PAUL CHETTER explains how he fitted sound to ‘OO9’ narrow gauge model locomotives from Bachmann and Heljan revealing how a model’s basic design can greatly influence the ease with which this can be achieved.
UNTIL RECENTLY SOUND and narrow gauge locomotives weren’t generally associated with one another. However, changes to the ‘009’ scene and the arrival of new ready-to-run models from Bachmann and Heljan mean that it is just as possible to take advantage of sound in this scale as it is in ‘N’ gauge.
For this feature we are looking at two distinctly different models – the Bachmann Baldwin 4-6-0T which has been designed with sound in mind and the Heljan Manning Wardle 2-6-2T which features a decoder socket but no specific space for a speaker. These two approaches give rise to some surprising results, as the Bachmann 4-6-0T has a compact speaker which can be upgraded while the ‘big’ Heljan tank engine has a number of spaces that can be conveniently used for stay alive capacitors.
Starting with the Heljan Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Manning Wardle 2-6-2T, there have been several modifications to the design since it was first introduced including the chassis weight design and the types of screws used to…
