Signalbox sounds

[The Stationmaster]

I have a  nasty feeling - as already instanced - that folk would soon get very fed up (putting it mildly) with the sound of real block bells especially if layouts run trains at the sort of frequency we see at exhibitions.  However Coach's idea of sitting in the garden and hearing bells in the distance before the train appears does sound quite attractive - but would still not fit in an exhibition scenario.

 

(But if folk do have bells we can at least check they're working to the right Regulations and using the correct codes at the right times and that ought to out a stop to tailchasing.  And yes I'm well aware of one layout which does use them at exhibitions but without being too obtrusive and more or less correctly.)

[PaulRhB]

I agree with Mike that it may become annoying at shows, it's another minefield of procedure that needs to be right or will sound very odd. The layouts that use block bells already at shows rarely sound anything like the real thing as you inevitably hear at least two or three boxes and it becomes a cacophony of dings confusing operator and viewer alike.

You would need to scale the sound to only be heard 3-4 ft away maximum and trying to do it for all trains would mean continuous bells like a major station. Personally a quiet recording running on a loop would probably sound more realistic, possibly triggered by sensors as a train approaches the viewing area and representing it being belled on into the next section.

eg:

As train approaches you hear 2 then after a time measured during testing offering on the train to the next box followed a short while later by entering section again as it departs. It would even be possible to have sensors activated by left or right magnets so it can tell between passenger and freight and play two different recordings?

[Classsix T]

For the more modern Signalling Control Centre:

 

Press F1 for; "Look at this tw@t on the level crossing cctv!"

 

F2; "It's all gone pear shaped here chief, Papa sixteen has sat down!"

 

F3; "Tea John?"

 

etc...

 

C6T.

[Poggy1165]

There was a layout at Guildex a few years ago that was basically a junction set between 3 tunnels - most of the area of the layout was hidden. It had a signal box with bells, and of course, full signalling. It was very atmospheric. 

[Chubber]

How well could these sounds have been heard from outside the signal box?

 

An easy one would be the single 'ding' to alert platform staff to an imminent arrival...? Alresford's gong is handily right outside the cafe door IIRC!

 

Doug

[JJGraphics]

There could well be one out soon !

 

 

Six months have passed . . . 

 

Seriously, I'm still quite interested in the idea of a selection of bell codes, the rap of the keys making the replies and a few lever sounds loaded onto a LokSound decoder that could be played as required with FKeys. Nothing fancy, but reasonable quality and playability would be good.

 

Maybe there is someone around here who might be interested in doing something like this?

 

John

[russ p]

The problem with this is that the bell codes wouldn't be right for the different class of trains it may sound pedantic but if you are going to that level of detail you really want it to be correct.

Also if you have bells you also need the crashing of levers when routes are cleared or reset

[The Johnster]

The problem with this is that the bell codes wouldn't be right for the different class of trains it may sound pedantic but if you are going to that level of detail you really want it to be correct.

Also if you have bells you also need the crashing of levers when routes are cleared or reset

 

And the noise of the signals being returned to 'on' after the train passes.  I think if I was going to do this, and I'm not, I'd want to be wearing headphones so as not to inflict it on anyone else!

[bgman]

This one will drive you up the wall

 

[two tone green]

Six months have passed . . . 

 

Seriously, I'm still quite interested in the idea of a selection of bell codes, the rap of the keys making the replies and a few lever sounds loaded onto a LokSound decoder that could be played as required with FKeys. Nothing fancy, but reasonable quality and playability would be good.

 

Maybe there is someone around here who might be interested in doing something like this?

 

John

 

Hi John,

 

Yes time has flown by but I know the person who is putting together a very clever box has been busy with some other projects whilst waiting on an updated circuit board. But the prototype is very impressive and yes it does have the crashing of levers as well.

 

Its very configurable with any sound you can come up with and can be operated by a simple switch or integrated into a fully automated DCC layout. .

[DCB]

A speaker in the box tinging the reply to train out of section as a train heads for the FY would be effective.  To much gap between "train entering section" and train actually leaving FY for it to have any relevance.

