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Best Traction Sound EMU/DMU/DEMU?

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Harbon 1

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I dont know why, but i love the sound of a Cl.91 as it powers up, with the the 'shhhup' of something (breaks?) when departing
 

Schnellzug

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I dont know why, but i love the sound of a Cl.91 as it powers up, with the the 'shhhup' of something (breaks?) when departing

They do sound pretty beefy.
Has anyone mentioned 92s yet? I really think they ought to be mentioned.
* I know the question was originally DMUs/EMUs., but it seems to have diversified.
 

junglejames

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DMU - 221,220


They do sound very good actually. When they are shut down:lol:

Now lets see.

EMU- 319, 323, 365, 465, 466, and any old NSE slammer!
DMU- 156, 158. Also have a bit of a soft spot for the sound of the Thames Turbos.

Locos- 47 (that'll put the cat amongst the pigeons!), and (someone will like this!), the 87s.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
We have TGVs though ;) 373 is a TGV...

PS. TGV translates to Train Big Speed

Only if you take the words literally. What 'Le Train Grande Vitesse' (TGV) actually means is 'High Speed Train'.
 

Rich_D3167

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Hull
DMU: Class 185 (I remember hearing one for the first time setting off from Barnetby on a test run, being very impressed by just how loud they are for modern units, and can be heard from quite some distance away!).

EMU: Class 365 (got to love that F1-style acceleration sound!).

DEMU: Class 201 to Class 207 (I'm a fan of most things English Electric, so this explains it all, really).
 

junglejames

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Turn yer hearing aid on Grandad!

:lol:
This from the person who likes the 450s in NI!!
So bad in the motor coach, its impossible to not get a headache!

As for grandad:o
What do you know that I dont?!!
 
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4SRKT

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:lol:
This from the person who likes the 450s in NI!!
So bad in the motor coach, its impossible to not get a headache!

This surely is the whole point of a certain brand of diesel enthusiasm: bad is good; the more useless and unreliable the better!
 

junglejames

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This surely is the whole point of a certain brand of diesel enthusiasm: bad is good; the more useless and unreliable the better!

So does that mean 47s are really good with you?:lol: I knew it. You were always hiding something! Dont worry, your secret is safe!

Nah, the problem i had with the 450s, was all the vibration. That was worse than the engine noise. It was this i couldnt really stand.
 

junglejames

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You should try a 185 when the compressor mounting bushes have failed, that's rather vibratey!

Nah, i'll stick to the 450s I think!! I can move to a near silent coach, and at least the seats are vaguely comfortable!
I keep clear of 185s if i can help it.
 

Nym

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Even with the 2+2 seating, amazing legroom, and when them turbos come on song? You can hear them much better in 185s thanks to mech transmission, unlike 22x units where you rarely get the turbos spooled up to full speed.
 

323Matt

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I have been on at least 1 323 nearly every day for the past year and never get sick of that sound, I think I could probably recite it off by heart given the chance ;)
In terms of DMU and DEMUs, 185s and Voyagers are the ones for me.
 

4SRKT

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I also steer clear of 185s unless it's unavoidable. 158s were soooooo much better on the NTP route.

The best diesel mechanical multiple units sound-wise were the Swindon class 120 sets. The raspy exhaust sounded so much like terminal flatulence that it never ever failed to raise a smile.

EMUs less easy to pick as I'm not mad about the sound on any of them. Anything with a noisy compressor is good I guess, although this also applies to EE-engined DEMUs. A class 304 maybe.

So to sum up, DMMU: 120, EMU: 304, DEMU: any of EE family of 201-207 or NIR 70, 80 or 450.
 
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Wikipedia

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4 Jan 2011
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DMU: has to be 153
DEMU: Thumper
EMU: CEP (Compressor sound you just don't get now)
Loco: 47 from inside
 

Eng274

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334s have a nice '70s sci-fi' soundtrack when sitting above a powered bogie.
 

junglejames

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Even with the 2+2 seating, amazing legroom, and when them turbos come on song? You can hear them much better in 185s thanks to mech transmission, unlike 22x units where you rarely get the turbos spooled up to full speed.

Ive never liked the 185s. Seats are horrible. I was on a packed out 185 once and had to resort to sitting on the vestibule floor. I thought i was in heaven!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
EMU: CEP (Compressor sound you just don't get now)

Ooooh, im in heaven just thinking about it! Yep I agree. Definitely the best.
As much as these 323s are brilliant, they arent in the same league as the CEPs.
At the time the 375s were being introduced, I thought it would be a nice change to see one turn up instead of a slammer. Now I find myself praying for the impossible. The day the slammers mysteriously roll into the station!
 
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