Recording Search Results

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Lead Locomotive	Recording	Photo	Information
GSCX 3717 EMD GP40	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:47	No photo	Date: 2000-11 Location: South of Lennoxville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Leslie S-3L, RS-3L Category: Light work
Here is GSCX 3717 (later painted in SLR colours and renumbered LLPX 3002) with its blasty Leslie S3L horn, pulling a short freight in November 2000 in run 5. Older Leslie S3L's such as this one often sound a diminished chord (C, D#, A), rather than the intended B major 7th (B, D#, A). The whistles are long.
LLPX 2231 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:46	No photo	Date: 2000-11-23 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Nathan M3 Category: Running the mainline
LLPX GP38-2's 2231 and 2232, two SLQ M-420's and SLQ GP11 8749 speed an eastbound train 394 up the grade toward Waterville, QC at about 35 mph. The horns on LLPX 2231 and 2232 were real curiosities: Nathan M3's, which even in 2000 were becoming rare.
LLPX 2231 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:34	No photo	Date: 2001-02 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Nathan M3 Category: Light work
This was the first train I saw with the "yellowbird" LLPX GP38-2's that the SLR leased in 2001. Three such units were dead-in-tow behind LLPX GP38-2 2231 and SLQ M-420 3519. As the train inched over the crossing at slow speed, the engineer went from notch 1 to full throttle and gave me a wild greeting on the horn.
LLPX 2232 EMD GP38-2	11 kHz MP3 0:24		Date: 2000-06 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Nathan M3 Category: Light work
Leased power running in notch 5 in June 2000. The beep-beep after the engines had passed was the first such greeting I got from an SLR engineer, and it later become commonplace. The horn is a Nathan M3R2 with a very quiet top note.
LLPX 2232 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:37	No photo	Date: 2000-10 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Nathan M3 Category: Running the mainline
To my great surprise, this late afternoon freight had mid-train locomotives. Most likely, it was the result of sticking together the two eastbound freights of the day (146 and 394). On the point were two Geeps: LLPX GP38-2 2232 and SLQ GP11 8749. After the 50th car or so came four more Geeps: GSCX GP40's 3702 and 3733, LLPX GP40 3000, and LLPX GP38-2 2231. I was so surprised to suddenly see this that I snapped a picture or two (which didn't turn out) and unfortunately didn't restart the tape recorder.
LLPX 2232 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:40	No photo	Date: 2000-10 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Nathan M3 Category: Distant echos
LLPX GP38-2 2232, SLQ GP11 8749, LLPX GP38-2 2231 and SLR (LLPX) GP40 3733 are at the head end of this freight, headed East towards Waterville, QC, with Train 394. I would have included more of the spectacular chorus of run-8 EMD engines (three of them Roots-blown) had I not taped over the recording 10 seconds after the last horn blast.
LLPX 2235 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:18	No photo	Date: 2001-03 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Distant echos
The recording isn't much more than a sample, but it's one of my best K5LA examples. The horn on LLPX 2235 is almost perfectly in tune, with the pitches of all five bells matched to within about 2 Hz. This was the last horn blast of a slow-moving train led by a four-unit set of LLPX GP38-2's approaching Courval road after descending the Waterville grade.
LLPX 2235 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:59		Date: 2001-06-08 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Running the mainline
The sounds of run-8 EMD engines echo as LLPX GP38-2's 2235, 2246, 2248 and 2247 approach with a long eastbound freight. Equally loud is the K5LA of 2235, among the best horns of the leased GP38-2s.
LLPX 2235 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:44	No photo	Date: 2001-06-10 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Running the mainline
Two days later, same locomotive consist - again in run-8, but moving faster with a lighter train. Thinking that I could capture some unobstructed locomotive sounds, I moved a fair distance down the track from the Courval road crossing (my most common trainspotting location at the time). However, it apparently wasn't far enough, as the engineer startled the daylights out of me by blowing the horn just as the train was passing.
LLPX 2235 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:38		Date: 2001-09-08 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Running the mainline
LLPX GP38-2's 2235 and 2238, an SLR-painted GP40 and two more LLPX GP38-2's roar uphill in run-8 at track speed, creating an impressive Doppler effect as they pass. The first few cars of the train were Centerbeam flatcars, whose length and wheelbase coincide with the 39' rail lengths to create a characteristic clicking sound from the rail joints.
