Digital Sound modelling guides
Installing ESU sound in the Heljan GWR AEC railcar
The revival of Grosvenor Square for the Spalding Model Railway Exhibition on November 4/5 prompted MIKE WILD to go back to the ‘60s by installing digital sound in Heljan’s new ‘OO’ gauge GWR AEC parcels railcar. Here’s how he did it complete with a video sound demonstration.
MIKE WILD
Digital Sound: A tale of two ‘Panniers’
GWR ‘Pannier’ tanks are perennial favourites and Bachmann has added the ‘64XX’ version to its existing range. PAUL CHETTER investigates the internal changes made to this newer design in order to fit sound and ‘stay alive’ capability to this and the earlier ‘57XX’ series locomotives.
PAUL CHETTER
Earth moving sound for the Heljan ‘Peak’
First released a year ago, Heljan’s new ‘OO’ Class 45 can be upgraded to feature a powerful Earth Mover speaker with digital sound. MIKE WILD explains how.
MIKE WILD
Grosvenor Square Phase 1: the completed layout
Layout complete, it’s time to learn the ropes for how it will run. Mike Wild discusses how the original version of Grosvenor Square operated and what it ran with on its debut in 2016 at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition.
MIKE WILD
Upgrading Sonic Models GCR ‘A5’ 4-6-2T
Sonic Models’ GCR ‘A5’ 4-6-2T has been designed for simple sound installation, but with simple upgrades it can be enhanced further. MIKE WILD shows how.
MIKE WILD
Digital sound for the ‘08’
Introducing custom digital sound to small locomotives can make for a rewarding challenge. Paul Chetter puts the Bachmann and Hornby Class 08 diesel shunters head to head and explains how to introduce a high value DCC sound decoder and ‘stay alive’ technology.
PAUL CHETTER
Nifty 50s: Install Locoman Sounds in Hornby's Class 50
Locoman Sounds has introduced a new sound profile for the Class 50 ‘Hoovers’. MIKE WILD installs a pair of Doehler & Haass chips into the Hornby GBRf pairing of 50049 and 50007 with some nifty adjustments to the lighting functions.
MIKE WILD
Hawkswood Junction - Nottinghamshire in the 1980s in 'OO'
Nottinghamshire during the 1980s is the setting for railwayman STEVE BRAMMER’S ‘OO’ gauge home-based layout, capturing the scene of the times delightfully.
STEVE BRAMMER
How to install DCC Concepts Powerbase on gradients
Gradients have always posed a problem to model railway builders. MIKE WILD tackles the subject using DCC Concepts Powerbase equipment to install two gradients on our much modified ‘N’ gauge office test track, with impressive results.
MIKE WILD
FAQ: Learning digital command control
We look to the enthralling world of Digital Command Control. MARK CHIVERS considers some of the terminology and jargon you may encounter along the way answering some of the most frequently asked questions.
MARK CHIVERS
Heljan Class 58 digital sound installation guide
The range of speakers available to sound installers is far greater than ever before. MIKE WILD investigates the use of Smart Phone speakers in a Heljan Class 58 using a LokSound decoder.
MIKE WILD
DIGITAL PROGRESSION
Technology is always on the move and specialist model railway decoder manufacturer ZIMO is no exception. MIKE WILD discovers what this Austrian brand’s latest MS series sound decoders have to offer.
iTRAIN software for model railways
Digital Command Control systems are available in many forms, including the ability for full automation of a layout. One such system is iTrain Layout Control, as MARK CHIVERS explains.
MARK CHIVERS
DCC Concepts Zen Decoder family
DCC Concepts’ Zen decoder collection offers a comprehensive and flexible system with the option to add plug-and-play stay alives. MIKE WILD reviews the range.
YAMORC ACCESSORY DECODERS
A new name to the Digital Command Control market is YaMoRC. MARK CHIVERS looks at this fledgling brand’s newly-released accessory decoders.
Installing digital sound in the Bachmann Double Fairlie
The stunning Bachmann narrow gauge Double Fairlie has been a catalyst for new ‘OO9’ layout projects. JOHN GAY explains how you can upgrade the model to feature both sound and a stay alive for uninterrupted running.
JOHN GAY
Locoman’s ‘Scotsman’ sound
Using the latest Hornby model of the Gresley ‘A3’ and a Locoman Sounds profile loaded onto an ESU LokSound chip, MIKE WILD explains how sound can be added to a ‘OO’ gauge model.
MIKE WILD
STAFF PROJECTS: New Junctions for New Junction II
As New Junction II begins to take shape, sleeper spacing, a lack of track pins and a new track formation have added to the workload, as RICHARD WATSON outlines.
RICHARD WATSON
Wheeltapper sound for the Dapol ‘Manor’
The Dapol GWR ‘Manor’ 4-6-0 is designed with sound installation in mind. MIKE WILD explores its simplicity with a new sound profile from the Wheeltapper collection on an ESU V5 chip. Read the full guide and watch our demonstration video here.
MIKE WILD
ZIMO Digital sound for the Hornby HST
The scream of turbochargers epitomised the High Speed Trains when they entered service. PAUL CHETTER sets out to recreate the spectacle with digital sound in ‘OO’ gauge using the Hornby 8-pin chassis HST power cars as the basis.
PAUL CHETTER
Locoman sound for the Hornby ‘9F’
The arrival of Hornby’s all-new and stunning model of the BR ‘9F’ 2-10-0 was a sound installation project too good to resist. MIKE WILD shows how you can install sound into the Hornby ‘9F’ as designed and with optional extras.
MIKE WILD
Big sound for a Peco ‘Small England’
How do you fit Digital Command Control, stay-alive and sound into a tiny ‘OO9’ gauge locomotive? JOHN GAY reveals how.
LEGOMAN ‘ Electra ’ - Class 91 sound
The new Hornby Class 91 has all the looks of the real locomotives and a powerful chassis too, but how do you add sound? MIKE WILD takes one apart to show how simple it is and completes a matching Mk 4 DVT at the same time.
BEGINNER’S GUIDE: Model railway controller choices
Analogue or digital, app or handset, there are new important choices when it comes to driving your model railway locomotives. We surveys the options.
MIKE WILD
YouChoos Class 47 sound upgrades
Digital sound specialist YouChoos has created a brand-new sound file for the ever-popular Class 47 diesel-electric utilising the latest ZIMO MS series decoders. MIKE WILD shows how it can be used to upgrade the outgoing 21-pin generation Bachmann Class 47.
MIKE WILD
Choosing Speakers for your Sound Decoder
Understanding two values will ensure you always pick the right speaker set up for your sound decoder. MIKE WILD covers the basics in this beginner’s guide.
SPROG DCC Decoder Programmer
Configuring digital decoders for optimum performance can prove challenging, especially for beginners. MARK CHIVERS considers one such solution in the intriguingly named SPROG DCC decoder programmer.
Mark Chivers.
VIDEO: Accurascale Class 37 sound demonstration
The latest sound fitted samples of the soon to be released Accurascale Class 37 for ‘OO’ gauge are here. Mark Chivers and Richard Watson find out what is in store.
MIKE WILD
STAFF PROJECTS: Electrical endeavours for New Junction
With the build racing ahead, it was time to pause for reflection giving time to complete the more mundane tasks on this new ‘OO’ layout. RICHARD WATSON plods on with the essential but repetitive tasks.
Big ‘Cat’ sound for the Dapol Class 68
The Vossloh Class 68s are one of the most modern and powerful diesel-electrics running today. MIKE WILD installs the latest generation MS series ZIMO decoder into the feature rich Dapol ‘OO’ gauge model.