to figure out how the get it running.   

And Pete,  thanks for posting the video of Steam. 

Hey, I love it too. I suppose there is always someone you can't please, but  . . . usually people are smart enough to pick something good if they are going to copy it for the "generic" version and that is the case here, I think.  In person it sounds deeper and with a small very shrill note adde din that the ATSF Hudson don't have.  It is a wonderful whistle.  

Thank you Lee for the report

Personally I like that whistle on a Hudson, the other NYC classes should get a different whistle. Is there any good recordings of the different NYC whistles?

Clem k

Lee,

I'm so glad you got her to work and didn't have to send her back or worse yet; have to make a shelf queen out of her!!!

Good for you!

Best,

Dave

Looks & sounds very good to me. Glad you were able to fix it without much difficulty. Enjoy your new engine.

Lee,

I couldn't tell from the video whether or not the engine's drivers are illuminated. Are they?

Please advise - thanks!

Good work, Lee. Your fiffling skills paid off well.

The NYC used two different whistles. Niagaras, all Hudsons, and L-3A (passenger) and all L-4 Mohawks used a six bell whistle (from the official drawings). ALL freight engines, including L-3B and L-3C Mohawks and everything else, with one exception, used a five bell whistle. (The single exception is that the P&LE A-2A Berkshires used the NYC six bell passenger whistle.). Additionally, the K class Pacifics used on the River Division and the Hudson Division in commuter service used a variation of the "standard" whistle, called a "long bell".

The Niagaras were retrofitted with a single trumpet pneumatic horn in the 1948 period, in addition to their whistle. The horn was on the engineer's side of the boiler immediately ahead of the cab. The reason for this is that the whistle mounted near the stack could not be heard inside the cab in inclement weather.

The old Semaphore records issuance of their 78 RPM! record has recordings of each of these whistle types, including a K class Pacific with a long bell, which is absolutely beautiful.

The whistles on my MTH L-4 Mohawks, my B&A Hudson, and my Dreyfuss engines all sound correct.

As an aside and with regard to the sound, I recently had my MTH NKP #779 Berkshire upgraded from Proto 2 to Proto 3. The quality of the exhaust chuff is now MUCH better. (It has the "wet steam" sound with overtones, and it is really enjoyable to listen to.) I have heard the reason for this is a faster and more capable chip. I have another Berk, and if I thought that just a speaker change would improve the sound, I would install it.

Thank you Hudson5432

So other than atmospheric conditions, they would vary in sound because of boiler pressure?

Or if they where horizontal or vertical?

Clem k

Always a pleasure to see one of these run. The whistle, though, is on every one of my 

MTH locos, and I've never cared for it - I call it the MTH "lazy whistle" - like it doesn't

want to be bothered. Of course, I only run MTH with my Remote Commander (or

occasionally conventionally), and I presume that the Full DCS can do more with the

whistle? The sound is OK, but it's just...so...tired...

But, who cares? At least we have these nits to pick on all of our beautiful equipment,

and I like all brands.

=====

I have always thought that Lionel had MTH beat on steam sounds. MTH never seemed

to have the low-end/bass range. But, on the other hand, MTH had/has a high-register, crisp "bark", especially when accelerating, that I wish RS had. I have a little PS2 RK Southern

4-8-2 (a Mohawk incognito) that I bought years ago, just because it was cheap and I liked

it, that has some of my favorite "barky" exhaust notes.

You guys may like this one. OGR members will get free shipping on this engine.

