Engines Sounds: Atomic, or quieter?

Exactly!  Except when we used to participate in shows with the huge modular layout, I NEVER have the sound volumes turned up.

The only rail sounds I like are the real ones and the clickty-clack of my Lionel tin wheels on tubular track.

I turn my engine sounds down to about 30% of maximum, sometimes even 20%.

I end up turning all sounds off after a bit and just listen to the locos, especially the steam, click-clack over the joint of my track.   Don't get me wrong I love Railsounds, etc. But in moderation.

I agree, just the clickity clack and a low engine sound to warn you of the oncoming train.    An occasional whistle/horn as it approaches or leaves your area. 

With guests over it is maybe 70/80 percent depending upon how loud the conversant are:-) Softer when the focus is relaxing and running.

Sorry but I disagree with you guys. When I run trains,  I like the sound nice and loud to the point just before its too loud to hear myself think. Chuffing sounds that sound like they are pounding the rails are great, loud crewrtalk/towercom announcements to the point they sound real, and loud whistles/ horns that sound like the real thing are best. Great smoke output is also a thing of beauty.

Erol  

It depends for me, sometime louder and sometimes not so much...I guess it depends on my mood.....

At night, depending on atmospheric conditions, I can here a Bessemer & Lake Erie loaded ore train south bound pulling up a long grade. Before when they  were using second gen EMDs you could here the diesels throbbing, now with  CN 3rd gen you hear the turbos howling. Sometimes I can hear their horns at two road crossings.  No electronic board will duplicate that.

aussteve posted:

I agree, just the clickity clack and a low engine sound to warn you of the oncoming train.    An occasional whistle/horn as it approaches or leaves your area. 

On my old layout I ran my sounds low for the same reason.  While I could hear the engine sounds as the train went around the layout, it was less noticeable on the far side.  While not perfect, I liked the sound getting louder coming towards me, and softer after it passes.  With the engine sounds turned up, this effect was lost.

The sound volume must be low for me to enjoy it, especially if I'm going to be in the room a while.

I can skip the sounds altogether - though I do enjoy it when it's well-done. Lately, especially on steam (most of what I do), when I upgrade to ERR, I have sometimes been skipping the RS installation. Just command and cruise and off we go. Steam, even more than diesel, just never seems to "leave the room" (and actually doesn't) and it gets wearying.

I'm also one of those who turns off tracks that are not being used - so no endlessly idling locos, which can get...shaddup, will ya?!

I think that some of us now have a "like/dislike" relationship with model RR sound, especially since the novelty wore off years ago. But, that's what volume knobs are for (I would like to keep the whistle/horn for some reason; the bell - don't care). 

I enjoy all the sounds including the crew talk, freight announcements etc., but full volume is usually too loud for me. I have every thing turned down somewhere between 20%-50% depending on the engine. Most of my engines are MTH and they seem to vary a little between engines as to what sound is loudest. I very seldom turn all the sounds off though.

Sounds are low for me also. The loud sounds really ruin the great videos that are posted. I like the sounds just high enough that I hear the engine as it approaches and passes.

Rod Miller 

romiller49 posted:

.... The loud sounds really ruin the great videos that are posted.  .....

Rod Miller 

Agree.  What also ruins a lot of videos is the constant whistle/horn blowing some do.

I keep the engine sounds low. Whistle/horn sounds are higher, but not too much.

Seems to me, all engines are shipped with sounds at maximum volume.   I buy mostly traditional size equipment which does not seem to have a convenient volume control knob, and I just never get around to turning it down.   I belive you need a micro size screwdriver which I don't have at hand when I'm running my equipment at the club.  Without a home layout, I forget to bring the screwdriver from home and the cycle repeats.  I'd much prefer lower volume.

No sounds, no smoke, at least in my steam engines.

I wouldn't mind mid-range sound level steam chuff, maybe the same for bell and whistle, but that's all.

I've noticed I hear what the engine is doing (now that I don't have any sound).  Sounds coming from the electronics mask sounds coming from the engine and track that may indicate a problem.  I had one engine that, once the sounds were removed, I could hear the wheel flanges rubbing on 054 curves.  I couldn't hear it when the sounds were installed and it prompted me to pull out the 054 and replace it with 072.

First thing I do when putting new engine on track is turn everything down to about 30% except horn or whistle thats about 50% and some locomotives thats to high. cameras seem to make it louder than what it is, something I keep forgetting. I don't take a lot of videos.

Bob Delbridge posted:

...Sounds coming from the electronics mask sounds coming from the engine and track that may indicate a problem.... 

You bring up a good point.  With very few exceptions, I do not run my engines with sound off.  However, it sounds like a good idea to run sound off once in a while as preventive maintenance or to troubleshoot a problem.