Thought's on the Love of the hobby and sound's of Protosound 1,2 and 3

There was a lot to like about my Protosounds (1) steam sounds too.  My Hudson would sit at idle and go through all the different steam idle sounds and an occasional loud blow down.

Diesels:  On my SW-9 the sounds were loud and laborious when the engine began to move.  Now with my PS3 GP engine it takes off at idle noise and does a small rev increase at each 5 mph increments.  Not realistic at all.  It seems with all the intellectual changes to these things that the sounds would be an upgrade.  They are not.

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Dennis

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Dennis

What brought me back to O was the sound: I bought a Lionel SD70 starter set and was blown away by the sound the moment I fired it up.  I, too, love the sound.  When I am in my workshop (right next to my layout), I love to keep three trains, with sound, running, and just let them fill the background with train sounds. Even with my back turned, I run train and love their sound keeping my company.

Initially, I loved anything with sound, PS1 and 2, early rail-and trainsounds, even "mighty sound of steam" made me happy. 

But no longer.  I'm spoiled rotten by Lionel's recent sound.   I won't go so far as to say I am disappointed in PS3, but it is only a little better than PS2, and over the past five year's I've watched (well, really, listened) as Lionel's sound just got better and better and better even as they made no new distinction as to what they called it.  Anymore, I find I put my older locos, regardless of manufacturer, on the shelf in favor of those recent locos that have spectacular sound. they are nearly all Lionel, but interestingly a few recent Lionel don't have sound that "sparkles" like the best.   I thnk some of this has to do with the loco body (if diesel) or tender size and type (if steam): for example the Legacy Southern Crescent sounds much better than the Legacy Blue Comet (both Lionel Pacifics from the same catalog and page) - I think because it has a much smaller tender.  But some if it is just individual locos _ I have two Lionel U30Cs, one has very good sound - among the best diesels I have, but the other has spectacular sound - the richest, most detailed, nuanced sound of any loco I have.  I have no idea why there is a difference but there is.

Ya know what Lee

I've shied away from Lionel because of

Price

No cruise control in conventional

No pulling power,the wheels slide with 5 or more cars

And the thing take's off in forward when turing on.

That said it's a GP-9 Milwaukee rd,like the postwar I had when I was born,My wife bought it for me one birthday,which make's it special.

It's got a blinking light on the roof which is neat.

The horn is Real nice.

The bell is a little hard to hear

It only make's engine noises at idle,but I like it

By the way,is there a way to start lionel engines in neutral?

The ones I have start in fwd,then you cycle to neutral.

Thanks

Joe,

That's a great story regarding your Mom and the great memories that are still triggered by that loco and the rest of your roster. 

Enjoy,

Mike

Love the sounds. They put all of the "quiet" engines at quite a disadvantage.

Lee I just came down from the attic and looked at the Lionel GP-9

The one set of trucks are geared,which means it has one motor, it has no traction tires and the wheels dont feel all metal,just a little bit rubbery.

I dont have the part number of the engine on me

I had a little Lionel bottom end loco a few years ago, sort of a stubby Alco diesel that was traditional size, thatcost only $70 or something.  But it would pull nothing, run poorly, and was just a cheap POS.  Maybe your GP9 is a bottom end thing like that.  Most companies including Lionel have made their share at somet time. 

I've bought no loco in the last few years from Lionel  or MTH for that matter, that costs much below $500 list - maybe $400 at discount - regardless of company it seems to cost that to get a quaility loco with sound.  I've bought several (Baldwin 10-wheeler) from WBB that cost less, but they have no sound. And if and after you add sound, etc., to them, you're at around $500 again. 

I don't think it's any manufacturer: all of them make or have made made cheap locos.  all of them make some good ones. Its often not easy, and sometimes just luck, to sort the former out from the latter. 

Wonderful story. I only have two engines with sound, and my goal is to change that. Sounds are like operating structures, they add a lot to the action. Thanks for sharing, Terry