Poor whistle choices on new 2-6-0

[florynow]

I saw the whistle choices for this engine.  This makes the batting average for the B&O 3-chime choice 100% on every engine that Bachmann has ever made available.  

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/playsound.php?s=sw2

I was told by someone in the know that someone at Bachmann really liked that whistle and includes it in every locomotive.

That's OK for Bachmann's self edification but to me that whistle does not represent a typical steam engine whistle.  It is a very early 1900's sound, that whistle is seen in many photos from that period, a cylindrical bell with three scalloped notches, one for each differently tuned cell.  It went away in most the the country after WW I except for roads in the east, like the B&O and, of course, the PRR.

I do know my whistles and their sounds, and on steam locomotives, a cast -iron 5-chime is the one most apparent in a majority of photos of loco0mtives, a series of stepped cells of increasing size arranged around the center.  The soundtraxx whistle most closely resembling that sound is the C-19 yard mix in their sample library,

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/playsound.php?s=sw4

or the D&RGW 487.  

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/playsound.php?s=sw12

The soundtraxx SP 6-chime is somewhat similar as well.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/playsound.php?s=sw25

That's also the sound I remember on the SP and MP from years ago but Bachmann has chosen to give us, as a universal choice, a personal preference for an eastern road sound rather than a sound that is more typical of the rest of the country and appropriate for the largest number of locomotives.

The "GBL 40" whistle that is also a choice is not available in the soundtraxx samples so i cannot tell what it is.

The D&RGw whistle, the third choice, is an early hooter that in modern times was not typical either except on the N&W largely.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/playsound.php?s=sw8

I don't like it at all.

Please Bach Man.  It would be nice to have a more representative sound available instead of someone's personal favorite.  Why doesn't Bachmann ever put the D&RGW 487 or the C-19 or the SP 6-chime in an engine as a choice?  When you hear a train whistle in a movie, that's the sound you hear, not a 3 chime or a hooter.

PF

[Doneldon]

florey-

I don't know with absolute certainty, but I'll bet that the various loco whistles
you mention are owned or patented in their digital form.
                                                                                      -- D

[rogertra]

What whistle?  There's no whistle casting on the loco, at least not the two I have, so having a loco whistle sound is a moot point.   

Why Bachmann didn't include a whistle casting is beyond me.  It's a major omission as every single locomotive MUST have a whistle, or horns if it's a diesel.  They added a bell, so why no whistle?

I can understand leaving off other details, like injectors, boiler feed pipes and check valves but no whistle?  Come on!

 

[rogertra]

That's funny Roger.  I guess that's just another thing they left off to save money.

There "are" multiple whistle castings in the parts listings for various Bachmann engines.  The ones for the 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 are 5-chimes and relatively well detailed.

PF

Fortunately, I have a suitable supply of after market brass whistles, injectors, feedwater pipes, check valves, marker lights, replacement headlights etc., etc., and when I've then added Evergreen strips for boiler bands (Another unforgivable omission) and removed the cast on sand pipes and replaced them with brass wire, added step boards on the rear of the tender and repainted the engines (Another marketing error, no "undecs") they'll be fit for service.

All I have to do next is to start construction of the new GER so I have somewhere to run them.   

[railtwister]

The "GBL 40" whistle that is also a choice is not available in the soundtraxx samples so i cannot tell what it is.


PF

Hi florynow,

I think this is the steam loco #40 at the Georgetown Loop Railroad. I don't have a sound sample, but there's a picture of it here:

<http://www.trainweb.org/bobx/Tour_GBL.htm>

Can you tell anything about the whistle by looking at it (it shows in the picture)?

Bill in FL

[Doneldon]

They are all out of the soundtraxx library.  What would be the problem>

flory-

Again, I don't know the details but there could be restrictions on use even if they're in the Soundtrax library. I got involved with some of this intellectual property stuff once and, believe me, it can get very complicated.
                                                                                                                  -- D

[rrbob]

Sounds great to me!   
I added a whistle, marker lights, drop plate between the engine and tender for the fireman, new number plate on the boiler front, weathering and a shorter coupler on the tender.  Which was not easy!  The box is too small at the end, the round shank is too big and I had to file down the coupler to get the cover back on.
And when I bought it,  the hobby shop was bragging of getting the same complete sound system so cheap!  Boy, was I suprised when I tried it out and no brake squiel or coupler crash sound.  The box only said sound.  Bachmann needs to list all sounds on the box so you don't get surprised.
Butttttttttttttt. I still love it.
How do you post pictures here, or can it be done?
Bob D.

[railtwister]

The box only said sound.  Bachmann needs to list all sounds on the box so you don't get surprised.

EXACTLY!

Bill in FL

[wamcm]

Hi Guys,

Earlier "rogerta" said that there is no whistle casting on the Also 2-6-0.  You know I believe that there actually may be an attempt at one.  Look at the auxiliary steam dome (turret) just forward of the generator.  Most locomotives equipped with such a auxiliary dome have the whistle in that location.  There are two gold painted "things" there.  One looks like it might be an extremely crude whistle.  What do you think?  Actually, I plan to remove those castings and replace them with a real whistle casting and a couple of pop valves.  Also plan to add marker lights to both the smoke box front and the tender as well as a rerail frog and a poling pole on the tender.  Adding a visor to the headlight might be enough to compensate for it's size too (rather then replacing the headlight altogether).  Otherwise a nice little locomotive that runs well and is just what I needed for the branch line on my layout.

Bill

[rogertra]

Bill.

You may be correct and that may be a whistle casting on the turret but the castings are so crude that it's hard to tell which means to me, "no whistle". Besides, if it is a whistle, then it's European size whistle, about six to nine inches tall, not a North American whistle which is at least 16 inches tall.   Like you, I'll replace those crude castings along with adding many more.

I will replace the headlight and tender light as they look as though they used an N scale castings rather than specifying one of their existing HO castings for the job, which would have been just as easy to do.

Having said that, it's a really nicely proportioned model and has great potential.

[Doneldon]

florey and railtwist-

GBL 40 is a Connie, not a mogul.

                               -- D

[railtwister]

florey and railtwist-

GBL 40 is a Connie, not a mogul.

                               -- D

Hi Doneldon,

True enough, but we were talking about whistle choices as listed by Soundtraxx, not all the loco sounds like chuff, wheel noise, etc. Whistles were frequently swapped around from loco to loco, and I'm guessing that style whistle was installed on more locos than just that one Consolidation. Even if you were to put all the rest of the sounds of GBL40 on the Mogul, I'm not sure I could tell the difference between a 2-8-0 and a 2-6-0 just by listening, how about you?

Bill in FL

[rrbob]

No,  the headlight is the correct size.  Look up pictures of a Green Bay & Western 2-6-0 that this model is based on. It is small, as other engines had small headlights.  I like 'em bigger too.  For now, I took a piece of brass tub, filed a visor and  an opening in it to slide it over the casting.  I want to try to take the boiler off but don't want to mess up anything electrical!
I added marker lights, new boiler front number plate, whistle, bell, drop plate between cab and tender, crew( who don't want to leave the cab!).  And the coal load just pops off.

Here's a link to my Photobucket, with pictures.  ( Never tried  using this link, hope it works!)

http://s338.photobucket.com/albums/n408/tenabob/

Bob D.

[uncbob]

I have pics of the Strasburg trains on my web site
There are several pics of their 2-6-0 http://bandb3536.com/strasburg/strasburg.htm

[railtwister]

Hey uncbob,

I like your Mantua Camelback 0-6-0/2-6-0 conversion!

Bill in FL