Ok I have a very good idea !( Well I think it's good ) with all the technology out there why hasn't anyone made cars with sound ? Ok here's how it works !!! Let's say ya have a boxcar pop the bottem off install a speaker and the sound board! run the wires as the train line directly to the lead loco ! Have a small connect disconnect plug to connect cars this makes operations alot more realistic also if the train uncouples or derails it shuts down the locos as on the real ones ! Maybe to much coffee this morning , or not doing enough while on vacation ?? I don't know but I like it and I think it could work!! well feel Free to ad any thoughts or insite to my Craziness may be I should get a copyright !? Hmmm
I have seen sound cars for G gauge trains both home built and made by USA Trains and Atlas. I don't recall seeing any for HO gauge, but in theory it should work fine.
I think it is easier to just put it in the engines. You would have to modify all your engines to "plug" into yor sound car... I almost did this with a GP40-2/Slug set. Hook the ground for the slug through the GP40-2 wiring so the slug would only work with the GP40-2. Then I realized that I had so many other things to do... that it went to the very bottom of the list... maybe someday?
I just thought it would be neat to hear the sounds of squealing flanges , flat spots thumping the rails the odd sound of aluminum coal cars while empty rolling by instead of tiny little metal wheels clicking along the rail joiners
Seems to me that since the sounds come from going over frogs, switches, jointed rail and around curves, couldn't you install small speakers in the layout itself at these particular places? And maybe that way you could avoid messing with the engine wiring? That would cover all the sounds except flat spots.
Hmmm that is a good one ! Back to the drawing board
Now this is awesome. Kind of along the same lines as your idea but it requires no power from the tracks. That is a huge breakthrough. A layout with NO WIRING!? This is the future of model railroading IMO.
http://www.nwsl.com/cab.
Another way to put sound effects right by the tracks, would be to use cheap MP3 players, loaded with sound files, and a small loudspeaker. Not my idea, but I read about it recently.
Ron
Badhorse,
I have found that if i file the points on the axles of my bethgons... when they run at slow speed... they squeak, squeal, and make LOTS of noise... I love it!
I have one that I didn't clean the powder of the point and it moans and groans all the way around the layout