As usual, I am spending lots of time reading posts on the OGR Forum. I have truly lost count of the number of times I log on every day. At this point, I think I go to the Forum each time I pick up the IPad or log on to the computer. I guess I am an addict. Sigh . . .
I would rather be spending time working in the layout which needs, conservatively about 3000 hours of work to look presentable. If my back wasn't so bad, I would be doing that. So, in my chair I get to think. Thinking and not working makes me a little cranky. I miss getting something done. Sigh . . .
Today I read about the PS-1 sound cars. I returned all of mine for lack of wheel squeal which I was hoping for. I spend a lot of time trackside and the two sounds I hear 90% of the time are squeal and groaning. Mostly squealing. I got to thinking. I have surrounded my layout with speakers (14 in all) which produce a very high quality (audiophile quality) sound. I have downloaded lots of train sounds which I have looped on my IPad and can play through Apple TV which is plugged into the stereo system and pumps through those speakers. Most of the looped sound includes steam or diesel pulling freight with lots of squeal sounds. I can run any train and the sounds played by clicking the appropriate IPad link are omnidirectional. I lose a bit of the sound from my model locomotive but pick up lots of great wheel sounds. Best of all, I control when and where and it is free. For those of you who do not have speaker systems around the layout, you could install several inexpensive Bluetooth wireless speakers and trigger sounds the same way. Try it and post your results.
I see a Legacy Allegheny posted for sale. The fellow beat me to it. Mine will be up for sale soon. Too much money for too little return. Is it OK? I guess. Compared to the Vision Big Boy which cost me about $100 more the result is not even close. The Vision Big Boy has more oooompf per inch than the Allegheny will ever have. The Vision Challengers which cost less than the Allegheny and the Legacy Y6b which, might be my favorite also cost less. Inch for inch, compared to those locos, the Allegheny gets blown away. My two cents.
My Vision GG-1arrives tomorrow. The first thing I do will be to run it next to the JLC GG-1 and do a comparison. I expect the Vision GG-1 to have better sound and silly sparklers on the pans. I will do an A vs. B and post my results. Should be interesting, no?
I only have three freight cars on the layout now. Track work is proceeding at a glacial pace. The freight cars are the new Atlas O stack cars. Man, get some of those while you can. They are fantastic. I'm a stack man.
Working on my Tortoise under the table switch machines. I've gotten tremendous help from lots of Forumites especially Laidoffsick. The turnouts look so much better without those horrible Atlas O contraptions on the layout.
Scrapiron Scher
