LNWR whistle sound - on a DC layout.

[Penlan]

I would like to locate a couple of speakers on my layout, each one by a Home signal,

to replicate a LNWR engine calling the signal box, etc.,  perhaps just a quick blast or two.
I've heard a few simple whistle sound modules available, but all have that wheezy, false sound.
I'm assuming any of the DCC sound modules have a copy of the real Coal Tank 1054's actual whistle on them.

Now apart from buying a whole DCC setup just for the whistle(s), is there any other way of getting what I seek?
Thank you.  

[Nigelcliffe]

Seek out audio recordings, there will be something which is "close enough", and may well be copyright free.    

Then, arrange a device to play the sound - its pretty trivial to make a sound player on a Raspberry PI, with push-buttons to trigger the required sounds, controlling the fade-in/fade-out, repeat or not, stereo position (so put speaker near each signal),  etc..    (there's a school project with beginner level instructions to make such a thing at https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/gpio-music-box   ).   
If you found a variety of whistle recordings of the same locos, the device could randomly select different ones each time, thus not getting exactly the same whistle every time (and thus better than the DCC projects!). 

There are numerous other ways of doing the same, without spending a fortune.  

 

 

 

[Penlan]

Thank you, I shall have a go, I have plenty of 'time' for such a project.
I will come back and let you know what happens, once something happens 😎

[WIMorrison]

Look on YouTube for the sounds you need, download the video then strip out the audio.

 

There are also websites that will strip the sound from the video (just put on YouTube video link) and they will give you the MP3 track of the sound.  You then just chop out the bit of sound that you want from the MP3.

[Penlan]

1 hour ago, WIMorrison said:

Look on YouTube for the sounds you need, download the video then strip out the audio.

There are also websites that will strip the sound from the video (just put on YouTube video link) and they will give you the MP3 track of the sound.  You then just chop out the bit of sound that you want from the MP3.

👍

[DCB]

The whistle sound is influenced by boiler pressure and how quickly and how hard the driver yanks the whistle chain,  It's not a hard E flat or similar like a Diesel horn.  Gap in the market here.  I think sound is that fifth dimension of modelling which needs exploiting, and to do it we need to rethink much of what has been done.   Specifically we should drive the sound module  which then drives the trains. Not DCC as we know it but double DCC with one decoder doing the sound and another the motion.    Operating a fixed speaker by DCC on a DC layout appeals to me.   Too much DCC sound sounds like playing an Argo Transacord LP on a worn out turntable in a corner of the room with little relevance to loco load or speed.  Playing a few choice sounds, whistle and a few good loud chuffs as the loco starts then a hiss as it coasts from a fixed speaker could work well.   I did some Pannier Tank sound track in Musescore which I may play with again.    Might be possible to do a whistle...  
  

Edited May 23, 2022 by DCB

[Penlan]

Thank you DCB.
I first heard this use of a whistle at a Warley Show, probably pre-NEC, on a 0 Gauge layout, might even have been Paul Jones'.
A Pannier tank was in a far siding having done some local shunting and was now ready to come out onto the main running line(s), a couple of 'toots' from the speaker placed near the engine, a few (or more) seconds to change the points, then drop the signal, another quick toot from the 'engine' (presumably saying thankyou) and it moved off onto the running lines and away.
Not rocket science, but those viewers there, looked pleased, impressed or something, a nice little sound cameo.
My layout is a roundy-roundy now and has both up and down home signals to the station (the other side of the layout is the Fiddle Yard), I also have visitors to the layout, mainly from the Village and (small parties) from the local school, who don't know a lot about model railways, so I have numerous small cameo scenes around the layout which I can explain to them.
The whistle sound(s), in moderation, I feel will just add that extra dimension, catch their attention, and I admit give me something to play with as well 🤔
I'm coming up to 79 years old, there's no chance these days of taking the layout out to shows etc., so invited people come to view.