Humor : it's "Mardi Gras". Let's troll a little ...

All true/valid points. In my opinion, sound has a limited benefit to model railroading for the most part, and that is in locomotives (on-board) during ops, or in limited use during general display running. If you are at a show and can consist into a stationary-mounted sound decoder--that is appropriately amplified into larger speakers--I think that can be fun from the presentation standpoint.  But for that scenario the crowd noise also keeps it from becoming the incessant "drone" that drives one crazy.

The rest truly is NOISE, and annoying at any appreciable/typical level after a few minutes. If a system has the ability to apply a *very* conservative smattering of sounds at an uber-subtle level and in a limited time sequence then I could possibly be on board, but otherwise...meh.

I've considered a sound sequence for automated crossing-gates, that only randomly fired off every 7th/10th/20th? time the gates were activated, something along those lines, and one that fades off quickly (<15secs perhaps?) even if a long train is still fouling the circuit. Because it is a very railroad-ey sound that you often hear when railfanning I would make that my one exception aside from locos.  I think your station calls might be OK in that respect too...in moderation.

My local group has a couple of Z-Bend Track modules built by an older member. He has built large speakers into his layout, and the crossing flashers are accompanied by exceptionally loud bell sounds. Then trains pass the farm, they trigger a heard of cows going "MOOOOOOOO!!!!!" and when trains pass the circus... well... we get this... ALL ... DAY... LONG



So YES - they WILL hear you. But only if you pick sounds that can be played with enough volume and repetition to induce insanity.

... now where did I put my wire clippers?

If you can get James Earl Jones to speak your station announcements, you would be my hero.  

alberich to answer your 1st question is Yes absolutely yes. the Sounds can be heard and do get the attention of people walking by.
I can't even begin to tell you how many time a train passing one of the sensors causing the circus music to play or the cows to start moooooing has cough the attention of someone walking by 30 or 40 foot away. Especially kids suddenly its "I heard a cow! Where's the cows?" and the next thing you know the kid holding the adults hand is pulling the adult over to checkout the display and find out where the cows that were making so much noise are at. only thing is by now the train has passed and the cows are quiet so they spend more time checking out the layout looking for the cows till finally the next train comes and its "OOUU Look they have cows! and the crossing gate lights are flashing and the bell is ringing!" We see this type thing all the time at every show.
And I get the same response from Adults who may be walking by when i hit the Horn on one of my sound equipped loco's It may be on the opposite side of the layout 50 feet away and just like the kids they stop and look around to see where that noise came from and as soon as they realize it came from our display they are there up close asking did that horn really come from that tiny little loco? How did you get that much sound out of that little engine?

The bottom line is Sounds and Animation on a display get Noticed way more than a simple train running by.


As for using sensors to activate the sounds when a train passes well isn't that the way crossing Gates/lights/Bells work in the real world?
As for the Circus music and Cows mooing being activated by a train passing it gives us a couple minutes of Quiet between trains passing Having them play non stop for 6 to 8 hours at a show would drive us MAD.
Using trains to activate sensors also helps keep the sounds from drowning each other out by having one play then stop before the train hits the next sensor playing the next sound
.
And on our large display we often wind up with one or 2 people trying to run and keep track of where 4 - 5 some times 6 or 7 trains are at on the layout. having the train activate a sensor playing the circus music or have the crossing gate bell sound quickly lets us know hay the train is over there.

David