THE SOUND SITUATION

Bachmann has new branding to make it easier to know what sound options its Branchline, Farish and Narrow Gauge models come with. ‘Sound-fitted’: Locomotives with sound speakers and sound decoders. ‘Sound-fitted’ models will work on DCC or analogue layouts. Analogue users will have authentic synchronized sound when power is applied but won’t get the full functionality that DCC users will get. For example, analogue users won’t be able to activate whistles or horns at the touch of a button. ‘Speaker-fitted’: Models will come with a factory-fitted sound speaker but NOT a DCC sound decoder. You will need to fit a sound decoder to get your model to make noise. ‘Speaker-ready’: These models have been designed with space for a speaker. You will need to source both the speaker and the sound decoder. Bachmann intends that all new tooling, such as its Branchline ‘J72’ and Class 90 and Farish ‘8F’ and ‘C’ 0- 6- 0 will come with factory-fitted speakers (‘Speaker-fitted’). It will only be very small items, such as the forthcoming Narrow Gauge ‘Quarry Hunslet’, that won’t have sound options due to the very limited space in which to physically fit the speaker. The new ‘sound policy’ has resulted in a late change to Bachmann’s forthcoming Class 158 and 159 DMUS. All three of the first tranche of ‘ 158s’ – Regional Railways 158849, East Midlands Trains 158773 and GWR 158766 – will be available with sound, as will Network Southeast Class 159 159013. Bachmann plans to fit sound into more of its Graham Farish models. The Maunsell ‘N’ was the first locomotive to undergo this upgrade and it will be followed by the BR ‘5MT’ 4- 6- 0, the Class 14 and the Class 60. ‘Sound-fitted’ models will have Next18 decoder sockets but this means, for example, that some Class 60s will have a Next18 socket while others retain the six-pin socket. Bachmann also recognises that some modellers will want the livery that a ‘Sound-fitted’ model carries but not necessarily the sound equipment itself. Therefore, ‘Sound-fitted’ models launched from 2019 also have a ‘Speaker-fitted’ counterpart. The exceptions to this are Narrow Gauge Baldwin 4-6-0PT No. 590 in Welsh Highland Railway maroon (391-031DS) and Graham Farish ‘5MT’ 4- 6- 0 No. 73049 in BR green (372-728SF).