N Scale sound in locos sound terrible to me

[RBrodzinsky]

More is better.  General rule of thumb: as many caps of as high a value as you have room for, wired in parallel.

Just note that with a keep alive wired in, you will have problems programming an ESU LokSound using the LokProgrammer.  This can be cured by adding a choke, or you can do what I do, which is program everything exactly as I want, THEN attach the keep alive.  You can still make changes to some things using ops mode programming (programming on the main).

John C.

I’ve started using the 330uf PolyTa caps, available from Mouser. Just two of these can fit just about anywhere with great results.

[CRL]

I hesitate to mention one other small issue that annoys me...

Things on the layout, cars on roads, walking 🚶‍♀️ figures, etc that don’t move even though the trains do. I try to model additional items such as this as scenes that make sense when stationary. Example would be instead of placing a car stopped at a railroad crossing which only makes sense if a train is going by, park the car at the side of the road and stage a “railfan” standing next to the car, waiting or watching the train go by.

This is easy if modeling small town or rural scenes where people will stop their car in the middle of Main Street if they want to talk to somebody in another car or on the sidewalk. There was one old man in my dad’s hometown that would stop his car in the middle of the street, get out, go into a store to buy something, come back out, get into his car and drive off. My mother almost rear ended him once. She told my dad about it and he said “That’s old man so & so... he does that. Just drive around him.” 

Oh... Unitrack sucks too... Just saying. 

[robert3985]

I hesitate to mention one other small issue that annoys me...

Things on the layout, cars on roads, walking 🚶‍♀️ figures, etc that don’t move even though the trains do. I try to model additional items such as this as scenes that make sense when stationary. Example would be instead of placing a car stopped at a railroad crossing which only makes sense if a train is going by, park the car at the side of the road and stage a “railfan” standing next to the car, waiting or watching the train go by.

This is easy if modeling small town or rural scenes where people will stop their car in the middle of Main Street if they want to talk to somebody in another car or on the sidewalk. There was one old man in my dad’s hometown that would stop his car in the middle of the street, get out, go into a store to buy something, come back out, get into his car and drive off. My mother almost rear ended him once. She told my dad about it and he said “That’s old man so & so... he does that. Just drive around him.” 

Oh... Unitrack sucks too... Just saying. 

Haha!  I agree about everything being stationary except for the trains being bothersome.  I also include the rivers that are in nearly every layout section I build.  Great for still photography, but take a video and it jumps out and slaps me across the face!

Oh... Unitrack sucks too... YUP!     

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[skytop35]

I’ve started using the 330uf PolyTa caps, available from Mouser. Just two of these can fit just about anywhere with great results.

Rick,

Can you please post the part number? Thanks

[tehachapifan]

Yeah, the other-objects-being-frozen in-time thing bothers me too. With figures and animals, I'll typically only use the ones that look believable in a standing or resting position. For example, I'll use deer that are lying or standing but not one that's frozen in a leaping position. I do, however, have some vehicles stopped at a particular grade crossing. I guess I justify it with the thought that perhaps the lead vehicle is stalled or something.

[Cajonpassfan]

Fascinating thread. I think I need to go get more popcorn...
I can "hear it" popping already😎
Otto K.

[RBrodzinsky]

Rick,

Can you please post the part number? Thanks

TCN4337M020R0100

Though I now see that the part is going obsolete. 
They still have 211 in stock

[CRL]

Yeah, the other-objects-being-frozen in-time thing bothers me too. With figures and animals, I'll typically only use the ones that look believable in a standing or resting position. For example, I'll use deer that are lying or standing but not one that's frozen in a leaping position. I do, however, have some vehicles stopped at a particular grade crossing. I guess I justify it with the thought that perhaps the lead vehicle is stalled or something.

Put the hood up on the lead vehicle, or give it a flat tire. If you have a crossing arm/gate, model the arm in the “down and stuck” position with a railroad repair crew at the electrical equipment box scratching their heads.

