Company Info

SoundTraxx has been designing and manufacturing the latest in state-of-the-art sound systems for the discriminating model railroader since 1990.

Company History
For those who are new to SoundTraxx and SoundTraxx products, a little background may prove helpful.

SoundTraxx’ corporate entity, Throttle Up! Corp., was founded in 1989 in Pocasset, Massachusetts. Our first product was a powerful little lighting system called the Hyperlight. The Hyperlight was the first lighting system to use a microprocessor, not only to provide brilliant lighting effects, but also to allow the user to select the desired effect from within one model. This allowed model railroaders to purchase one item, but one that could be configured into a multitude of different lighting systems. It also allowed for multiple effects to be used at the same time! Although we no longer sell the Hyperlight, the effects we designed for this wonderful lighting module have been rolled into our Digital Sound Decoders and continue to be enjoyed by modelers everywhere.

In 1991, SoundTraxx introduced the SoundTraxx D220-IR Diesel Sound System. This was the first sound and throttle system to incorporate wireless control. This was followed a year later by the SoundTraxx S220-IR Steam Sound System, the first digital sound system to offer ‘playable’ whistles.

In 1994, the company moved to Broomfield, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. The DSD-2408 Digital Sound Decoder was the first DCC decoder to be integrated with sound and lighting functions. Model Railroaders heard, for the first time ‘polyphonic’ sound – no longer did the playing of one sound interrupt another. Along with the introduction in 1996 of the DSD-2408, came Dynamic Digital Exhaust, a method of adjusting the sound volume and ‘cutoff’ of steam exhaust chuff automatically, further enhancing the illusion of a steam locomotive ‘coasting’ into the station. In 1997, the DSD-050 and the DSD-150 Digital Sound Decoders were released. In this same year, SoundTraxx forayed into the large-scale sound market with the introduction of SoundTraxx Sierra. In addition to being the first large-scale sound system with realistic lighting effects built in, Sierra was also the first sound system to incorporate a coupler-activated sound effect.

With the focus now being clearly on sound, the SoundTraxx name was more identifiable as well as appropriate, and in 1998, Throttle Up! took a back seat as the company began marketing under the SoundTraxx name. This same year, SoundTraxx introduced the DSD-150 Diesel Digital Sound Decoders. We moved to Durango, Colorado and purchased a new SMT (Surface Mount Technology) line of manufacturing equipment.

In 1999, SoundTraxx introduced a varied line of Digital Sound Decoders meant to be easier to install, many following a ‘plug and play’ format. Known as the ‘LC’ line, many of these decoders were lower in cost and included such things as speakers and speaker baffle kits.

Our new line of Tsunami Digital Sound Decoders offers more features, sound effects and a host of other goodies to further enhance your modeling experience.

We hope that you’ll remain with us as we continue to explore new dimensions in digital sound technology.