Thanks

Pat

WWW.PATSTRAINS.COM

1) Select Manufacturer:   2) Select Product Type:           4-6-4 Dreyfuss Steam Engine w/Proto-Sound 3.0 (Boxpox Hi-Rail Wheels) - New York Central (1940) C http://www.patstrains.com/View...Details=View+Details Billing Information: Your credit card will not be billed until your order is ready to ship. Billing Policy | Privacy Policy 4-6-4 Dreyfuss Steam Engine w/Proto-Sound 3.0 (Boxpox Hi-Rail Wheels) - New York Central (1940) C The 1938 edition of the Twentieth Century Limited is often regarded as the high water mark of the American passenger train. Thirty-six years to the day after passengers strode down a red plush carpet to the first run of the Century - inspiring the phrase "red carpet treatment" - the new incarnation of America's most famous train pulled out of Grand Central Station behind a homely boxcab electric. Thirty-three miles later, at Harmon, New York, the train was turned over to a streamlined Hudson with a prow reminiscent of a Roman gladiator's helmet, and the effect was complete. From engine to observation car, in every detail down to the dining car china and matchbook covers, the train had been styled by Henry Dreyfus, a giant in the then-new profession of industrial design. The design was so handsome and striking that it became a symbol of the New York Central railroad and, later, of the entire Art Deco era. Decades later, Time magazine selected the locomotive as its single symbol of the twentieth century.  Advertised as "the first all-room train in America, 16 hours between New York and Chicago," the 1938 Century was the last word in luxury travel. Every afternoon the famous red carpet was unfurled in Grand Central Station, welcoming passengers aboard. Taking aim at Pennsy's rival Broadway Limited, which had to cross the Allegheny Mountains to make the same trip, the New York Central promoted itself as "The Water Level Route. You Can Sleep."  Leading the train was one of the best examples of streamlining ever applied to a locomotive. Unlike Raymond Loewy's design for the Broadway Limited's Pacifics, which largely hid the engine under a streamlined shroud, Dreyfuss' styling clung tightly to the locomotive, glorifying rather than hiding its shape and boldly displaying the wheel and rod motion that make a steam engine so exciting. No wonder the Dreyfus Hudson has been a favorite image of graphic artists ever since. M.T.H. returns the most fun-to-operate O scale model of this landmark locomotive ever made. Our Dreyfus Hudson is offered in several prototypical versions with either the original 1938 paint scheme with blue edging on the stripes, or the cleaner, more simplified 1940 scheme. Play the departure announcements for the Twentieth Century Limited and begin your trip so smoothly that your passengers won't realize they're moving. Listen to the chuff sounds and synchronized puffs of smoke accelerate as your train picks up speed. If you're operating with the M.T.H. DCS system, you can even make your own signature sounds with the quillable whistle feature. In model railroading, it doesn't get any better than this. Features Die-Cast Boiler and Chassis Die-Cast Tender Body Authentic Paint Scheme Real Tender Coal Load Die-Cast Locomotive and Tender Trucks Engineer and Fireman Figures Metal Handrails and Whistle Metal Wheels and Axles Remote Controlled Proto-Coupler Kadee Coupler Mounting Pads Prototypical Rule 17 Lighting Constant Voltage Headlight Operating Firebox Glow Operating Marker Lights Lighted Cab Interior Operating Tender Back-up Light 7-Pole Precision Flywheel-Equipped Motor Synchronized Puffing ProtoSmoke System Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments Wireless Drawbar 1:48 Scale Proportions Onboard DCC Receiver Proto-Scale 3-2 3-Rail/2-Rail Conversion Capable Proto-Sound 3.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring: Quillable Whistle With Passenger Station Proto-Effects Unit Measures:25 1/2" x 2 3/4" x 3 3/4" Operates On O-42 Curves Steam DCC Features Headlight/Tail light Bell Whistle Start-up/Shut-down Passenger Station/Freight Yard Sounds All Other Lights (On/Off) Master Volume Front Coupler Rear Coupler Forward Signal Reverse Signal Grade Crossing Smoke On/Off Smoke Volume Idle Sequence 3 Idle Sequence 2 Idle Sequence 1 Extended Start-up Extended Shut-down One Shot Doppler Coupler Slack Coupler Close Single Horn Blast Engine Sounds Brake Sounds Cab Chatter Feature Reset Labor Chuff Drift Chuff Stock Number: 20-3522-1 Gauge: O/O-27 Gauge Manufacturer: MTH Premier Product Type: Locomotives Price: $949.99 Availability: In Stock

Great news, Lee! 

Was not a single doubt about this, Lee. Glad it is working properly.

Glad to see its working Lee. Even if only a shelf Queen, you shouldn't have a dead engine.

Thanks Hudson 5432. Gee, most of the steam engines actually had the same whistle sound. Not much of a surprise. What would have been the manufacturer's or RR's motivation to spend the extra money to come up with different sounds?

Gerry

I am happy you got it running, and that the problem was not a major one.  I figured you would be able to get to the bottom of it, if anyone could.  It should not remain a shelf queen, but should run often on a spectacular layout.  They deserve to be together.  Kudos Lee, another home-run!

Yay!  Glad to hear she is fixed and you can enjoy the locomotive.  Thanks for sharing the video as well as the problem and the fix.  Hopefully, MTH can engineer a solution to make this problem less likely to occur in future iterations of product.  

Glad to hear it's no longer a shelf queen Lee!   Looks and sounds great.

Great news Lee.  Bring it over to Waynesville sometime as we have several NYC fans here... 

Thanks for the good video clip Pete - Really nice shots and sounds.

Have to agree with Jim 1939's comment above about running the New Yorkers at the 'proper' speed!  Ha!

To the best of my knowledge, the NYC late steam all used superheated steam from the turret for the whistle. I am certainly not a sound expert, but the "amount and quality of the atmosphere" between the whistle and the listener's ears would probably cause a perceived sound difference. There were also differences in boiler pressure on NYC late steam (NYC J-1 225 psi, J-3 265 psi, L-3 and L-4 250 psi, Niagaras 275 psi), but I suspect that the effect of this difference would be relatively minor...

NYC mounted their whistles in a horizontal position....low vertical clearance.

Assuming the sound clips were recorded when the film was shot and not dubbed in later  I suspect the difference could also be attributed to microphone quality.

I have a Pentrex video "New York Central - An Insider's View" shot by NYC cinematographer Fred Beach. I assume professional equipment was used in the filming. 

This might be a good excuse to play it again.

Pete

I won't lie and tell you that they are exactly what I remember! I do detect a "small" difference, in my opinion, between the five chime and the six chime. Most NYC through freight service was all diesel by the time that my dad and I began to hang around NYC. (He worked for the RR.) I do remember steam on passenger though, especially J-1 and J-3 Hudsons. I think that the ones that I remember the engineer used more modulation when he blew the whistle. The "echo" in the Cass recordings may also be misleading me a little! The six chime is "pretty close" to what I remember though for a Hudson.

A few months ago I order the new MTH Dreyfus from Just trains, still waiting for this passenger train

LOOKS AND SOUNDS GREAT LEE.