[Gary]

I've spotted that Hornby are now offering product in their continental range with sound. It can't be too long before sound appears in their British outline range. Hornby are in favour of sound that you can download from their website. The continental locos use dedicated sound decoders so the principles in this range are different.

What chance the new superdetailed Hornby Class 56 Loco, likely to be on sale at the Warley Show in December, to be the first to be "Hornby Live Sound" enabled?

This could well be the BIG Hornby announcement for 2008!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[adecoaches26point4]

Gary,
More info on the continental please.

Thanks,

David

 

[Bilbo]

Could only find the one in the 2007 catalogue. Its a DB series 230 diesel-hydraulic with a Loksound decoder.its in the Rivarossi range.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Bilbo @ 13 Jul 2007, 17:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Could only find the one in the 2007 catalogue. Its a DB series 230 diesel-hydraulic with a Loksound decoder.its in the Rivarossi range.

Lets hope it's not a case of "all noise & no go" - the original was hopeless on pulling power, although a very nice model. Good choice of decoder though.

 

[Gary]

I spotted it on a US site for $260 (£130), Don't know if thats good or bad.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[neil_s_wood]

I'd love to see Hornby doing DCC sound. I've been hanging out for this for some time. Simon said that Hornby would only do it if it was an additional 20 quid though. I don't know how feasible that is. What I don't want is them to make the same error they did with their digital stuff and "have a go". They would be well advised to buy it off the shelf from ESU like everyone else.

 

[alastairq]

Athearn and Roundhouse/MDC locos have had built-in sound for some 35 years or more.

May not be exactly the sort of 'sound' one might be looking for....but they certainly made lots of mechanical noises!

way back in the...eighties or early nineties I wrote to Chris Leigh's Scalemodel Trains mag suggesting the fitment of smoke units to diesels as well.

For all the fancy dijjitle stuff found in today's splendidly-fragile offerings.....lights, sounds, magical control...someone seems to have forgotten the other senses.....smoke and smell, for example?

especially smells.....

as a one-time career bus driver of the old school [read, studied grumpiness]...I loved the 'smell' of old buses....a smell which radically altered with the arrival of moden plastic fantastic buses.
Railway coaches are the same....the old Mk1's smelt very different inside, to the latest plastic cocoons without opening windows?

 

[Gary]

QUOTE For all the fancy dijjitle stuff found in today's splendidly-fragile offerings.....lights, sounds, magical control...someone seems to have forgotten the other senses.....smoke and smell, for example?

You definitely need a Hornby or Mamod Live Steam loco! There is currently remarkable value out there...

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gwent rail]

Sound the big thing for 2008

I don't think so. Not when I've got to throw away all my DC equipment, listen to a dozen different opinions on which is the best manufacturer, spend a fortune on a DCC system, convert all my stock to DCC and then find that I'll need to spend around £80 on a decent sound chip which will only give me American sounds!

Can you imagine 999 locos all running around steaming, hooting and tooting. Puffing, chuffing and hissing ... BEDLAM

Give me a break Hornby, stop trying to con me into believing that I can't run a railway without your cheap plastic digital boxes.

 

[alastairq]

Give me a break Hornby, stop trying to con me into believing that I can't run a railway without your cheap plastic digital boxes

strangely enough...I don't think it's either Hornby or Bachmann who are trying to force the influence, so to speak...

looks to me the pressure is actually coming from vociferous sections of the model railway tinternet.

hornmann simply respond to market pressures?

I am amazed on ''returning'' to the world of US model railroading, after being isolated for several years, how the RTR market has changed.
Now, I see from their forums, that consumers consider it a 'given', any steam or diesel loco WILL come with chips AND sound....

[I also suspect, US modellers are amazed we in the YuK are happy with kits that don't even supply WHEELS?]

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (alastairq @ 15 Jul 2007, 08:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>[I also suspect, US modellers are amazed we in the YuK are happy with kits that don't even supply WHEELS?]

Ah - but maybe they are not aware that the UK has different wheel profiles as well as 3 track gauges for the same scale !

 

[alastairq]

they do in US-land as well...........their track gauge for 4mm scale is 19mm!

 

[Oakydoke]

Gary, you may have let the cat out of the bag, regarding a sound equipped class 56 being the first from Hornby?

Sceptics might say, following the Hornby DCC debacle, it'll just be a recording of Simon Kohler making engine noises into a recorder.

Grrrrrrrrr Hummmmmmm Tissssshhhh "BAARPP ! BAARPP !"
Chuff Chuff Chuff Chuff "TOOT! TOOT!"

 

[60134]

I don't know about letting the cat out of the bag, more likely putting a cat among the pigeons!

60134

 

[Gwent rail]

QUOTE (alastairq @ 15 Jul 2007, 08:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>strangely enough...I don't think it's either Hornby or Bachmann who are trying to force the influence, so to speak...
looks to me the pressure is actually coming from vociferous sections of the model railway tinternet.
hornmann simply respond to market pressures?

Another case of the noisy minority foisting their wishes on the majority who were happy with the status quo then

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Gwent rail @ 16 Jul 2007, 07:59) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Another case of the noisy minority foisting their wishes on the majority who were happy with the status quo then

I didn't think anyone was happy with Status Quo?

 

[Gwent rail]

Why not

They were a fantastic group

As far as the status quo is concerned, if you are talking about loco control, then we were managing perfectly well as we were before some idiot wanted to control everything by pushing buttons and tapping yet another keyboard

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Gwent rail @ 16 Jul 2007, 09:30) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Why not

They were a fantastic group

As far as the status quo is concerned, if you are talking about loco control, then we were managing perfectly well as we were before some idiot wanted to control everything by pushing buttons and tapping yet another keyboard

They were up until the mid seveties. Then went into a terminal decline.

There's nothing wrong with tapping on a keyboard. It's the future, embrace it!

 

[pedromorgan]

i thought mr kohler had stated he wouldnt do sound in the uk unless it could be had for less than £20?

while i like to see new developements i do think hornby has taken their eye off the ball a little. I dont know weather they are doing more of the "stuff" this year or weather we are noticeing it more because of the lack of propper models, but i wish they would just go back to doing what they are best at- making model trains!

I am bored with yet another "year of consolidation". i just want some new stock. i want some stock that inspires me and captures my imagination. sorry but a 56 aint going to do that-even with sound.

I am looking forward to the railroad range far more than i am the new 56 or anything DCC or sound. i will get an almost unlimited supply of donor locomotives to play with and a whole bunch of cheap chassis.

Peter

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Gwent rail @ 16 Jul 2007, 00:30) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>if you are talking about loco control, then we were managing perfectly well as we were before some idiot wanted to control everything by pushing buttons and tapping yet another keyboard

I would not exactly call Behnt Lenz an idiot.

Stick to analogue if you wish - regarding motor control DCC (using a quality decoder, correctly set up) will make a excellent runner even better.

Yes, I use DCC & am very enthusiastic about it but I do not think it's the "be all & end all". There will always be a place for analogue, just as there is still a place for clockwork.

At the end of the day its really only a matter of achieving more or less the same outcome using different methods. There are many things DCC can do effectively that analogue cannot, such as working lights that stay on when locomotives/units stop (yes, you can use high frequency but that would probably upset Gary's precious EU standards), remote uncoupling & of course sound.