Tag Archives: Audio Recordings

New Norfolk Southern- N&W 1980s Vol. 11 AUDIO CD

New Railroad AUDIO CD for September 2015, of NS action from 1987 (and more- see below!):   NORFOLK SOUTHERN- N&W 1980s, Vol. 11.  This CD was produced by 1-West Productions™, and contains recordings of freight action- no pictures.  Why an audio-only version?  It gives the listener something new to use with their imagination.  Back in the day, radio shows were the hot item for entertainment before TV.  Listeners had to use their imagination for the scenes as they took place, and would become a different world.  Although having a picture is nice for seeing certain features and such, having a variety of formats can be appealing as well.

Back in 1987, we recorded the trains around the Bellevue, OH area during NS’s early merger days of the N&W and Southern Railway.  We used directional mics to help give the natural movement affects of the trains, as we hear them in person.

The CD contains older standard cab locomotives from GE & EMD, background ambient sounds, and horns that have become more rare compared to today’s horns we hear on units.

Image of Norfolk Southern- N&W1980s Vol 11 audio CD cover

For more information, please visit this page here Update 3/2022:  We now have Norfolk Southern-N&W 1980s Vol. 1-12, Vintage Scanner Radio Audio Albums/Recordings of NS, CR, & CSX,  and Modern NS Audio Albums/Recordings now available!  Please click here for a full list!  You can also find a few samples of our Audio Albums on our 1-West Productions™ Soundcloud Page and YouTube Page.

 

 

© Copyright 2015, 2022 1-West Productions™/PJ

Railroad Audio Recordings

There’s a form of recording trains besides by film- Railroad Audio Recordings.  For years Railroad Audio recordings have been a favorite of people who enjoy just listening to the sounds of trains passing by. They were introduced mainly on vinyl records, then to cassette tapes, and now on CDs.

Remember the old time radio shows that were popular back before TV? If not, that’s how Americans were entertained in their homes, besides the occasional trip to the movie theater. These were audio shows transmitted live over mainly AM radio stations that were usually on some kind of schedule. The shows were comedy, horror, drama. news-related, adventure, and more. When people listened to these shows, it made them use their imagination. sometimes that’s better than seeing the actual picture on screen. Nothing beats a picture on screen, but when our imagination is put to use, it can be a wondrous thing.

Train recordings have been around and produced since the 1940s and earlier. These were recordings of steam- powered trains. As diesels came into use on the railroads, more recordings were of diesel locomotives. As time went on, more powerful and improved diesel engines were manufactured, and recordings of these were also made.

Also as time went on, better audio recordings were made, with stereo and even panning effects. Panning is where one can literally hear something move from one speaker to the other, in at least a 2-speaker system. What a great affect for the listener of a railroad audio recording. That effect is produced with separate mics on separate channels, each facing direct opposite of each other, usually spread very far apart. Producers of audio recordings have been using that effect on Railroad Audio since at least the 1950s and 60s.

That’s how we recorded most of our vintage Norfolk Southern, N&W, and SOU Railroad Audio material in the 1980s and later.  You will hear that effect in most of our recordings that we offer.

Norfolk Southern 1980s Vol. 12 Audio is a good example, recorded in Ohio in 1987 (found HERE).

NS1980s- N&W Vol. 12 AUDIO CD 1-WP™

We all love our Railroad DVDs and video, but we also should love our Railroad Audio CDs to spice up our imaginations from time to time.  Enjoy!

 

© Copyright 2015 1-WEST PRODUCTIONS™/PJ