Your favourite-sounding loco(s)/multiple units(s)?

[47827]

Diesel = 47s + 44/45/46 and 25s not too bad. To a lesser extent the other sulzers not mentioned.

AC locos = 81 - 85 + 91s

DMU = most first generation built up to the 60s

EMU = 304s/305s and 504s. Even when stationary these were memorable at times. Avoid patting the seats on unrefurbished 304/504s though, unless you'd fancy choking all your fellow passengers and yourself. The likes of 303/310/312 also not bad noise wise.

 

[Mat17]

Watching some footage the other day, class 76 sounded good.

 

[37201xoIM]

Watching some footage the other day, class 76 sounded good.

Any chance of a link? I missed these in service!

Meanwhile, as regards non-GB stuff, I'm flabbergasted nobody has mentioned unsilenced Czech / Slovak Grumpies (749s / 751s) yet! Footage aplenty in the usual place.

 

[AndyDeltic19]

Has to be Deltics. Coming up the steps from the Underground as a 9 and 10 year old at King's Cross you could already feel if a Deltic was sitting in there idling, hurrying in case it leaves before you get to it. Sadly they'd already started being withdrawn so I never saw them all. But a couple of years back I drove 019 on a footplate experience at Severn Valley Railway and although she was only using one engine, it was the one right behind me. That powerful sound as the engine revs increase once I got to move the power handle was spine tingling!!

Also love class 40s. For modern times I like the 68s. Quite a beefy sound.

 

[Strathclyder]

Meanwhile, as regards non-GB stuff, I'm flabbergasted nobody has mentioned unsilenced Czech / Slovak Grumpies (749s / 751s) yet! Footage aplenty in the usual place.

Decided to do a bit of digging on YT for these locos upon your recommendation, and am glad I did! This is one of the best I've found so far (from the linesidevideoprod channel) of 3 751s banking a mixed goods in Slovakia back in July 2017:

With my memory sufficiently jogged by the Grumpies, here is another of my overseas fave diesels: the China Railways DF4 (from the Railography channel). Cant't beileve I forgot about these tbh:

Closing your eyes while listening to either one of those, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a EE/Sulzer hybrid. Least that's what they sound like to these ears lol

 

[SolomonSouth]

Decided to do a bit of digging on YT for these locos upon your recommendation, and am glad I did! This is one of the best I've found so far (from the linesidevideoprod channel) of 3 751s banking a mixed goods in Slovakia back in July 2017:

With my memory sufficiently jogged by the Grumpies, here is another of my overseas fave diesels: the China Railways DF4 (from the Railography channel):

Closing your eyes while listening to either one of those, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a EE/Sulzer hybrid. Least that's what they sound like to these ears lol

Nice footage

 

[RELL6L]

Not really a railway buff but for me Westerns, Deltics, class 37s and class 127 DMUs with Rolls Royce engines and two speed gearboxes.

 

[xotGD]

Decided to do a bit of digging on YT for these locos upon your recommendation, and am glad I did! This is one of the best I've found so far (from the linesidevideoprod channel) of 3 751s banking a mixed goods in Slovakia back in July 2017:

With my memory sufficiently jogged by the Grumpies, here is another of my overseas fave diesels: the China Railways DF4 (from the Railography channel). Cant't beileve I forgot about these tbh:

Closing your eyes while listening to either one of those, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a EE/Sulzer hybrid. Least that's what they sound like to these ears lol

Those 751s sound very similar to 37s to me. Very nice.

 

[prod_pep]

It has to be a toss-up between the Class 323s and the former Brush-motored 465s (how I miss these) for best sounding of all. The Met-Cam 465s sound good, as indeed do the 'Javworker' motors, just not as good.

Any of the PEP-derived classes also have lovely motor sounds that are burnt into my head after years of riding them.

 

[SolomonSouth]

It has to be a toss-up between the Class 323s and the former Brush-motored 465s (how I miss these) for best sounding of all. The Met-Cam 465s sound good, as indeed do the 'Javworker' motors, just not as good.

Any of the PEP-derived classes also have lovely motor sounds that are burnt into my head after years of riding them.

