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).

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!

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