The signalman moving around, pulling levers, waving flags etc to go with the sounds would be good.

Maybe Bachmann can make one when they have perfected the 00 scale DCC sound and smell equipped shunting horse.

Edited January 20, 2017 by DavidCBroad

[beast66606]

This one will drive you up the wall

 

 

The high speed SPAD at 00:48 put me off

[JJGraphics]

Bringing this thread to life again . . .

 

Anyone made any progress with the idea of signal box sounds or would be interested in the idea of doing some basic sounds on a decoder?

 

I would be interested in a modest selection of sounds for a small branch line terminus box . . . just to add a bit of interest and entertainment value.

 

John

[pheaton]

Bringing this thread to life again . . .

 

Anyone made any progress with the idea of signal box sounds or would be interested in the idea of doing some basic sounds on a decoder?

 

I would be interested in a modest selection of sounds for a small branch line terminus box . . . just to add a bit of interest and entertainment value.

 

John

By Far the best suggestion you have had is to ask to record a preserved box, im pretty certain most of the signallers at the gloucestershire warwickshire railway would happily assist, if you wrote to the railway and asked.

 

My personal view would be to have random lever pulling as a contiuously running sound, and you can have the bell codes on a momentry funcion press that way you can have whatever bell code you like, failing that, you can "theoretically" have all the bell codes (well atleast the common user ones) on a function and have them play randomly. Along with the odd ring of the telephone from the lineside, and also if your box is serving a station you can have the platform bell on a momentry function press as well (IE Sound for as long as the function is held down).

 

Obviously the downside to this is that you have to be in control of the chip in the box rather than your locomotive, so having all the functions on random might be a good idea. and at just under £100 that's going to be an expensive signal box

[Dunsignalling]

Surely, all that's needed are 5 common functions, each pressed multiple times as required.

 

1. Ding

 

2. Ding (different tone for second instrument).

 

3. Points being pulled/put back (both sound about the same).

 

4. Signal being pulled.

 

5. Signal being put back (sounds different). 

 

Add whistling kettle, snoring, phone ringing, token instrument etc. to taste.

 

John

Edited October 16, 2017 by Dunsignalling

[JJGraphics]

Surely, all that's needed are 5 common functions, each pressed multiple times as required.

 

1. Ding

 

2. Ding (different tone for second instrument).

 

3. Points being pulled/put back (both sound about the same).

 

4. Signal being pulled.

 

5. Signal being put back (sounds different). 

 

Add whistling kettle, snoring, phone ringing, token instrument etc. to taste.

 

John

 

 

That is exactly the sort of thing I have in mind, with the addition of the clack of the keys as the signalman replies to the bell code. The background noises could be set to play randomly like the safety valve, coal shovelling etc., on loco sound decoders.

 

John

[JJGraphics]

Just reviving this thread . . . I have built a Ratio Midland signal box and, being Ever The Optimist, I have installed a speaker in the roof and would dearly love to get some signal box sounds loaded onto a LokSound decoder to play through the speaker.

 

What I'd like to achieve:

1.  General background noise, say on F0 that would run continuously like a loco simmering.

2.  Different numbers of key taps, say on F1/F2/F3/F4/F5, followed by the same number of bell tings

3.  Different numbers of bell tings, say on F11/F12/F13/F14/F15, followed by the same number of key taps

4.  Lever pulling sound

5.  Lever return sound

6.  Other sounds, such as a telephone ringing, door slamming, kettle boiling, coal going into the stove, whistling/singing, etc., on other FKeys.

 

There are quite a few sounds available either free or to purchase so, in my naivety I believe it is just a matter of creating the Project and loading it onto a decoder. Is anyone interested in pursuing this?

 

John

 

(I'm almost resigned to the fact I'm going to have to buy a LokProgrammer, learn how to use the software and do the job myself!)

