7mm Crook Street

[Allan]

Hi Allan, I thought that this was one of your best yet, when the 5ft 6inch tank left that was probably the best sound effect. The shot of the Precursor leaving was really good. It's a shame that the Precursor kit isn't still available.
John

Thanks John, That's interesting, after that train ran, I increased the volume on all the chuffing files by +10dB and I thought it still sounded too quiet!

I might increase them all to +20dB but that might overdrive the little amplifiers or the speakers might clip (look at me with all my borrowed sound engineer jargon...)

Cheers
Allan

 

[Allan]

Hi Allan,

I do love your videos but cant help agreeing that there is a distinct lack of chuff at any point where the loco is having to do any work. When leaving a station, especially with a train, the loco will be exerting its maximum effort and is likely to be chuffing quite hard. As soon as it reaches the desired speed, the regulator will be eased back and there will be much more of a quieter soundtrack. Whilst your soundtracks have demonstrated quite a lot of hissing steam, there hasn’t been much actual chuffing and the addition of that (in the right places) will really add to an already great production.

Nigel

Yeah, I agree. I was reluctant for ages to go down the sound chip route for that very reason - steam engines by their nature don't have a nice even exhaust like a diesel. At Crook Street, a departing train would open the regulator with a fairly late cut-off to get the train moving and then ease back to get the train round the curves and through the pointwork and probably only open the regulator again after it's passed under the bridge out of the layout into pretend land. However, that wouldn't be nearly as much fun as a spirited departure! And, of course, that's what everybody records and is available to download. I still think it's too quiet though (see my response to John above). Interestingly, for me in the room, it's really quite loud, so it is a feature of camera and speaker locations.

Cheers
Allan

 

[Marsh Lane]

Hi Allan,
I dont know what camera your using, but one option may be the ability to take an audio feed from your sound system through a cheap audio mixer or recorder (allowing audio levels to be adjusted) and then on a second cable into the camera.

Not a cheap option, but I have just treated myself to the latest Tascam recorder that allows me to use professional XLR mics with my iPhone when recording the odd railway video out on the lineside, the result is its dealt entirely with all the wind noise and given a better audio in the mix (it should do given the cost of the microphone!!)

But may give you an idea or option on what you can could do with off-camera sound.
Rich

PS Forgot to add, love the layout, the detail and the running qualities. Enjoy following your videos immensely.

 

[James Spooner]

Yeah, I agree. I was reluctant for ages to go down the sound chip route for that very reason - steam engines by their nature don't have a nice even exhaust like a diesel. At Crook Street, a departing train would open the regulator with a fairly late cut-off to get the train moving and then ease back to get the train round the curves and through the pointwork and probably only open the regulator again after it's passed under the bridge out of the layout into pretend land. However, that wouldn't be nearly as much fun as a spirited departure! And, of course, that's what everybody records and is available to download. I still think it's too quiet though (see my response to John above). Interestingly, for me in the room, it's really quite loud, so it is a feature of camera and speaker locations.

Cheers
Allan

Yes, I agree Allan. I think steam sound is much more problematic than diesel and I haven’t yet come across an example where it really works. I think possibly there are too many variables (regulator openings, cut off, coasting to a halt, etc) to get the right sound at the right time. Add to that a difficulty in trying to synchronise the beats with the wheel revolutions, let alone other sounds like clanking rods, which might only occur when a loco is under light steam and it is nigh on impossible to provide a realistic sound track. I do admire you for trying though and your sound effects are certainly a lot better than most.

cheers

Nigel

 

[Allan]

Hi Allan,
I dont know what camera your using, but one option may be the ability to take an audio feed from your sound system through a cheap audio mixer or recorder (allowing audio levels to be adjusted) and then on a second cable into the camera.

Not a cheap option, but I have just treated myself to the latest Tascam recorder that allows me to use professional XLR mics with my iPhone when recording the odd railway video out on the lineside, the result is its dealt entirely with all the wind noise and given a better audio in the mix (it should do given the cost of the microphone!!)

But may give you an idea or option on what you can could do with off-camera sound.
Rich

PS Forgot to add, love the layout, the detail and the running qualities. Enjoy following your videos immensely.

Thanks Rich. I've thought about a better mic arrangement for my hillwalking videos but for the railway, I try to 'be honest' and film what I as an operator experience. For the very first video I did, I dubbed on the sound in the edit, which a few other YT/modellers do, but I stuck to my strategy of showing what I see/hear from then on.

