Jump to content
 

Hornby TTS sound vent van


Liam
 Share

Recommended Posts

 

As for the sounds, there should be sounds suitable for a wagon in a train…

 

I thought it odd to provide the sound of a train going past when no train is visible. Perhaps the sound of the train passing is intended for when the wagon is in a moving train.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I would like it to include a variety of station announcements, rumble rattle of wagons moving, sound of a wagon with a wheel flat, sounds of wagons being loaded / unloaded. Would also be good to also have a carriage that had similar but included sounds of passengers embarking etc

Link to post
Share on other sites

I wonder how many people will be buying this and converting it to steam or diesel sound, thereby allowing it to be run behind a non-sound DCC chipped loco? Not a new idea of course but think of the money you could save by buying one of these and then only having to fork out in the future for plain vanilla DCC locos.

 

Exactly what I've done for the Dolgellau layout with a second hand MySound DCC sound parcels van!

Link to post
Share on other sites

I would like it to include a variety of station announcements, rumble rattle of wagons moving, sound of a wagon with a wheel flat, sounds of wagons being loaded / unloaded. Would also be good to also have a carriage that had similar but included sounds of passengers embarking etc

Station announcements won't be of much use, with everyone modelling different areas, the announcements would be too generic. The other sounds are really good suggestions. But I honestly don't see much use in station announcements.

 

In a country like Pakistan where most of the trains head towards Karachi, Islamabad, Hyderabad etc. or Sri Lanka with Colombo, Kandy etc., it would be fine. But the UK though small, has so many branch lines and so many major stations along the entire network.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Could still include announcements like stand clear of the platform edge or the next train is not stopping here / this train terminates here. Possibly its an opportunity for Hornby to do region specific variants.

Edited by Chrisr40
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I wonder how many people will be buying this and converting it to steam or diesel sound, thereby allowing it to be run behind a non-sound DCC chipped loco? Not a new idea of course but think of the money you could save by buying one of these and then only having to fork out in the future for plain vanilla DCC locos.

 

Exactly what I've done for the Dolgellau layout with a second hand MySound DCC sound parcels van!

Actually......

 

After post #27 above, I thought about getting a TTS soundchip and trying that out, using a generic unpainted Dapol box van I have to hand.  Diesel? Steam?  its a tossup, but perhaps either a Class 20 or a Class 31 might be a good idea.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thing is, for things like station sounds or other stationary sound sources you could use either a small MP3 player with built in speaker, or a Bluetooth speaker relaying sounds from a smartphone. I used to use a small MP3 player with built in speaker, tucked away behind a scenic break, to play ambient sounds on Kings Oak, on a loop I put together using some free sound effects (bird song, traffic hum, overflying aircraft, dogs barking, etc) using Audacity to mix them together. It's actually quite easy. With Bluetooth and a 'phone you could record station announcements and call them up on your 'phone as the train approaches, and Bluetooth speakers can be quite small and powerful enough to be hidden in scenery or under the layout. I think where the wagon will score is for mobile sound effects which are difficult to replicate with static speakers.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Themed vent vans would be OK so you could set them in various spots to broadcast their noise.

 

The more suggestions folk make the more chance of them appearing in a vent van.

 

The idea of a stand alone VV add on chip makes sense same as the add on TTS decoder packs did.

 

Rob

Edited by RAFHAAA96
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Sticking it in a wagon makes it an easily handled package that picks up power and commands from the track.

 

The static option could be a plug in shed similar to the way signals can be plugged into the track. They already have a points shed so easily adapted in my opinion.

 

I thought rail clack as already found on some loco decoders would be a useful sound for an in train van, but obviously this is era related to when rails had regular joints.

 

Rob

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

why not release it as a stand alone chip and speaker

Ease of use.. just Plonk it on the track and play.

 

TTS chip and speaker can always follow.

 

Personally a signal box, good shed roof or station canopy could all house a chip and speaker, just add fishplates to the wiring so it can get power from the track.

 

Again.. appeals to the market where modellers are time poor or less confident at this level of modelling.

 

TTS sound van is the biggest innovation to the toy train / kids market in many years.

Edited by adb968008
Link to post
Share on other sites

Ease of use.. just Plonk it on the track and play.

 

TTS chip and speaker can always follow.

 

Personally a signal box, good shed roof or station canopy could all house a chip and speaker, just add fishplates to the wiring so it can get power from the track.

 

Again.. appeals to the market where modellers are time poor or less confident at this level of modelling.

 

TTS sound van is the biggest innovation to the toy train / kids market in many years.

The van, with TTS installed was introduced at the same price as Hornby sell a standalone loco TTS decoder and speaker.  Its perfectly reasonable to buy one, extract the TTS gubbins and position them wherever you want.  AND have another van to play with!

Link to post
Share on other sites

The van, with TTS installed was introduced at the same price as Hornby sell a standalone loco TTS decoder and speaker.  Its perfectly reasonable to buy one, extract the TTS gubbins and position them wherever you want.  AND have another van to play with!

 

...  and i think that's exactly what many will do

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Ease of use.. just Plonk it on the track and play.

TTS chip and speaker can always follow.

Personally a signal box, good shed roof or station canopy could all house a chip and speaker, just add fishplates to the wiring so it can get power from the track.

Again.. appeals to the market where modellers are time poor or less confident at this level of modelling.

TTS sound van is the biggest innovation to the toy train / kids market in many years.

The van has tags underneath so it can be hard wired to a bus in addition to having wheel pickups for plonked on track power.

 

I was thinking of planting mine in some of those spare point motor huts in my gash box, ending up with a rake of condemned wagons.

Rob

Edited by RAFHAAA96
Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, I'm getting used to a couple of diesel depots on tickover drowning out conversation at model railway shows ............... I dread to think what cacophony a van train or two might be able to generate !

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Just me that thinks this van is a little Jack of all trades and master of none? I listened to the sounds via the engine shed and can't help but think that they would have been better focusing on one area (like a workshop) and having a lot more sounds for this site, rather than what they have done with just a handful. The station announcer seams a little 21st century too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just me that thinks this van is a little Jack of all trades and master of none? I listened to the sounds via the engine shed and can't help but think that they would have been better focusing on one area (like a workshop) and having a lot more sounds for this site, rather than what they have done with just a handful. The station announcer seams a little 21st century too.

 

I agree. It does seem a bit of a hotchpotch.

 

Whilst it's not something I personally would buy I can see the market being there.

 

But they could have released a handful of different versions like you say with different sounds and liveries suitable for those areas. Parcels van for station area, enparts for workshop/shed, S&T liveried van for signal box area, etc.

 

 

 

Jason

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hmmm. I'm normally a big fan of DCC and TTS sound, but I'll not be buying this. I think the selection of sounds is a bit odd and I just don't see that van sitting anywhere on my layout. I'm sure it'll float some folks' boats, but not mine on this occasion. I'll be interested to see what the uptake actually is when it's released.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree. It does seem a bit of a hotchpotch.

 

Whilst it's not something I personally would buy I can see the market being there.

 

But they could have released a handful of different versions like you say with different sounds and liveries suitable for those areas. Parcels van for station area, enparts for workshop/shed, S&T liveried van for signal box area, etc.

 

 

 

Jason

 

They did say that there were more TTS items for next year. So who knows....

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...