My loks generate brake squeal noise only when braking from high speed at sharp deceleration like emergency stop. How to change CV so that it generates brake squeal when braking slowly from moderate speed?

Hello QQQ1970,

I have a Diesel Locomotive which squeals like crazy over a long stopping distance.

Johnvr Brake Squealing Diesel

I shall let you know which parameters are set when I find my book with the instructions written down !
Something like setting a moderately fast speed, then turn the speed to zero, and set a high CV for the braking threshold.

Regards
John

Most of my loks don't squeal unless stopping abruptly from high speed. I am not looking for long squeal but a squeal when ormal braking from moderate speed. Can someone point me to which CV I should set? Pics would help. I have CS3.

Well that is where you are going wrong. If you set acceleration and braking delay to 0, then the loco will start/stop immediately and you get no time for the squeeling brakes.

If you rely on computer control to accelerate or brake then you will get no squeeling brakes because the sounds is only played when throttle is set to 0.

What you need to do is set your locomotive acceleration and braking delay to a uniform standard across your locomotives so that you get accurate stopping distances and this in turn allows squeeling brakes because computer control will set throttle to 0 to stop the locomotive and you will hear the brakes squeel as it slowly brakes and not have the locomotive stop abruptly.

Interesting; I'll try out the settings when my next locomotive arrives and I do my delivery functions check before storing it away.

I'm curious for those that use the likes of TrainContoller or WinDigipet to build profiles of the locomotives and then control them and have them stop in stations using S88 detection, how well does that work if you have decoder set ABV settings that have the decoder doing some of the speeding up and slowing down? And are you getting squealing brakes when the trains pulls into the station?

My gut instinct (which could well be wrong) would have me think the software will slow the train down and not set the speed to 0 until right at the point it wants the train to stop. Is there a way to tell the controllers you don't want that behavior but have it be aware of the ABV setting and have it set the speed to 0 at the time in needs to in order to have the loco self slow and squeal?

Thank you Peter. I suspect the same would be occurring with TrainController or WinDigipet, with respect to stopping when the IN sensor triggers to halt the train. This does seem to speak for wanting to have a way to activate the brake squeal via a function command regardless of speed (that way the software could activate the squeal from the instant that IN is triggered right up to the point the STOP section is triggered (if it exists) and/or the command speed 0 is selected. But we don't have that option, if the brake squeal is only generated while ABV is on and the speed selected is 0 while the locomotive is still in motion (on its ABV deceleration sequence execution). This seems counter to precise control of where the loco is placed by the software (where the software needs direct and exact control of the locomotive speed), compared to handing off the slow to stop sequence to the in-loco controller, which also generates the squeal. :(

I suppose one option is to get a digital recording of the squeal sound, load that on a digital effects player that is DCC addressable with a speaker, that gets mounted under the station(s), and that the controlling software then plays the sound from the separate device as part of the events that fire when any loco hits an IN section and is going to stop.

Does anyone else have a different way to solve this problem? I suppose one option is to upgrade the decoders to ones that allow different behavior (and maybe even wheel squeak in curves), but that is a very expensive proposition and a lot of work to then get the right sounds put in on the decoders and replace perfectly good decoders with new ones.

I just dug around in the forums of TrainController and WinDigipet, and found an old post on the WDP forum from 2015 where someone asked this very question related to Märklin mfx decoders and the apparent wisdom was (from https://www.windigipet.d.../index.php?topic=73037.0 ):

1) If the decoder was built by ESU (even a Märklin ESU built decoder) - then one can fire the squeal sound via a function assignment.

2) If the decoder is a Märklin made one (which I suspect all new locos have) - the your out of luck and the only option is to play back the brake squeal via an audio channel of the computer to a speaker under the station/on the layout. :(

This is all based on the starting requirement that the ABV values are zeroed so that the software is the direct controller of the locomotive speed to achieve precise stopping and speed profiles.

Dammit Märklin.

I can play a .wav file of brake squeal from the computer speakers under the station.

I also made a file of flange squeal that pans from left to right and another from right to left, so I can play the appropriate one based on the direction of the train.

The human ear struggles to locate the source of the sound and the movement of the train easily tricks the mind into believing the sound is coming from the moving object.

Way cheaper than adding sounds to loco decoders, as one does not need sound decoders, and the sound file can be played for any train.

Of course not. The MS2 does not support mfx+ and cannot make advanced changes using mfx.

Yes, DCC can be used - provided the loco supports DCC and mfx was disabled in the MS2.

Leon,

This was an old Marklin loco (I think New Hampshire version) which was in a bad paint condition, so that was my attempt to paint it myself.

Regards
John

Hi all -

Could anyone point me to a wav or mpg file of brake squeal noise that is more or less the same as what Marklin uses for steam locos? I know the sound varies a little from loco to loco. I have found a number of files of good brake noises, but there's always a lot of background noise and so I have been looking for something that is pure squeal - hopefully you know what I mean.

Thank you, John

Not sure how legal it is, but if it’s only for private use I believe it’s ok. Else moderators can feel free to delete below how to do...

Here is what you can do to get high quality sound clips (not only brake squeal, but also horns and whistles, stations announcement, engine running etc:

1. Download Lokprogrammer software from Esu and install on PC
2. Download freeware sound editing program Audacity
3. Find an Esu sound project that contains brake squeal sounds
4. Open the special Esu format file with Lokprogrammer
5. You can now see each individual sound file and listen to them
6. Open Audacity and configure it to record sound from your computer
7. Play the Esu sound clip containing the brake squeal and at same time record it with Audacity
8. Convert the recorded sound clip to mono and adjust gain if needed
9. If needed you can also edit the sound clip (check turtorials on YouTube)
10. Export the file as WAV format

Brgds Lasse

You will only be able to do any of htis with an old ESU file. Since Lokprogrammer software version 2.7.1 the decoder files are encrypted and you cannot get at the sound files.

So in the software you cannot play back the sound files? All you need is to get the Lokprogrammer software to play them back from inside the software (as you have the separate program that is recording audio to capture it again).

Hi John,

Enclosed brake sounds from BR-50. Took me about 30 minutes to edit those (not perfect, but I am still learning how to edit sound clips).

By changing the speed of the sound clip you can slow down the sound, so it sounds like it's driving slowly.

I also use stationary sounds with Traincontroller in connection with add on program +4D sound.

BR50 brake (fast).wav (218kb) downloaded 35 time(s). BR50 brake (slow).wav (286kb) downloaded 26 time(s). BR50 brake long (fast).wav (651kb) downloaded 19 time(s). BR50 brake long (slow).wav (813kb) downloaded 20 time(s). BR50 curve squal (fast).wav (1,154kb) downloaded 15 time(s). BR50 curve squal (slow).wav (1,358kb) downloaded 24 time(s).

Best Regards
Lasse Pedersen