HQ BR Ditra/KeTech Jingles (isolated)

[Mrwerdna1]

Hello all

I'm looking for some high quality / isolated recordings of the Ditra / Ketech three and four chime/tone jingles, since it's always been my all-time favourite.

I believe the former is the same also used in the British Rail days, but along with the four tone jingle was then used a lot all across Southern England by Ditra / KeTech in the late 90s and 2000s (with Phil/Celia). Another user already asked for both jingles a while back and was directed towards this thread:

Favourite automated announcement chimes and jingles.

What is your favourite foreign station and onboard announcement chimes and jingles? My favourites are the four Hungarian ones (it seems that there is one for local trains / one for long distance national trains / one for long distance international trains / one for GYSEV Raaberbahn trains)...

www.railforums.co.uk

However, I've scanned said thread meticulously and while it does seem to contain all kinds of interesting jingles from abroad (often in good quality), try as I might I couldn't find the Ditra / Ketech jingles in question.

So, if someone here has a high quality recording they'd be willing to share (preferably completely isolated / with no or very very little background noise), it would certainly make my day.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[route101]

Is this the BR dong?*

 

[Mrwerdna1]

Is this the BR dong?*

Yes, I believe the 3 tone/chime jingle is the same one used at some BR stations. This video seems to prove it (jump to 1:00)

I don't know if the 4 tone jingle also originated in that era or wether it was created by Ditra / Ketech themselves.

In any case, this video features both (first the 4 tone, then the 3 tone) in moderately good quality, but since both jingles experienced such wide-spread use over many years and on many different stations all across Britain, I was simply wondering if someone on here may have an even better sounding recording. It seems to be worth a try anyway:

EDIT:

Actually, a quick google search for "British Rail Chime" came up with this recording, which is reasonably clear to be fair:

https://ismybuslate.uk/rail-announcement-ringtone/chime.mp3

A little compressed maybe.

Either way, I'm still missing something similar for the 4 tone chime (and any additional versions of the BR chime wouldn't hurt either).

 

[route101]

I don't have any recordings.

Was there a reason they stopped playing these jingles at stations?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I like the video at Sheffield, the old DMUs and the 125 pulling away, brilliant.

 

[prod_pep]

Ah, the three-tone chime is so nostalgic. The Merseyrail network used it well into the 2010s as I recall; it certainly wasn't dropped too long ago. We didn't have the four-tone chime around here when I was growing up but it was everywhere on the Southern Region.

Liverpool Central (Northern Line platforms) used a unique three-tone chime before pre-recorded announcements about platform alterations and security, but I doubt any recordings of it will come to light. They stopped using it a short while before the station was refurbished.

I've found a recording of the four-tone chime here, although there is background noise.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah, the three-tone chime is so nostalgic. The Merseyrail network used it well into the 2010s as I recall; it certainly wasn't dropped too long ago.

Usually, at Aughton Park at least, preceded by a load of random beeps, clicks and hisses as the ancient long-line PA kit did its stuff (you could see it in the ticket office, it was almost Star Trek like with switches and lights on it), inevitably followed by "We apologise to passengers travelling towards Ormskirk..."

The booking office staff could do announcements (rarely did) but they didn't get the chime.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

View attachment Copy of Warrington BQ 22.mp3
Not perfect quality, but here is an original 3 Dong one with no real background noise. I suppose it could be enhanced or tidied up with the right software. (Also includes the wonderful "Good Afternoon, welcome to..." bit at the end).

View attachment Copy of 1451_Lancaster.mp3
And another similar one.

 

[Bletchleyite]

She sounds like a proper posh Southern RP speaker being pained to use short As for the North West stations and "afternoon". I remember her well from Liverpool Lime St.

 

[prod_pep]

That announcer sounds more like 'posh Northern' to me. I don't see a Southern English speaker shortening her 'a's for the sake of a Northern England station.

In either case, those announcements were a million times better than harsh Anne.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That announcer sounds more like 'posh Northern' to me. I don't see a Southern English speaker shortening her 'a's for the sake of a Northern England station.

Yes, she's possibly from posh Cheshire or something. I used to call her the "headmistress" announcer, as she comes across a bit like a traditional school headmistress - stern but distinguished.

 

[bramling]

That announcer sounds more like 'posh Northern' to me. I don't see a Southern English speaker shortening her 'a's for the sake of a Northern England station.

