“WTF! The whole house is shaking”
-My Better Half-
Recently I hosted a series of op sessions on The Hills Line. To a person, every single guest present commented on my under-layout sound setup. An update on my arrangement is therefore warranted.
The original version of my Mindheim-inspired under-layout sound setup used an old Soundtraxx Tsunami 1 decoder pumped through a utility speaker. It added a lot to the soundscape, but it wasn’t long after that I started to wonder how I could improve on the original design.
The first change was replacing the Tsunami with a Loksound 5 FX decoder. I programmed it to match the sound files that I use in my IAIS GP38-2s so that they were in perfect sync through the notches. However, I only have the prime mover sounds come from under the layout. Bell, horn, brake, and other noises still come from the locomotive itself.
The decoder itself is mounted to a Decoder Buddy from NixTrainz. I also wired in an SPST toggle switch so I could completely disconnect the circuit from the layout for testing and reprogramming. The same Audio Transformer from the original setup is still in place.
An even more impressive change came when I replaced the utility speaker with a six-inch downward-firing subwoofer. This thing can rattle the walls, hence the comment from my significant other. Since the subwoofer only reproduces low-frequency sounds, the effect is as if you’re surrounded by the low rumble of a prime mover. In concert with the installed speaker in the locomotive, it truly places you squarely inside the cab.
And remember, if it’s too loud… you’re too old!
The Hills Line 
This is so cool. And I like the idea of using the FX.
How do / would you handle having more than one locomotive? Do you MU this decoder to the decoder in the diesel you’re using?
I guess one would require a separate FX for each prime mover type – so, a 567 in one, a 645 in another, etc. – and one subwoofer for each model in operation if one has multiple crews working a layout.
Hmm…
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Since the audio is fed through a subwoofer, a lot of the engine specific sounds are drowned out and replaced with a low-rumble. To my ear, it works regardless of the specific locomotive in use. However, I have no basis to test that belief, since I only run 567s on The Hills Line… and only one at a time.
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Fair enough. I think this is really cool. I hope you do a quick video to share the sound experience. Like you, I’ve enjoyed what Lance has been doing with this kind of bigger sound.
I think it makes a lot of sense for exhibition layouts too, where sound-equipped locomotives often simply disappear into the din of the show hall.
Cheers!
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Very cool. Wonder how it would be with late steam switcher in an urban industrial setting. Of course I still need to build a new shelf layout!
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I know the kind of effect you are talking about. Many years ago, before DCC, one of the guys in our club hooked up a large woofer (the old kind) to a recording of a locomotive. The sound really did shake the walls! It was awesome. Enjoy.
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