I hate the sound of the brush 465. And they were very unreliable too. Metro-Cammell builds sound good though

 

[prod_pep]

I hate the sound of the brush 465. And they were very unreliable too. Metro-Cammell builds sound good though

You might not like their sound but there are plenty of people who do. The squeaking and inferior ride quality compared with BREL's 465s have always let the Met-Cam units down in my book.

 

[SolomonSouth]

You might not like their sound but there are plenty of people who do. The squeaking and inferior ride quality compared with BREL's 465s have always let the Met-Cam units down in my book.

Yeah. I also found Metro-Cammell 465s to accelerate faster - I timed 43 seconds to 54 for a Metro-Cammel vs 58 seconds for a BREL. Obviously not the most accurate comparison with a speed app (and you don't know what the driver up front is doing), but the difference there is pretty huge and a 465 driver did say Metro-Cammells accelerate quicker so I think they are faster.

 

[37201xoIM]

Nice footage

Agreed. Was not familiar with the Chinese diesel, so that's much appreciated, thanks, Strathclyder: yes, rather a pleasant racket indeed!

 

[SolomonSouth]

Agreed. Was not familiar with the Chinese diesel, so that's much appreciated, thanks, Strathclyder: yes, rather a pleasant racket indeed!

Indeed.

 

[SolomonSouth]

You might not like their sound but there are plenty of people who do. The squeaking and inferior ride quality compared with BREL's 465s have always let the Met-Cam units down in my book.

The BREL is stiffer and slower whilst the Metro-Cammell is a speedy bouncy castle of a ride XD

 

[andythebrave]

.....

 

[D365]

It has to be a toss-up between the Class 323s and the former Brush-motored 465s (how I miss these) for best sounding of all.

They're still Brush-motored. It's the traction inverter packages that were changed to Hitachi kit.

Performance-wise, there is no difference between the BREL and Met-Cam units. For timetable modelling and electrical simulation, they are treated one and the same.

 

[Journeyman]

I've never liked the sound of nearly all diesel trains. They bore me, because they sound just like lorries or buses. I like the sound of nearly all DC trains and most early AC trains.

Rolling stock I've experienced IRL:

• 1938 Stock (Island Line)
• 1995 Stock
• 2009 Stock
• Class 365
• Class 380
• Class 455 (with original traction equipment)
• DLR B07 Stock
• Tramlink
• Deltic
• Siemens Taurus

Going by footage on youtube:

• Class 323
• Copenhagen Metro

I like electric rolling stock with a sound that smoothly sweeps up in pitch during acceleration, especially with pattern changes. Two trains stand out to me as being particularly pleasant to listen to and those are London Underground S Stock and Juniper units (Class 334).

The S Stock is slightly better. There's something very futuristic about its sound. It sounds a bit like a sci-fi spaceship! And it has a noticeable change in sound once it starts to pick up speed which is nice.

I like the high pitched and layered sound of the 334 combined with its exceptionally loud motor noise that smoothly sweeps up in pitch as it speeds up.

 

[andythebrave]

.....

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

EE Type 4 (sound of the early 60s WCML inc North Wales) for me.
2xEE Type 1 (essentially the same engine in twin form) come close (some still around of course).
Later EE types with engines derived from the same base design (class 50, 56) don't really match the raw sound and flutey whistle of the 40.
EE Type 3 (class 37) doesn't work either, just a loud rumble.

Sulzer types - the scream of Peaks under power, and the idling rumble, was impressive, less so with the 47s.
Type 2s of any type - a waste of space. 33s were nice, pity there weren't more of them.
High RPM DH types, Deltic, HST - nah. From the platform, the earsplitting scream of rear HST power cars at full blast leaving Reading was just too painful.

 

[SolomonSouth]

I've never liked the sound of nearly all diesel trains. They bore me, because they sound just like lorries or buses. I like the sound of nearly all DC trains and most early AC trains.

Rolling stock I've experienced IRL:

• 1938 Stock (Island Line)
• 1995 Stock
• 2009 Stock
• Class 365
• Class 380
• Class 455 (with original traction equipment)
• DLR B07 Stock
• Tramlink
• Deltic
• Siemens Taurus

Going by footage on youtube:

• Class 323
• Copenhagen Metro

I like electric rolling stock with a sound that smoothly sweeps up in pitch during acceleration, especially with pattern changes. Two trains stand out to me as being particularly pleasant to listen to and those are London Underground S Stock and Juniper units (Class 334).

