Close your eyes.

You find yourself in a small American town in 1950. Perhaps you see cows roaming distant fields, or maybe you've just came from the local ice cream parlor. But one thing is sure - you are standing by railroad tracks.

Then you hear it.

The echo of rhythmic chugging, getting louder as you see a plume of smoke erupt from behind the treeline. Then a ghostly but harmonious whistle pierces the air as a big locomotive swerves into view. Wave to the people onboard, and imagine the ground shaking as the iron horse rolls past.

Signal Tower Studio brings back the sounds of a bygone era: genuine vintage audio recordings of American railroading in the 1900s.

Much of this audio footage was captured by railfans of the time, using now-vintage equipment often powered with the electricity of other sources, such as a nearby signal tower. These collections are being rediscovered and digitally enhanced as best as possible for modern listeners.

We hope you join us for the ride!

Hi! I'm Drew, the owner of Signal Tower Studio. I'm an audio engineer and lifelong railfan.
(I'm also a music nerd, filmmaker, machinist, and snowboarder...but that's all another story :)

I've gained a fascination for those pieces of history that have slipped through our fingers: fallen flags, extinct steam locomotive classes, obscure branch lines that were ripped up long before I was born, stuff like that. So when my friend Ken made available a collection of authentic sound recordings of trains I would never ride or see, I dove right in. 

Signal Tower Studio is the result of that effort. I will continue to upload more albums to this site as time allows, plus I have some plans for merch, a YouTube channel, and other fun things.

Thanks for listening!