PCM Y6b

[nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org]

Thanks for the info Bob. It's good to know there's a reasonable approximation of the J whistle.  Especially considering I have a K2a which I had taken apart and started wiring for DCC.  And maybe I'll do my Bachmann Spectrum J with one, as well.  It's hard to justify a sound/DCC decoder that's more than the engine cost.

And, yes, the single note whistle on the articulateds is referred to as a hooter whistle.

It's unfortunate that Soundtraxx does not have a recording of each whistle that you can listen to on their site.  They only have one whistle example for each decoder (small/medium/large steam)

Mike Rector



nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org wrote: Soundtraxx's original lines of DSD decoders came in 1.0 and 1.5 amp
versions.  They had the N&W #1218 as one of their choices which is a single
tone whistle.  I have thought this is the one known as a "hooter."  They
also had a choice of the SP G4 4-8-4.  This locomotive was also equipped
with an air horn as were a number of NYC locos in the 1950's.  This loco
whistle sounds like a three-tone whistle which sounds the musical "major
triad."  This is the exact same whistle I recorded on a steam excursion with
the N&W class J #611 on the NKP back in the 1970's.  The Soundtraxx SP
whistle is weak on the lowest of the three tones, but still sounds like the
whistle on the N&W class J #611, and is my choice of whistle on my J's.
This whistle is still available as one of the choices on the Tsunami Heavy
Steam sound decoder.  Also available is the Frisco #1522 4-8-4 whistle which
is also a three-tone "major triad" but is more "mournful".   I think the SP
whistle is more characteristic of the N&W passenger whistle (which was also
used on the streamlined K-2a's).  I am a professional musician and tend to
listen to chord structures in locomotive whistles.  I have heard more recent
recordings of the #611 whistle, and apparently something has changed because
the relative pitch of each of the three tones is now a little different
causing it to sound the "major triad" but in the "first inversion".  If the
term "hooter" refers to some other type of whistle used on the N&W I will be
interested in knowing about it.

Bob Folsom
Clemson, SC


On 10/4/06 10:31 PM, "nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org" 
wrote:


> 

> I purchased my Y6b a couple of weeks after the PCM website said they were

> shipping.  I was lucky enough to still get one with a number.  The hobby shop

> store owner looked through Horizon and Walthers database, and at that time

> only the no number ones were available in sound.  However, he did a swap with

> another hobby shop and I got one with numbers.  This was in June, so I do not

> know the availability of them now.  Of course I live in New England far

> outside N&W territory, so maybe that was a limiting factor.  You can probably

> get one without sound and then wait until they come out with the upgrade kit.

> The drawbacks on the PCM upgrade kit are, the availability since it had a

> January 07 release date.  The upgrade sound decoder plus the price on a

> non-sound Y6b was about $15 to $20 more than the sound version.   Another

> thing to consider, is that a good hobby shop could have gotten you the sound

> Y6b for around $575.

> 

> 

> As for sound decoders I find the sound superior to the BLI class A for factory

> install jobs.

> 

> After market sound there is an older version Soundtraxx Class A decoder which

> has a decent sound.  You may be able to get it cheap since Soundtraxx lowered

> the prices of their decoders in advance of the Tsunami.  This may be the way

> to go, if you are having problems locating a sound version Y6b.

> 

> I have heard the Tsunami light and heavy steam.  Great Sounds! however there

> does not appear to be a N&W hooter version.

> 

> A.J. Gemperline 

> ________________________________________

> NW-Modeling-List at nwhs.org

> To change your subscription go to

> http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-modeling-list



________________________________________
NW-Modeling-List at nwhs.org
To change your subscription go to
http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-modeling-list


 		
---------------------------------
How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger’s low  PC-to-Phone call rates.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-modeling-list/attachments/20061008/7602a3fe/attachment.html