The S Stock is slightly better. There's something very futuristic about its sound. It sounds a bit like a sci-fi spaceship! And it has a noticeable change in sound once it starts to pick up speed which is nice.

I like the high pitched and layered sound of the 334 combined with its exceptionally loud motor noise that smoothly sweeps up in pitch as it speeds up.

Interesting. I like 2009 stock, 465/9 and 375. I think the 365 sounds moronic

 

[py_megapixel]

Interesting. I like 2009 stock, 465/9 and 375. I think the 365 sounds moronic

The 365 and 465 in their original states sound pretty much the same - are you referring to the 465s with the new Hitachi traction package (which basically sound like Javelins)?

 

[SolomonSouth]

The 365 and 465 in their original states sound pretty much the same - are you referring to the 465s with the new Hitachi traction package (which basically sound like Javelins)?

What the 365 sounds fairly different from the 465/9. The pitch and speed just don't match at all.

 

[SteveyBee131]

Unless I missed any, it's taken 112 posts before someone mentioned them, but they're the trains of my youth, Pacers! Not just the LT10 engines either (though I do like them!), but pretty much everything was unique to them... From the door alarms to the doors themselves... The hiss as the brakes release was pretty cool and distinctive... The clatter as they bounced over jointed track was wonderful... The whine from the transmission at higher speeds... And at risk of sounding insane, I really didn't mind tight bends in a Pacer too!

Now if I landed on one with a throaty exhaust (142025, 144001, and a handful of others)... Simply heavenly!

I'm also rather fond of HST/MK3 carriages, in particular the hissing and whining from the air suspension and the slam of the doors is just lovely!

Think all my other types have been mentioned so I'll be quiet now

 

[fgwrich]

I'm also rather fond of HST/MK3 carriages, in particular the hissing and whining from the air suspension and the slam of the doors is just lovely!

Likewise, it was certainly a characterful feature of the Mk3 bogie design, at least some can still be heard across the mainline. The doors made a nice clunk as well - both now long missed sounds under an overall roof like Paddington. It's just the quiet whine of an EMU now with the many bleep bleep bleep of the doors of the IETs and Electrostars.

 

[gallafent]

It's just the quiet whine of an EMU now with the many bleep bleep bleep of the doors of the IETs and Electrostars.

Quiet from the outside compared to an HST power car, and the environment at Paddington now is so much more peaceful than it used to be, which I really appreciate … but the baseline background noise level inside an IET is really high. The hum from electrical stuff, and in particular the the air noise from the air conditioning forcing air at high speeds through various ducts, I measured (unscientifically using a phone app) around the 69dB level, when stationary in a station!

I read somewhere (and can now never find the link) that 69dB was the original spec for inside a mk3 cabin at 125mph, and that spec was met! … 80xs are way higher than that, usually up somewhere in the 80s I think. Along with the jiggly ride, definitely a far less relaxing way to travel.

But since we're talking about favourite sounds, I'd say the very quiet noises in a mk3 long long ago (before they were so squeaky, and before GWR replaced the vestibule doors, which certainly seemed to me to make it noisier in the cabin, and so on, …) were my favourite, in terms of a relaxing journey!

Aside from that, any loud traction motors / gearboxes / electronics are always good, for example Eurostar class 373, and older TGVs in particular, when sitting in an end coach near a power car. For that matter, any class 8x loco is also nice. So something on the west coast main line in the 1980s probably, overall

 

[Ianno87]

Growing to like the acceleration noise you can hear internally on an IET when moving off from a station.

 

[norbitonflyer]

No-one yet mentioned the "do-re-mi" lok?
[4k / 2160p video] Railjet departs from Zürich HBF with awesome do-re-mi sound of ÖBB Taurus! - YouTube

Must also mention this

Nothing beats a Deltic on full blast though!

 

[dcd]

Deltic for Loco and Thumper for unit.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Pairs of 20's used to sound pretty good coming out of the Buxton yard whilst waiting for a Manchester train.