..the 40.

I've found in the past that 7mm models ruthlessly expose any deficiencies in your sound clip editing, ones that you often get away with in 4mm because you're not hearing the full range of sounds (quite why I never noticed through the hi-fi at the editing stage is something of a mystery but there you go). For this reason I took the decision not to try and prototype the Deltic sound project in 4mm. As I haven't yet been able to lay my hands on a 7mm Deltic yet (just a matter of time), that particular project has gone onto the back-burner and the 40 reinstated at the front.

Despite the insatiable demand for chips from Mr Petty I've managed to move forward with it and it's coming along nicely, whistling round the layout like a good 'un. The technique that I developed with the 20 & 37, to make the engine sounds less 'loopy' and more natural is working a treat in this case.

For those interested, the sound editing workbench comprises the output of the PC going to a Sony TAN55-ES 110 watt per channel power amp and a pair of Tannoy 611 floor-standers (basically my old hi-fi, another interest of mine). Plenty of oomph to rattle the window frames and get the missus knocking on the ceiling when Emmerdale's on. Most of my clip editing is done with Cool Edit, an ancient and pretty basic sound editor but nice and easy to use and more than adequate for most things. Occassionally I'll use Sound Forge for some of the more involved jobs and batch conversions. All editing is done with 44kHz / 16-bit mono clips that have been converted from stereo original recordings.

The photo is 40049, coming off the 'Cov line' at Nuneaton on a wintry day circa 1981.