Adding Sound to a Model Railway

While most modern DCC trains have the option to add sound to the locomotive, adding background scenery sound to your model railway layout can adding further realism. Whether it be the sound of traffic on the roads, birds chirping in the forests or the sounds of heavy industry, adding background sounds to a model railroad can really bring it too life.

The easiest way to create that extra element of realism on your railway layout is using a pre-made sound module to add background scenery sounds. These are small electronic devices that can be programmed with a variety of sounds, such as station announcements, train sounds and bird song. Some modules even can record sounds onto them.

The modules can be easily hidden from sight by placing them among shrubs or buildings and can be triggered by sensors on the layouts.

Another simple way to add sounds to your model railroad is to use an mp3 player or phone connected via Bluetooth to small portable speakers around the railway.  This method allows you to download any sounds you wish, record other sounds or even add music (perhaps there is a concert on your layout!)

Traditionally sound decoders have been found located inside model railway locomotives, mostly as part of a DCC system. They can play realistic locomotive sounds and can be set to match the speed of the train for realism. Some decoders have the option to play whistle and bell sounds and others allow you add external sources such as phones and computers.

When adding sounds to your model railway layout try to find the right balance over the whole layout, you don’t want one sound to drown out the others. Choose the sounds that are appropriate for the scene you are creating. For example, the sounds of a city might include, traffic, sirens, chatter while a rural scene may include birds, animals, the sound of a small stream and even church bells.

The most important thing it to have fun and experiment, you can always adjust the volume and change the sounds to match your layout as it grows.