That will fix it.

[Point353]

Oh... Unitrack sucks too... YUP!     

If there was no Unitrack, you wouldn't have (a mass-produced model of) the UP 4-8-4. 

[CRL]

If there was no Unitrack, you wouldn't have (a mass-produced model of) the UP 4-8-4. 

Unitrack (eunuchtrack) is probably the best “train set” track to come along, and is fine for kids and beginners, but using it for serious modeling creates more problems than it solves.

[tehachapifan]

Put the hood up on the lead vehicle, or give it a flat tire. If you have a crossing arm/gate, model the arm in the “down and stuck” position with a railroad repair crew at the electrical equipment box scratching their heads.

That will fix it.

Good ideas!

[wazzou]

I think by this point in the thread, what we've learned is: To each, their own or do what "you" want.

[DKS]

FWIW, here's how I addressed the stationary car situation (back in 2000).

Broken down car:



Accident in the middle of an intersection, compounded by a construction site:

[randgust]

I'm still undecided.    I've heard some pretty good sound - my all-time favorite was out of what I think was a BLI E-unit, the horn was so realistic I thought it was a real train and actually glanced outside at the Altoona show.   I've also see the sound-equipped K4 and M1, and videotaped those, it's pretty darn good, particularly running at speed and distance on the Ttrak layouts where you get honest-to-god Doppler effect just from the natural progression.

But on my home layout... on one only 8' x 5'6", in a small room, different situation.   For one thing, virtually every train I run is multiple-unit, long, and pulling to capacity on a 2.5% grade.   Trading weight for sound not a good thing, and the overwhelming rumble of heavy trains with multiple units clawing uphill can't be done realistically.  I used to live on top of a hill with a grade down in the valley, and listening to loaded coal trains fighting uphill with 5-8 SD40's on the point is something I'll never forget.   It absolutely carried for miles and miles.    Deep-throated roar that doesn't translate well to N.

Except, with subwoofers and off-locomotive sounds.  I have a son that's a sound engineer (professionally) and he's made me a couple sound systems with subwoofers, directional speakers, etc.  It's pretty cool, I have a big subwoofer under the fuel racks that produces engine idling and is really, really good...when I want it on.   I have selective sound kicks for engine bells, air horns at the crossings, etc. with on-layout speakers.  But I have nothing in the locomotives.   It's amazing how many people automatically assume it's all on-board.

If you've been at Altoona, my itty-bitty Hickory Valley module has a tape sound system for the steam trains with a repetitive loop, and my son's amazing Aurdino system inside the sawmill, so that you hear a real steam sawmill running.   It's pretty slick, all digital, uses MP3 files on a memory stick.  The aged tape system has been on it since the 70's, and proved to me that background sound was highly effective on a small layout without a lot of on-train complication.   The technology is better with an MP3 player, but what comes out of the speaker isn't incredibly better even after all these years - more to do with speaker quality and mounting than anything else.

Most times though, I have to admit I only use sound with guests present.   I want to hear the locomotives running, listen for derailments and other anomalies, and any extraneous noise makes it difficult.   But even so, I'll be the first to admit that I've enjoyed watching the sound-equipped stuff at some of the big layouts and big shows and that there's been huge progress on the effectiveness of it. 

   

[robert3985]

If there was no Unitrack, you wouldn't have (a mass-produced model of) the UP 4-8-4. 

If Unitrack were designed and produced with the same eye towards prototypical appearance as the Kato FEF-3, I wouldn't be pointing out that its appearance sucks. 

The irony of the difference in the excellent detail and fidelity of Kato engines and cars vs Unitrack is inexplicable.

I have the same face-slapping reaction to Peco 55, and the mystery of what the reasoning was to develop a C55 visible rail height track product with the visual design parameters of 1960's toy N-gauge track, particularly considering Peco's excellent previously developed HO scale track products.

Just sayin'....   

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore