Engine sounds
 

45/1 engine note

I have recently been listening to some of my old train recordings.

And it seems that 45/1's make a different sound to 45/0's, 46's and 47's. Is this true ?

45/1's are characterised by slowly building up the power then a whoosing type sound then a high pitched wine.

Whereas 45/0's 46's 47's have a throaty rythmic build up of revs similar to the smaller engined sulzers.

Which in my opinion is a much richer pleasant sound to the 45/1's.

Do the 45/1's make a different sound or have i imagined this?

I know the 45/1's had their auxillary generation gear removed and replaced with a brush alternator. Would that make a difference to the engine note ?

Any one got any answers ? I always found 45/1 recordings non descript and dissapointing once the tickover turned into acceleration.

Could it be that Class 45/1 locos were fitted with an Electric Train Supply alternator and Classes 45/0, 46 and some 47's had steam boilers?

Favourite sounding diesel Locomotive
 

I started this thread after listening to some old audio tapes of mine.

After steam (although my interest started in 1979) the railways must have been amazing with all those different classes of diesels making incredible sounds.

What class of loco sounded the best ?

Has anyone got a particular favourite or one they don't like ?

Is there any modern day loco's on the mainlines today that sound good ?

Or do we need to get our fix of sounds at the many excellent diesel gala's on preserved lines ?

Can anything beat the hum and roar of the Deltic ?

I thought of that but i have some pretty lively recordings of 47/4's and 47/5's which have of course had ETH.

I don't know but i never really got a good recording of a 45/1 accept for a high pitched wine, there was no rich revving like the other sulzers.

My favourite loco sound has to be the Class 50 and for high reving its predecessor the good old western class 52 and the unique deltics are hard to beat.

Re the 45/1, I don't know much about them, but superchargers are often linked to the sound you discribe (my Hunslet loco has this trait (Rolls royce supercharged engine)) but I don't know if the 45/1's had them fitted.

Regards

Class 50's apparently they used to make a sound like a Hoover vacumn cleaner hence the Hoover nickname. But this noise went when a certain part of the engine was removed or replaced. Do you know about this ?
Good sound, English Electric engine, like a 40 but without the whistle.

Unfortuately Westerns were withdrawn before i had the chance to experience them. i have yet to hear one live. The Westerns were considered a rival to the mighty Deltics.

45/1's could it be that the drivers were more gentle with them ?

This has reminded me that in my record collection I have "Western Sunset" on LP recorded on 29th March 1975.

Don't think I've ever heard a Western in real life so perhaps I will play it tonight and see what they sound like.

Locos were D1036 Western Emperor and D1052 Western Viceroy.

For me it has to be the sound of the English Electric 20's, 37's and 40's although I do have a soft spot for the 50's and the Western 52's.
Of the more modern locos I think the 57/3's sound like they mean business especially when working hard on the "Chirk Logs":)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SS8XcBap34

I see and hear what you mean !

The body of a 47, a reworked class 56 alternator and a GM engine.

No wonder they are knicknamed thunderbirds they sound like jet aircraft.

Have to say though i prefer the original gravilly sound of the sulzer.

Where's the clag ? These GM engines seem better for the environment.

I liked the whistler. The peak was another engine I liked the sound of. They just weren't the sound you were hoping for in the sixties, when you knew they were the death knell of steam!:mad: Funny though, we got to like diesels, and bemoaned their passing. i used to go and see the last few 40's at springs branch.:)