Steam & Excursion > Sounds In The Enginehouse

Another thread talked about recording the sounds of a steam locomotive in the enginehouse.

This is an audio recording made in the enginehouse at Monticello several years ago as Southern Railway 2-8-0 #401 was being steamed up.  Shortly before the locomotive was ready to take out of the house, the air compressor was started up.

This recording was made using a pair of Shure PG-81 microphones, a Xoom H4n digital recorder, and about 45 feet of microphone cable.  The right hand microphone was positioned by the compressor, aimed up and to the right.  The left hand microphone was positioned by the front of the locomotive, aimed to the left and up toward the stack.

When the compressor starts, most of the sound comes from the mechanism of the pump itself.  After the pump gets its rythm going, the steam exhausting up the stack quickly becomes prominent.

Just a note for you steam guys out there, the recording was edited for time so that the sound heard here runs about 1/3 to 1/4 of the actual time of the unedited recording.  They didn't get the pump going as quickly as it might sound.

Ahhhh... the magic of digital editing!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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I love the sound of those cross compounds!