It's an interesting philosophical point, with the ability of AI to animate old railway photos and the popularity of train sims, I guess there's a sliding scale from physical modelling all the way to entirely simulated, with, in my opinion, merits in them all.

Cheers
Allan

 

[simond]

I don’t think it’s beyond the wit of fairly conventional programming (ie no embedded “intelligence”) to work out the load on the motor from the current (and the demanded speed vs the actual speed) and to vary the sounds accordingly - I think most sound decoders already do this to a fairly large extent and I’d expect that it’ll get better with time and experience.

Unfortunately it seems necessary to do a lot of work on the sound projects to make them reasonable. Coal shovelling is perhaps very noisy on the footplate (where it is recorded, presumably) but negligible from the line side (where I’m watching from) and it doesn’t help my 1930s Castle to have a 2020s Westinghouse pump making horrid noises at random - but these “features” are adjustable given time and a suitable programmer.

Certainly the porter’s whistle should not be in the same volume range as the loco whistle and that would be drowned out by safety valves blowing off.

Just my 2c. Others may have different preferences
Simon

 

[Allan]

Hi All

Just in case anyone looking at the Crook Street movies thinks that all is smooth and blemish free in Crook Street Towers, this may be a chastening story. I'm currently in the process of making a movie and so packed away the Coal Engine kit I'm working on and switched on the layout for a bit of gentle operation with some filming thrown in. The first thing I noticed was that one of my newly installed ambient sound units wasn't working. So with a lot of sub-baseboard grovelling and swearing later, I'm still none the wiser and it seems to be 'intermittent' (always the best type of fault) and works 'sometimes'.

Next was the turntable alignment, for some reason it moved as an engine moved on to it. Again, this is particularly inaccessible. I can access it but that means removing the signal box, lifting the engine shed board and imerging from the subsequently revealed 'rabbit hole'. I didn't want to do that... So with some judicious use of the regulator, the engine was correctly placed and turned. I must re-engineer the turntable at some point. However, in squinting accross at the turntable, I was conscious of a blind spot right in my vision right where I'm trying to see track alignment. This was followed by a hazing of the vision in one eye. Long story short, after two visits to the opthalmist revealed my vitrious humor wasn't so vitrious any more and had detached from the back of my eye - just a normal aging thing but needs to be checked for the much more serious retinal detachment - which is fine, I don't have that.

So back to the relaxing operating session then... Er, no. On switching on this time one of my engines promptly rushed, unprovoked, to the back of the engine shed and was then stoically unresponsive. A couple of hours of delicate fault finding later, revealed a keep-alive wire had become detached - grrrr...!

And so you can see, I've been having, without any of the modern connotations this phrase has acquired, a gay old time...

However, by way of compensation, I took some photos, which you won't see in the movie because it's meant to be at night... Happy modelling...









Cheers
Allan

 

[Allan]

Hi All,

Tribulations over, here's the video

Cheers
Allan

 

[cctransuk]

Hi All,

Tribulations over, here's the video

Cheers
Allan

Absolutely stunning!!

John Isherwood.

 

[PeterM]

Hi Alan

Watched your latest video including the new Coal Engine and Parcels train. Most impressive!

As a fellow LNWR modeller, albeit 4mm, I am struggling to complete a volume of stock comparable to yours let alone the level of finish. Can I ask how long it has taken you to amass your splendid collection?

 

[Allan]

Hi All

I'm still concentrating on engine building, but however, I've snuck in another movie:

Cheers
Allan

 

[PeterM]

Hi All

I'm still concentrating on engine building, but however, I've snuck in another movie:

Cheers
Allan

I’m at a loss as to how you find the time for loco and stock building on top of movie making! All very wonderful and motivating.

 

[Allan]

Hi Alan

Watched your latest video including the new Coal Engine and Parcels train. Most impressive!

As a fellow LNWR modeller, albeit 4mm, I am struggling to complete a volume of stock comparable to yours let alone the level of finish. Can I ask how long it has taken you to amass your splendid collection?

Thanks Peter, I started in 0 gauge in 1991, but in a busy working life, progress on layout and stock building was fairly slow. I retired in 2015 and started Crook Street within a year. Construction ramped up dramatically after that but I still feel very time limited. I'm currently concentrating on actually building the kits us modellers have a habit of accumulating! How are you getting on with yours?