[The Johnster]

Don't think I could live with the sounds being random; if they are provided, they must, repeat must, be connected with the running of the trains.  So the bells need to be followed by a train arriving, with appropriate lever noises as it shunts connected properly to the points being moved and signals cleared and put back, and levers being put back make more of a noise than being pulled.  And the signalman needs to be occasionally disturbed by 'call attention' bells half way through the shunting.  Otherwise it's just a gimmick and doesn't make sense, detracting from the realism not adding to it.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2019 by The Johnster

[JJGraphics]

11 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Don't think I could live with the sounds being random; if they are provided, they must, repeat must, be connected with the running of the trains.  So the bells need to be followed by a train arriving, with appropriate lever noises as it shunts connected properly to the points being moved and signals cleared and put back, and levers being put back make more of a noise than being pulled.  And the signalman needs to be occasionally disturbed by 'call attention' bells half way through the shunting.  Otherwise it's just a gimmick and doesn't make sense, detracting from the realism not adding to it.

 

 

 

It was not my wish that the main sounds such as bells, keys and levers would be random. I clearly stated that I would want them to be activated by specific FKeys; see my notes 2 & 3. I would only wish for some general background sounds to be random in the same way that a safety valve or coal shovelling sound is set up on a steam loco with DCC sound.

 

John

[PaulRhB]

You’d really need the lever sounds linked to operating the signals using some sort of route setting off the control station to prevent having to press loads of F keys all the time which would get tiresome. I’d also question hearing tapping out the codes as they’re sent as that sound doesn’t really carry far at all. 

[Greensman]

Hello there, John.........

 

Interestingly, I have had the same thought......possibly just a few years later!

 

What I would like is a DCC controlled module that would allow you to use function keys to generate simple bell codes..... for example decoder address 53, F1 would give you one ding, F2 would give you two dings.....etc. This is mainly on use for our exhibition layout which is a 50 foot long linear layout. and would be used for 'attracting the attention' of the operator at the other end when their attention has wandered...... especially after lunch!

 

After a bit of reading around, I got hold of an Arduino controller board, a mp3 module, and DCC interface board and have started to play around with them.

The theory is that the interface board makes the DCC commands readable by the Arduino board and that can then trigger  the allocated track on the mp3 player.

The tracks on the mp3 player are stored on a micro SD card, so you can record what ever you like for each individual track.......

 

Well, that's the theory, anyway. It's early days but so far, but I have managed to work out how to get tracks to play on the mp3 player module on its own and the next step is to see if I can read the DCC commands on the Arduino module......its then a question of seeing if I can get some code that will use the commands to trigger the mp3 tracks!

 

Pete

[t-b-g]

http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/?q=signal+box

 

Should find all the sounds possibly needed.

 

The BBC sound archive is a huge resource, free to down load for personal use and can be licensed for commercial use.

 

I can happily spend an idle hour or two just listening to various long lost noises!

[Harlequin]

There’s another very important signal box sound: A big clock slowly ticking away.

And can I also suggest birds twittering for atmosphere during those long pauses between railway activity.

 

The old BBC film, “The Signalman”, contains long passages of just signalbox noises (possibly from the archive mentioned above) without music interfering - because it’s a ghost story. I used to have it on reel to reel tape and played it when running my railway back in the 70’s.

 

Edit: If the both the sound module and the signals/points are DCC controlled then it ought to be very easy to send commands to both synchronously using software like iTrain or JMRI.

Edited October 27, 2019 by Harlequin

[JJGraphics]

On 27/10/2019 at 09:48, t-b-g said:

http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/?q=signal+box

 

Should find all the sounds possibly needed.

 

The BBC sound archive is a huge resource, free to down load for personal use and can be licensed for commercial use.

 

I can happily spend an idle hour or two just listening to various long lost noises!

 

 

Yes, that is a good source of sounds. Lots of interesting non-railway ones, too.

 

John

[Londontram]

Ofcourse if you just want to add a bit of atmospheric fun for your home layout buy 2 or 3 counter top bells the type you see in hotels and line them up. If you get a couple of different makes they will all sound different but are very much like the bells found in signal boxes. A spare key hitting a muted bell will create the return key sound.

 

 You can clang away to your hearts content announcing your trains with different bells from fictional boxes either side of the one on your model railway.