Model Railroading > Sound for a working MPD Diorama

I am working on a British OO scale steam motive power depot set in the mid 1950s. It will be a fully functioning diorama approximate 8' by 2-1/2' with around 15 locomotives, a working turntable, DCC, yard and interior lights, etc.

I have seen and heard several HO US steam locomotives with sound and they are great but expensive! The range of steam sounds for British style locos is still in its infancy and with the large roster I really can't afford individual sound decoders. But the ambience of sound is very appealing and I am wondering what could be done. Background sounds from a steam shed would be great but I can't find any suitable recordings and if I did I am not sure how to digitize them and play them back. I could make my own recordings but you know how movies and sound recordings inevitably pick up the rail fan who wants to tell the world the history of the locomotive coming down the tracks.

Ideally I would like to be able to select a particular sound to go with a particular operation and have it push button operated. Loco movements would be first but other sounds such as coaling, watering and general background noise would be able to be switched on and off as appropriate. Railway workers' voices would also be good to have in background but they would have to have an English Midlands' accent!!!

Has anyone set up a system like this?

Try doing a google search for a company called Fantasonics. They also have some demos on YouTube

Posted from Android

Finderskeepers Wrote:
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> Try doing a google search for a company called
> Fantasonics. They also have some demos on YouTube
>
> Posted from Android


Thanks, Finderskeepers for the tip. The sounds are very realistic and I can see being able to use the steam roundhouse WWII with a speaker inside the shed (British word for roundhouse!). I'll get in touch and see what more they can do.

Still not sure how I put it all together and make it all work though!

They have done it for you
http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/pricom_dp-rev.htm

Posted from Android

That's great, it looks like I could record various British steam whistles at heritage railways and add them in as well! Thank you.

In fact I think I could use sound mixing software to create a unique blend of scale sound from FantaSonics and my own local color.

It's interesting that there is already a definition for "scale sound" because I recently started a thread on "scale color" having seen an interesting article in a British model magazine. I wonder if someone will come up with "scale smells"?

As for "scale smells" try this T O page from Six years ago.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,864970

Larry

Hmm, some of those aromas are definitely off limits! The smell of a real steam depot almost eludes me after 50 years, but there was a certain hot oily, sulfurous stink that I vaguely remember! Since then I have fired and driven a steam locomotive on a heritage railway but it's not really the same as a full fledged steam depot, is it?