O Scale Trains Magazine Online

Narrow Minded
Bobber Gibbs
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be able
to hear the appropriate locomotive and railroad sounds
when I operated my trains, whether steam, Diesel, gas
or electric. In 1950, my first American Flyer 4-6-2 Pacific
had an internal sound piston that made an acceptable
chuffing sound, so I placed the whistling billboard just
before the grade crossing near the station and I can still
remember those exciting sound effects.
When I turned to HO, and then to O Scale, I played
cassettes of recorded railroad yard sounds through speakers
under my layouts, but that was not quite what I hoped
for. I wanted sound to be heard from the locomotives,
and for the
models to sound
like their big
brothers. I wanted
all the whistles
and horns
to be slightly
different so that
each locomotive
took on its own
character.
After PFM introduced their control and sound systems,
I purchased two complete sets. I was pleased with the
sounds that emanated from my On3 locomotives, but
I was pretty much limited to operating one locomotive
per block unless I was double-heading two similar units.
Even my old Magoffin sound system provided acceptable
sound effects, but it also had similar limitations and
it eventually went out of production. I tried several other
steam and Diesel sound generators and found them
unsatisfactory, and not compatible with each other.
With my layouts, I always build in lots of operations
that can involve and entertain several operators. I derive
the most satisfaction from the light-hearted banter that is
part of any operating session. When Digital Command
Control was introduced, it seemed to be just what I
wanted. Each operator could control the movements and
sounds of his own locomotive as he walked along with
his train.
Only a few years ago, it was predicted that DCC and
sound generators could be combined and made small
enough to install a single decoder and speaker into the
tiniest of power units. I was delighted when the NMRA
and the manufacturers worked together to develop
industry standards. Now, it seems that there are so many
different DCC and sound systems to choose from that
one hardly knows where to start or when is the best
time to jump in. Well, the time was determined for me
when a prominent discounter began selling the excellent
BLI On30 C16 with DCC and sound for under $120. I
bought two of them and stumbled into the new world of
DCC without even owning a control system. Now, a few
months later, I have to think that my timing was just right.
Upon investigating, I learned that the Bachmann E-Z
Command Digital Command Control System is a decent
entry-level package that can get you into DCC with minimum
expense. Lately, it has been available on Ebay for
around $60. When the Walk-Around Companion and
Connector Panel became available, I bought one to allow
two operators to control up to nine DCC-equipped locomotives
and one analog (DC) unit. Additional Companions
can be added as necessary. Bachmann has included
DCC in all three of their latest On30 models, including
the tiny Davenport diesel, the Rail Truck and the 2-8-0
Consolidation (See my review in this issue.) They have
not introduced sound yet, but their DCC models are configured
so that they can be operated on DC or DCC with
no modifications. Moreover, the new Consolidation can
often be bought on Ebay for under $130, the Rail Truck
for around $80 and the Davenport for around $40. Most
On3 modelers quickly learned that the Rail Truck can be
re-gauged to On3 by simply sliding the wheels out on the
axles.
I believe that there are currently more On30 modelers
than all the other O Scales combined, including traditional
standard-gauge, P48, On3 and On2. Bachmann Trains
has earned its place at the front of the On30 parade by
producing high quality and low priced narrow-gauge
products for thousands of new O Scalers.
At this time, I can report that having three narrowgauge
locomotives with DCC and sound, and nine more
with DCC only, has added to my pleasure immensely and
I am a happy operator. I expect that most manufacturers
will offer all of their new locomotives with DCC and
sound in the near future. Soon, when the Bachmann fiveamp
booster becomes available, it will be time to start
installing DCC and sound in some of my standard-gauge
locomotives. I might want a better or more expensive
DCC system in the future, but for now I’m satisfied with
what I have. With one-amp decoders now available for
around $10, it might be time for you to start thinking seriously
about moving your railroad into the Digital Age.
Happy trains to you from Bobber
u
July/Aug ’06 - O Scale Trains • 33