Sounds
As in analog DC mode, the default sound arrangement is automatic. So, you can
just run your engine and its sounds will follow the action. But, you operate in DCC
for a reason. You want access to more features, right? Well, depending upon the
capabilities of your DCC controller, you now have access to a range of sound
features including bell, whistle, PFA, engine sounds on/off, master volume,
Doppler, and more.
Here's a brief description of commonly used sound features.
F1 Bell
Toggles bell sounds on/off. Listen to the last half ring of the bell when it stops!
F2 Whistle
Blows the whistle for as long as it's on. There are several different ending signatures
depending on how long you hold the button down. Check it out!
F4 PFA
PFA in MTH lingo stands for passenger and freight announcements. Since your
engine provides freight service, you'll hear freight yard sounds.. PFA is a very
popular sound feature that's a staple in almost all MTH products. We had to give
you this!
There are 4 sound sequences or segments in PFA. You advance through them at
your command. Each segment has a minimum time of ~10 seconds but more
sounds play the longer you listen.
When running the engine, simply press the F4 key to activate PFA. When you bring
the engine to a stop, the arrival sequence will play. You can remain in this segment
as long as you like.
Press F4 again, and advance to disembarking sequence. Again, you can listen to this
sequence as long as you like.
Press F4 again, and advance to the embarking sequence. Again, you can listen to
this sequence as long as you like.
Press F4 again, and advance to the departure sequence. After the engineer says
“Just keep the steam up” and the engine will automatically pull out and resume the
speed and direction of when you entered the feature. The bell will ring for a short
while and then turn off automatically.
F6 Engine Sounds
Toggles engine sounds on/off. Think of this like a mute button. When the engine
sounds are off, you can still ring the bell or blow the whistle or run the engine, it just
helps if you have to answer the phone.
M.T.H. HO 4-6-4 Empire State Express Steam Engine
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