The title says it all. When did crewtalk come out?
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Lionel CrewTalk was available in 1998.
QSIndustries had Passenger Station Announcements or Freight Station Announcements around 1990. A "Bell" button was pressed while the locomotive was running until a whistle / horn blew or there was a "psst" air brake sound. The locomotive was stopped by reducing and turning off track voltage. When track voltage was turned on again, a programmed series of sounds began. Pushing a "Direction" button interrupted track voltage to cycle through REVERSE and NEUTRAL. Different sounds came on, but the locomotive did not move. When the "Direction" button was pushed once more, the conductor called, "All Aboard"; the whistle / horn blew twice. Track voltage was increased to move the train forward.
MTH adapted this system as "Proto-Sound." It was called "PS-1" after "PS-2" DCS systems were introduced.
"PS-1" was not printed on boxes. That designation did not exist when those locomotives were made.
Lionel's first use of CrewTalk (and TowerCom) in a product was in 1997.
TRW
Coilcouplers.com has some history info regarding crewtalk and diesel locos.
