Well, I've done it.

For some time, ever since I bought into the potential of DCC in fact, I've been hankering after having sound in a loco. I have never been really taken thus far with the quality of steam recordings I’ve heard, so have been tempted more towards a throaty Sulzer on a class 24.

The problem is, 2mm just doesn't lend itself. Even if you could crank the sound up loud enough, it would somehow be disproportionate to the size of the models in the general context of the landscape.

So as the small 2mm layout is approaching completion, I've been thinking what to do about sound for some time. At

this moment in time, I fancy doing something a little different which doesn't involve having to make stock always from scratch or kit, and which runs well straight out of the box and is easy to see!

O gauge appeals, but aside from the expense, and the kit building issue, I knew that I could never do it justice without converting a spare bedroom into a railway room, which I am reluctant to do, as we often put up visitors,and because I don't know anyone with an O gauge layout !

Then a few weeks ago a friend invited me round to play with his (OO) trains.

As soon as I saw and heard it I knew I was going to buy one.

I'm talking about the exquisite Bachmann Robinson 04 in weathered finish. The sound quality and synchronisation are just amazing and blew me away - I could have played with it all night, and very nearly did! It is absolutely what I was looking for, I just wasn’t thinking in 4mm.

As a result, I have now installed a Howes’ programmed ESU sound decoder and speaker in an 04, and set it up on a rolling road which I have borrowed, and I think it must be the ultimate executive toy! It is simmering gently in front of me as I type, and lo: The fireman has just begun to shovel on some coal!

The Howes chip also features a shunting mode, and all the clanks and hisses I could want, so I mayset up a small shunting board for home use, though the intention is to keep it on my windowsill on a rolling road of my own.

Of course, a bonus is I that I can take the loco elsewhere to give it a proper run out with all the animation that the sound brings to this model.

(Tried to add a video clip but couldn't get sound on my phone for some reason.)

Regards,

Chris