First off, does anyone know where I can find The Sounds of Altoona Vol. 1 and 2? I understand Semaphore Records put out these CDs about a year or so ago. Vol. 1 is PRR steam in the glory days, and Vol. 2 is digitally recorded and features PRR 1223 and 7002 in excursion action. Is the company still in business? Thanks for any help locating these items.

On the subject of steam recordings on CD, if you want a truly spectacular CD, pick up a copy of Symphony of Steam offered by the FWRHS, which features 765 and some doubleheading with 1225 in the New River Gorge. Really, the only word for the album is WOW! I was given a copy last Christmas and canÂ’t stop listening to it. I do believe the proceeds go to getting the 765 back on the high iron. There are two excellent sound samples at http://www.765.org/CD.html.

Finally, Mr. O. Winston Link's audio recordings along the N&W are well known, but only one of his albums, so far, has made it to CD (Vol. 2). Any word on converting the other albums over to CD? The vinyl is just too rare to play continuously, and it would be ineresting to hear a remastered version of them. My personal favorite is the album with Link riding a time freight on top of a caboose coupled directly behind Class A #1238. His description of his experience is so vivid, you can almost feel the speed of the train rolling along through the crisp morning air. Occasionally some of the original vinyl records can be found on ebay.


Symphony of Steam

Jim:

consider investing $300 or so in a CD recorder. Just off the top of my head JVC, Sony and Denon make them. Play the album through your receiver, et voila! A digital copy of your favorite album.

It won't be as good as a remastered CD, but it'll do until those CDs are available.

JAC

The intention was to remaster all the records onto CD, Volume 2 being the first because it was most requested. That was prior to Mr. Link's death and I don't know what the situation is now.

> Finally, Mr. O. Winston Link's audio
> recordings along the N&W are well known,
> but only one of his albums, so far, has made
> it to CD (Vol. 2). Any word on converting
> the other albums over to CD?

The Works of O. Winston Link

ebtrr@spikesys.com

> Jim:

> consider investing $300 or so in a CD
> recorder. Just off the top of my head JVC,
> Sony and Denon make them. Play the album
> through your receiver, et voila! A digital
> copy of your favorite album.

> It won't be as good as a remastered CD, but
> it'll do until those CDs are available.

> JAC

It can be done for MUCH less than $300. If you use a CDR setup installed in the computer (VERY easy to install) as opposed to the "stand-alone" unit that don't need the computer, can be 10 times cheaper. Sure, the stand-alone units can be a bit more trouble free, as they only do 1 thing, and the computer can do so many things - the stand alone units are a bit more "stable". They are a bit better, but not so much better than the price difference might suggest. When using a computer-based CDR, the important thing that might cost a few more dollars to upgrade for such recordings would be a decent sound card, but still it's not going to be all that expensive. The software to record the analog LP input into digital form can be very cheap, or even free. I think the popular (and free) "Winamp" music software has a plug-in that will let you record from the sound card line-in (or microphone) jack. The Philips CDRW unit I installed in my computer cost me about $80, and works decently enough. Main thing to stay away from is a CDR or CDRW that is so old as to be a "first generation" unit. Those first ones on the market, years back, tend to work horribly. That's a good tip for anything in computers, though. Never get anything that's in it's first generation, or YOU are the tester that will let the manufacturer know what bugs need to be fixed for the second generation release of the product!


bilburns1313@tds.net

I have a bunch of semaphores albums (EBT, WK&S, Strasburg, NH&I, Steamtown), but havent heard if they have been put on CD yet. Anybody know how I can hook my record player up to my computer to burn them?

jeff@CompuComIS.net

Semaphore Records is still very much around. Alan Botto still runs the operation and sells mostly through hobby shops or shows, at least in the Northern Virginia area. Although I met Botto at one of the local shows about two months ago (and bought a couple of CD's), I have yet to find an address for his record company.

A lot is happening in the Winston Link area. A museum dedicated to his work is being established in the N&W station in Roanoke. Renovations are currently under way, and a web site has been set up. As far as more CD's are concerned, lots of discussion, but nothing on the horizon as yet. The museum start-up is taking most of the available resources, as you might imagine.

> yet. Anybody know how I can hook my record
> player up to my computer to burn them?

Just get a jack that will hook up your phono output (usually a pair of RCA type male jacks) to your computer line-in or possibly microphone jack (usually 1 stereo "miniature phone plug" female jack). Radio Shack has those. Download a music program that will take your sound card line-in and record it as a .wav or .mp3 file. The .wav type file contains more of the sound quality of the original you are recording, but takes up very much hard-drive space, so many prefer the compressed .mp3 format. If you use .mp3 format and don't compress too small, it's sound is not too bad. The program I use is Winamp. You can get it and the 2 plug-ins you'd need here:

LineIn plugin v1_51:
http://classic.winamp.com/plugins/brows ... &howMany=5

File Writer output plugin v1_11:
http://classic.winamp.com/plugins/brows ... ame=Output

The Winamp program itself is available at a link at top of either page. Winamp 2.91 is better for this than version 3x. The 3x version is so new that there aren't that many good plug-ins for it yet, but is far superior to version 2x in the "visualisations" (psychadelic light-show) features. The Winamp program and plug-ins are free and don't have annoying ads. If you'd prefer another program that can do similar things, just look at a place like download.com for music or sound recording programs.


bilburns1313@tds.net

Allan Botto of Semaphore Records, Alexandria, Va., is a good friend. He works for the Department of State Press Office in Washington and still meddles with steam recordings on the side. About a year ago he mentioned the possibility of a new Strasburg RR CD with some new sound and old recording reissues including a previously unreleased track of camelback No. 4 on its way from Birdsboro to Strasburg on 11/8/1962. Another possibility he discussed was re-release of the Reading "Iron Horse Rambles" two album set on CD. His personal sound archives is priceless and for the most part, never commercially issued.

K.R. Bell

> Semaphore Records is still very much around.
> Alan Botto still runs the operation and
> sells mostly through hobby shops or shows,
> at least in the Northern Virginia area.
> Although I met Botto at one of the local
> shows about two months ago (and bought a
> couple of CD's), I have yet to find an
> address for his record company.

> A lot is happening in the Winston Link area.
> A museum dedicated to his work is being
> established in the N&W station in
> Roanoke. Renovations are currently under
> way, and a web site has been set up. As far
> as more CD's are concerned, lots of
> discussion, but nothing on the horizon as
> yet. The museum start-up is taking most of
> the available resources, as you might
> imagine.