Let's pack some killer sound into a big UP. Turbine!

It sounds like an interesting project.  I have the GTEL, too, and have not run it in oh so many years: I bought it used, it never ran that good to begin with, but it looks very good on the shelf.  I don't know where you would get a turbine sound generator.  White noise would not be too far off, or course, if you could modulate it as to volume to correspond with loco throttle position, of course.

Funny you mention that.  I found out years ago that you could get great GE. Turbine noise by sticking one of those AOL start-up discs into a CD player and letting it rip !

Yeah, no kidding.  Now how to package that stuff into my MTH tender?  MRC has a great, inexpensive sound module for O gauge, but no Turbine sound at least not yet.

Not sure if the HO scale stuff from Tsunami would survive in the big chooch environment.   BTW, the MTH #5 will run well with fresh, fully charged battery, and with the sound reduced to about half level.  Make sure it's all oiled up and your connection to the B unit is good and tight.   Great puller, although the B unit needs more weight.   Same is true with the more recent #26 Proto @ Turbine.  There are a number of cosmetic mods that can easily be done to this set if you like 'em and plan on keeping it.

I like your thinking but I have been asking Lionel for a all diecast gas turbine with legacy sounds. Now that would be awesome!

It'll be awesome 'til the whole thing crumbles into a pile of dust, and they laff in your general direction.  Really, what Lionel needs to do is shoot that beastie in plastic and make sure they put enough weight in it.  Plastic would give you the best detail, then brass, and lastly die-cast.   Of course they COULD do it as all brass lost wax, and I'd be in 4 sure !

Sorry no plastic, brass, lost wax or whatever, I want  them in diecast. Lionel did pretty good on their first and only UP turbine of which I have and it is awesome. Not bad sound of the turbine for 2003 or so.