In either case, those announcements were a million times better than harsh Anne.

One thing I really wish is that they would get rid of the Anne announcements. They grate on me for several reasons. It’s not like she’s particularly good - there’s some cringeworthy pronunciations of some of the places on the Cambrian or North Wales Coast lines, which all points to a rather amateurish setup.

My personal favourite was the combination of the female heard on the Warrington announcements quoted, and the male who went with them - John Elgar IIRC.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One thing I really wish is that they would get rid of the Anne announcements. They grate on me for several reasons. It’s not like she’s particularly good - there’s some cringeworthy pronunciations of some of the places on the Cambrian or North Wales Coast lines, which all points to a rather amateurish setup.

Anne sounds like the computer on a spaceship on some sort of dystopian-future sci-fi, think a non-comedy version of Red Dwarf or something.

I think they should go more regional rather than just using Anne. There used to be (may still be) a Brummie voice at New St, and I really like the Northern on-board one, she just sounds warm, friendly, and, er, Northern. And you could have posh RP voices darn Sarf, a bit like the "Sathern" on board announcer.

Anyway we've gone OT a bit so I'll leave it there.

 

[prod_pep]

The Brummie voice at New Street is sadly no more. All Anne now with her mispronunciations of Alvechurch, Shenstone, Atherstone and others which grate on me a lot more than they probably should. She does sound a bit like female Holly from Red Dwarf come to think of it.

Anne's understanding of stress is particularly lacking. Two word place names almost always have primary stress on the second word, not the first as she favours (with a few exceptions such as 'street', 'centre' and sometimes 'house').

 

[route101]

Anne seems to have spread, Manchester Piccadilly has had Anne for years. Carlisle,Newcastle and York have Anne now, last big stations to lose manual announcements.

 

[Mrwerdna1]

Well, as far as I can tell it's now Anne (+ Rodger, or Matt in some cases) almost everywhere, certainly in the South. I much preferred it when Phil and Celia were the most common announcer voices in the South, but now that both have tragically passed away, I don't suppose they'll be coming back any time soon, nor will the lovely 3 and 4 tone chimes.

View attachment 88926
Not perfect quality, but here is an original 3 Dong one with no real background noise. I suppose it could be enhanced or tidied up with the right software. (Also includes the wonderful "Good Afternoon, welcome to..." bit at the end).

View attachment 88927
And another similar one.

Thanks, although your comment also gave me an idea. Seems harder to find an isolated recording of the jingle than I thought, as widely used as they may once have been (though rest assured that I haven't given up all hope just yet). Still, I also had a quick rummage through my hard drive, found some old recordings of Celia and Phil from Swindon (2011 I think) that sounded reasonably clear, isolated the jingle and cleaned up the noise a little bit and this is the result:

View attachment 3 tone chime.mp3

View attachment 4 tone chime.mp3

Not perfect (and again, at the risk of repeating myself to an irritating degree, if anyone happens to have an amazing sounding recording, please do share away, it would certainly make my day), but I think they do sound quite acceptable and better than I thought they would sound.

Good enough to use as my notification tone or possibly doorbell anyway

 

[Aictos]

Well, as far as I can tell it's now Anne (+ Rodger, or Matt in some cases) almost everywhere, certainly in the South. I much preferred it when Phil and Celia were the most common announcer voices in the South, but now that both have tragically passed away, I don't suppose they'll be coming back any time soon, nor will the lovely 3 and 4 tone chimes.



Thanks, although your comment also gave me an idea. Seems harder to find an isolated recording of the jingle than I thought, as widely used as they may once have been (though rest assured that I haven't given up all hope just yet). Still, I also had a quick rummage through my hard drive, found some old recordings of Celia and Phil from Swindon (2011 I think) that sounded reasonably clear, isolated the jingle and cleaned up the noise a little bit and this is the result:

View attachment 88971

View attachment 88972

Not perfect (and again, at the risk of repeating myself to an irritating degree, if anyone happens to have an amazing sounding recording, please do share away, it would certainly make my day), but I think they do sound quite acceptable and better than I thought they would sound.

Good enough to use as my notification tone or possibly doorbell anyway

Thank you for taking the time with those two, I was aware of the first chime but hadn't until today heard the second one.

If you have any more announcement chines, feel free to share please.

 

[route101]

Scotland has escaped Anne though there is two sets of auto announcers. Find the Glasgow Central ones dreary