As layout builders, we tend to focus on the visual impact of our creations. Beyond scenery and structures, we invest in decent lighting and add a backdrop to frame the scene and show off our work.
But sight is only one of our senses. Sound also plays an important role in providing visiting operators with context about what we’re modelling. Anyone who wonders whether this is important should consider how – for many – the advent of sound-equipped DCC locomotives changed operating sessions. Thoughtful operators now run trains more slowly and realistically, and fewer trains under the command of two-person crews are more common on operations-oriented layouts.
But sound equipped locomotives also highlight that the rest of our layout is often silent. Once you notice this, it’s hard to ignore.
I experimented with environmental audio on Port Rowan in 1:64, and it made a huge difference to the experience so I determined to do the same thing for all future layouts. To that end, I’ve now created an environmental audio track for Bydemill – my 7mm scale layout depicting a Great Western Railway branch line terminal in the Edwardian Era.
I’ve submitted an article to Railroad Model Craftsman magazine about how I did this – so rather than go into detail here, I’ll share information about the feature if and when it’s published so you can grab a copy if interested.
That said, a print magazine can’t convey the difference that an environmental audio soundtrack makes to a layout, so I’ve taken a previously-published video and dubbed in the background track. I encourage you to sample the original video here, then come back and watch the enhanced video, below:
Just as a simple sky backdrop frames a scene visually without calling undue attention to itself, a simple environmental audio track frames the scene aurally while not competing with the trains – which are, after all, where our focus should be.
The Model Railway Show 