LLPX 2238 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:54	No photo	Date: 2001-05 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Distant echos
GP38-2 2238 leads three more identical units on Train 394 on a pleasant May afternoon. As if to assert their vocal dominance, goldfinches competed with the sounds of the engines for much of the recording. Of all the K5LA horns I've heard over the years, this one was the best, with all the bells almost perfectly in tune with each other (within 1 or 2 Hz).
LLPX 2238 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:39	No photo	Date: 2001-11 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Running the mainline
Another example of the pleasant K5LA horn on 2238. This recording was made in the twilight of the LLPX GP38-2 era on the SLR—already, there were GP40's mixed in with this locomotive consist. Within only a few months, the GP38-2's (though reliable) would fall victim to their expensive leasing costs and full-throttle fuel consumption, replaced by GP40's and (by 2003) GP40-3 / RM-1 slug sets owned outright.
LLPX 2246 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:59		Date: 2001-04 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA (2 bells silent) Category: Running the mainline
This was a typical sight during April 2001 on trains 393 and 394. Leading this train were LLPX 2246, 2248, 2247 and 2235. 2246 sported a Airchime K5LA that was missing the lowest and highest bells, though the remaining three bells still put out a loud noise. As can be seen in the photo, there was still knee-deep snow... in the second week of April! With the locomotives fresh from rebuilding, the Roots-blown 645-series engines sounded extremely smooth and consistent across all the units.
LLPX 2246 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 1:10		Date: 2001-04-15 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA (2 bells silent) Category: Running the mainline
Here's the same four-unit set, in run 8 for most of the recording. In 2000 I had received a request for recordings taken away from a crossing, so the sound of the EMD engines could be emphasized without being disturbed by whistles and bells, and this is the very pleasing result.
LLPX 2246 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 1:00		Date: 2001-05 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA (2 bells silent) Category: Running the mainline
In early May 2001, another string of four full-throttle GP38-2s led by 2246 move along with train 394. The sound of the engines is rather more pleasant than the 3-bell K5LA of 2246.
LLPX 2247 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 1:08	No photo	Date: 2001-07 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Running the mainline
Next up after LLPX 2235 and 2238 for well-tuned K5LA horns on the eight leased GP38-2s was the one on 2247, which had a manual air valve (hence the softer starts). The Geep was in front of GP11 8749, with its characteristic chugging, and three more LLPX GP38-2s pulling a long freight on a glorious summer afternoon. Quite a show! A full 30 seconds at the beginning of the recording are devoted solely to the EMD engine sounds.
LLPX 2248 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 0:52	No photo	Date: 2001-08-22 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5L Category: Uphill battle
This was one of the most impressive trains I saw in 2001. Everything about it was right: 2248 with its lovely K5L horn, combined with four more units (a chugging SLR GP11 and three more "armor yellow" LLPX units) in run 8 dragging a very long freight uphill. There was a sixth engine, either LLPX 2231 or 2232, but it wasn't running. Sounds like this no longer exist on the SLR; by 2004 a similar train could be moved by only two GP40-3/RM-1 slug sets.
LLPX 2249 EMD GP38-2	22 kHz MP3 0:17	No photo	Date: 2001-06 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Airchime K5LA Category: Distant echos
The horn on 2249 had a character of its own. The lowest chime was extremely emphasized, but all were pretty much in tune. From a distance it sounded like any other K5LA. This was a 4-unit set of GP38-2's headed downhill with a nighttime 393 freight.
LLPX 2256 EMD GP38-2	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 1:04	No photo	Date: 2001-03-21 Location: North of Waterville, QC Railroad: SLR Horn Type: Nathan P3 Category: Running the mainline
This is what's called a run-8 start. In one of my first recordings of the "new" LLPX GP38-2's used on the SLR in 2001, four such units were leading train 394 on the night of March 21 2001. While at home, I noticed the crossing lights were flashing, but the only sound was of engines idling. Once at the tracks, I discovered a quartet of LLPX GP38-2s led by 2256. No lights were on, but I decided to wait anyway. After a while, the engineer turned the lights on, revved up, then went back to idle and turned the lights off again. There was some movement in the cab, though, and after a few minutes, on came the lights and bell (and tape recorder) and the train accelerated at a brisk pace. The throttle went almost straight up to run-8.
MMA 3603 GE C30-7	Analog, 44 kHz MP3 1:24		Date: 2006-04-30 Location: Yard, Sherbrooke, QC Railroad: MMA Horn Type: (No horn blasts) Category: In the yard
The slow, guttural chugging of idling GE's turns to a loud rumble as four MMA 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 7:00 PM, 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 5:00, but needed a crew change and some switching before leaving.

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