 

[PeterM]

Thanks Peter, I started in 0 gauge in 1991, but in a busy working life, progress on layout and stock building was fairly slow. I retired in 2015 and started Crook Street within a year. Construction ramped up dramatically after that but I still feel very time limited. I'm currently concentrating on actually building the kits us modellers have a habit of accumulating! How are you getting on with yours?

After family and career etc I came back to modelling seriously in around 2012 but still working full time. Now of retirement age I have more time though modelling the LNWR/GWR joint line I have double trouble. The layout is built and working (P4) and I’ve got more locos than carriages. Been struggling with a rake of LNWR 6 wheelers for ever; a carriage can take as long as a loco let alone with the interior finish you achieve and the lighting!

Amongst unfinished projects I too have a Coal Engine, plus a G1 and a Whitworth all to complete.

You seem to have done more in less time. I guess I must just be slow. It’s not attention to detail.

Peter

 

[Suddaby]

Another excellent video Allan, many thanks.

I like the early morning half light at the start, it adds a lot of atmosphere to the scene. It was nice to see the new 0-8-0 (the little "countryside" plank is a clever idea"!), and also the parcels train. I was thinking "Have I seen a parcels train before", but was sure I hadn't, or had I not paid attention?
I have a question about the small 0-4-0T Deansgate shunter, is that a one man job, or has the fireman done a runner?

All the best,

Kevin

 

[Allan]

After family and career etc I came back to modelling seriously in around 2012 but still working full time. Now of retirement age I have more time though modelling the LNWR/GWR joint line I have double trouble. The layout is built and working (P4) and I’ve got more locos than carriages. Been struggling with a rake of LNWR 6 wheelers for ever; a carriage can take as long as a loco let alone with the interior finish you achieve and the lighting!

Amongst unfinished projects I too have a Coal Engine, plus a G1 and a Whitworth all to complete.

You seem to have done more in less time. I guess I must just be slow. It’s not attention to detail.

Peter

That's brilliant Peter. P4 doesn't allow much room for error, I admire your dedication. In 7mm finescale I can get away with all sorts of dodgy dealings. Yeah, coaches! Easily take as long as locos!

Cheers
Allan

 

[Allan]

Another excellent video Allan, many thanks.

I like the early morning half light at the start, it adds a lot of atmosphere to the scene. It was nice to see the new 0-8-0 (the little "countryside" plank is a clever idea"!), and also the parcels train. I was thinking "Have I seen a parcels train before", but was sure I hadn't, or had I not paid attention?
I have a question about the small 0-4-0T Deansgate shunter, is that a one man job, or has the fireman done a runner?

All the best,

Kevin

Thanks Kevin. Yeah, the 'country' plank offers a huge range of possibilities. One day, when I magically have more time, I plan to build a range of removable additions to represent multiple locations - several layouts in one!
The parcels train is a bit of an anomaly. My working timetable has 3 parcels/perishables trains but I haven't built them yet. So I add that extra train to give the parcels stock I do have a run on the layout.
The story with the 4' shunter crew is that it's a father and son team. The old man is getting on a bit now and is on light duties and it so happens his son, who is a passed cleaner, is on the shovel. However, the old man likes to get his head down in the shunter's cabin when the men in bowler hats aren't around. His lad is delighted with this opportunity for some driving...
It's ok, those nice men in white coats are here to take me back to my 'special' home again...

 

[Allan]

Hi All,

Hot off the press:

Back to the Precursor Tank build (see 'Workshop' section)


Cheers
Allan

 

[Allan]

Hi All,

Having finished the Precursor Tank, it's movie time! With the completion of the engine, I now have all the express passenger locos required by the timetable, so I've added the extra trains in. I still, however, need some coaches for a full timetable. With the retirement of Malcolm Binns of Sidelines fame we've lost an important source of components. Bogie suppliers anyone?

Cheers
Allan

 

[adrian]

That is looking fantastic - congratulations - front photo on the latest Guild Gazette as well. A surfeit of LNWR this month.

I still, however, need some coaches for a full timetable. With the retirement of Malcolm Binns of Sidelines fame we've lost an important source of components. Bogie suppliers anyone?

I know - I've just managed to buy a set of 4 coaches from Malcolm for when I eventually finish my Precursor Tank. Purchasing limited by available funds so I really hope someone can pick up the range and continue the supply as they are excellent kits.