Getting Real Column - 5
7: Ford stamping plant. The other speaker is located in the
structure. This speaker along with the Sheffield Steel creates
stereo sound.
when passing through complicated trackwork. It's “clank-
clank, pause, bang-bang, steam hissing clank-clank, Pause,
bang-bang.” I used one of my own recordings of the Super
Chief departing San Bernardino, California, for this purpose.
In order to conceal the speaker close to the east throat track-
work, I placed it under a pile of scrap, located on the property
of Kansas City Iron & Metal. Each scrap pile is formed over
crumpled aluminum foil painted rusty brown. The area where
the speaker is located is covered with foil and scrap metal, but
is open in the back. I deliberately position the speakers so that
the source of the sound is not obvious. By facing the speak-
ers to the back, the sound bounces off the backdrop, and just
seems to fill that area with no obvious location for its source.
Yet to be solved is some kind of motion sensor so that the
sound will be heard only when a train is actually moving
through the throat. To have the sound on with a train standing
ruins the effect!
7
MRH-Jun 2013
