MTH Locosound

Loco-Sound is a purely conventional, no frills sound system that drops out when you change directions. It is obsolete and very generic.

Dan Padova posted:

What is MTH Locosound ?   I'm looking at a set of the Union Pacific M10000, Railking made by MTH.  The box says locosound. Nothing about PS1,2 or 3, which I don't want anyway.  I want as close to conventional without any electronics as possible.  

I get your drift, I imagine - but Locosound is a fully electronic system; that is, it has a board and a speaker and chips and stuff - just less of it than PS, PS2, PS3. Just an FYI.

I think that it was reliable.

Some Locosound was pretty good. But, I haven't heard it for years. I do not imagine that you are expecting Legacy-level sound quality.  

Dan, I actually preferred Locosound when it was offered as it was less expensive than Protosound.  I have a PRR Aerotrain with Locosound and love it.  The higher-priced sound system plays virtually no role in my enjoyment of the train.   If you feel the same, go for it.

My MTH SW1500 with Locosound is a nice reliable little engine but the sound leaves a lot to be desired.

One additional feature of Locosounds is that it has the speed control feature - something the proto-1 engines never had. But, with all a Locosounds engine has "under the hood", it definitely doesn't qualify as the "no electronics" engine option that Dan desires. 

Jim

then Dan it does not matter what you buy because you can strip the guts out of any engine mth or Lionel as long as its using a can motor running on dc and just put a dallage board inside to run the engine you will not have any sounds effects but it will be able to change directions easily . and the board only costs around $40.00 !

Before DCS & before I went 100% scale, I had a Railking N&W Y6B with Locosound, purchased it to double head with my Railking N&W Y6B with PS2. I believe the sound was a little more generic but the 2 engines ran nicely together because of the speed control. I think if the price is right you probably can't go wrong.

I have a locosound mohawk/mountain steam locomotive.Darn thing will pull just as well as my protosound steamsers.I have had it pull 40 car freight train.Even got a video of it pulling a freight.

Thanks everyone, for your input.  I'm not hung up on high tech sound systems.  If it has the basic chug-chug or diesel sound, it's fine with me.   Since I run post-war stuff, there's enough sound coming from all the accessories.....LOL   I particularly do not like to hear the whistle blowing as much as some operators like to blow it in so many videos I watch.  First, it drowns out the sound of steam.  Second it's simply annoying.  

Just call me Scrooge.....LOL 

Converting a Loco Sound engine to full Proto 3/2 is fairly easy.  Replace the speaker and get a board set with the 5v black connectors. 

Just a option if you wanted to upgrade to full Proto Sounds 2.0.  Of course you'd want to verify a acceptable sound set is available to load into the boards - check with any of us MTH service centers if interested.

Jim

Jim Sandman posted:

Converting a Loco Sound engine to full Proto 3/2 is fairly easy.  Replace the speaker and get a board set with the 5v black connectors. 

Just a option if you wanted to upgrade to full Proto Sounds 2.0.  Of course you'd want to verify a acceptable sound set is available to load into the boards - check with any of us MTH service centers if interested.

Jim

Thanks Jim, but I think I will stick with my lower tech trains.....LOL

Good Morning Dan, I have this exact set you are looking at in stock at my shop (White Rose Hobbies) if you are interested in it, I can send you running videos of it and show you that it is pretty close to conventional control without any frills and electronics! if you are interested let me know and i can try and work something out for ya!

I have the ABA MTH Santa Fe. I love it. Just simple railsounds and electric e-unit. I run everything and I certainly have a love for postwar or anything conventional. 

You can not tell the difference between this and my post war set except this has sounds. No battery makes it even better.

It's fairly big not sure if it is scale but it has to be close. What I like it works every time I put it on the tracks it has to be between 15 amd 20 years old.

Sadly I have been running more dcs and TMCC lately and it's a shame these just sit in their boxes.