All recordings are 22050 Hz unless otherwise noted.

The slow, guttural putt-putt of idling GE's turns to a loud rumble as four C30-7's (3603, 3613, 5026 and 5017) start up an 88-car westbound freight leaving the MMA yard in Sherbrooke, QC.  The sun was low-angle when they left at almost 19:00, and the conductor, when boarding, called up to the engineer that they were going to be late.  The train had arrived in the yard shortly after 17:00, but needed a crew change and some switching before leaving.

Recorded June 20, 2003, 47 seconds
Re-transferred October 29, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 319 KB
44,100 Hz, 2,011 KB

Here's a westbound MMA train rolling around a sharp curve that brings the line into downtown Lennoxville, Quebec.  On the point are C30-7s 3613 and 5023 (still in Burlington Northern paint) easing 45 cars downhill.  These are two of a number of ex-BN and ex-ATSF Dash-7s used by the railroad.

Three barking C30-7's, led by 5016, are revved up to start anther westbound freight leaving the yard in Sherbrooke, QC.  Despite sharing a similar prime mover, the sound is different from the Dash-8's, as the C30-7's are older and lack an exhaust silencer.

A pair of chugging, full-throttle C30-7's (5017 and 5078) have a 51-car eastbound mixed freight under control on a summer afternoon.  The train, moving at about 20 mph, was headed uphill just after passing through Lennoxville, QC.  A third unit, C30-7 3603, was dead-in-tow.  While some of the ex-BN C30-7's have Leslie S-3K horns, 5017 was retrofitted at one point with a ubiquitous Nathan K3LA.

Recorded October 10, 2003, 45 seconds
Re-transferred October 07, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 307 KB
44,100 Hz, 1,937 KB

No, this isn't an ALCO pounding away as it throttles up to accelerate a 10-car eastbound local freight--it's one of MMA's ex-GECX B39-8s, and the sound is coming from a GE 16-cylinder 3900 horsepower FDL engine.  The train was exiting Lennoxville, QC, and was passing through the colours of the fall countryside.  Note the artwork on the hood--this is the first time I've seen such grafitti on a locomotive.

44 seconds (Part 2)
Re-transferred October 07, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 301 KB
44,100 Hz, 1,902 KB

In the first recording, MMA B39-8E 8546 has its horn blown for the first of two crossings in Lennoxville, QC, as it leads an 18-car trailer train downhill into the East end of town.  In a notable example of train control, the squealing of brakes sounds in harmony with a brief full-throttle revving of the locomotive.

In the second recordings, multiple crossing bells and a blowing horn are not enough to stop at least one driver from cutting through the crossing.  After the locomotive cleared the crossing, the engineer revved up the single Dash-8 to move the train out of town, towards the diamond crossing with the St. Lawrence & Atlantic.

The blasty Leslie S3L is sounding its intended chord (B, D#, A) pretty well--many S3L's instead sound a diminished chord (C, D#, A).  Also audible in the recording is the bell on the locomotive, with the clicking sound of the air-activated clapper just before each ring.

Recorded January 03, 2006, 34 seconds
Re-transferred October 29, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 233 KB
44,100 Hz, 1,469 KB

A ringing bell and the slow murmur of a 7FDL prime mover is just about all that can be heard as B39-8E 8548 is led on its switching duties on a frigid winter afternoon, in the MMA yard in Sherbrooke, QC.  The unit was moving a single hopper car along one of the yard tracks.

This was a fantastic recording opportunity!  I'm supposing the engineer saw me with my camera and tape recorder, because I see no other cause for what happened here.  B39-8E 8569 was being used to switch cars in the MMA yard in Sherbrooke, QC.  After setting off a short cut of cars on a siding and pulling forward to the end of the yard, the engineer slammed the throttle in run 8 (or possibly run 7) and the engine slowly reversed back into one of the sidings--presumably riding the brakes.  The result: a perfect runby of a full throttle (or near) GE with no other sounds than the chugging FDL engine.

Recorded February 19, 2006, 27 seconds
Re-transferred October 29, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 183 KB
44,100 Hz, 1,151 KB

Another recording from the Sherbrooke, QC yard.  MMA B39-8E 8578 was idling the afternoon away on another very cold afternoon.  Since there is no antifreeze in the cooling systems of locomotives, the engine must either be kept running or be drained in subzero weather.  In contrast to fuel consumption at full throttle, which is often in excess of 200 gallons an hour, a locomotive engine at "low idle" will consume only a few gallons an hour--little more than a car on a highway.  In the recording, the air compressor started up, which is substantially louder than the engine itself.

Recorded August 27, 2005, 1 minute 19 seconds
Re-transferred October 29, 2006
22,050 Hz compressed, 539 KB
44,100 Hz, 3,406 KB

This is the sound of MMA B39-8E 8592 leading a 14-car Westbound freight into Lennoxville, QC.  The engineer touches the throttle of the big four-axle GE as the train eases past the first of two crossings in the town.  Note the intermittantly functioning crossing bell.  As is the case with many of the MMA Dash-8's, the Leslie S3L is sounding exactly the intended chord.

Michael Eby 2006