Is it possible to add a horn sound and maybe a bell sound to an older conventional loco (electric in this case) without spending $100 or more? Dallee, ERR, Bachmann, etc. all appear to be out of the parts or pretty expensive for this simple change. Just looking for something simple and don't even care about accuracy.
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Sure. If you like building your own (It's all plug and play). I checked Lionel parts website and all are listed as available.
Digital horn and bell circuit board,for conventional locomotives 691-ISND-108.................................35.00
Speaker 610-8316-536................................................................................................................................4.00
Wire harness for speaker 630-8302-138...................................................................................................7.50
On/off switch with wire harness 630-8302-116..........................................................................................5.50
Volume pot with wire harness 630-8302-139..............................................................................................4.50
For a grand total of parts.............................................................................................................................56.50
check forum member Todd Wagoner PAPERTRW@AOL.COM he can help you.....oe
Just covered this topic a few days ago. I like using Lionel Signalounds over something like a Williams True Blast 2.
https://ogrforum.com/...5#160786365027995135
That said, in the same topic I also linked Lionel Trainsounds.
@Chuck Sartor posted:Sure. If you like building your own (It's all plug and play). I checked Lionel parts website and all are listed as available.
Digital horn and bell circuit board,for conventional locomotives 691-ISND-108.................................35.00
Speaker 610-8316-536................................................................................................................................4.00
Wire harness for speaker 630-8302-138...................................................................................................7.50
On/off switch with wire harness 630-8302-116..........................................................................................5.50
Volume pot with wire harness 630-8302-138..............................................................................................4.50
For a grand total of parts.............................................................................................................................56.50
Thanks so much, Chuck. Trying to search the Lionel parts site, though, is ridiculously bad!
What are chances of adding a "real horn" to the Menards F3? It's absolutely awful (I have Versions 1 - 3) - all bad.
John
On my postwar F3 #2245 Texas Special, I replaced the E-unit and horn with the Dallee electronic versions. I stacked the horn and bell board on top of the E-unit board and added a speaker. The horn quality is certainly on par with the original F3 sound and offers some additional sound options.
a) MakerHawk Speaker 3 Watt 8 Ohm Speaker: Two for $14 at Amazon
b) Dallee 1570 HiLine™ Stamp - Horn & Bell Module: $70 (small board on the left side of the photo)
c) Dallee E-Unit #400: $60 (I have their earlier #385 version installed as shown in the picture)
I am a fan of Dallee products so I am willing to pay a bit more for them
Same list of parts above, except replace the 691-INSD-108 electric style horn with a 691-INSD-101 F3 diesel horn.
Sorry, but these two are shown here with the same number. Is there a different number for the volume pot?
Wire harness for speaker 630-8302-138...................................................................................................7.50
Volume pot with wire harness 630-8302-138..............................................................................................4.50
I am thinking it should be 630-8302-139 for the volume pot?
Also, is an on/off switch needed if it's just a horn and bell?
On/off switch with wire harness 630-8302-116..........................................................................................5.50
Also, is the PCB marked to know what plugs in where and where the leads go for the power?
There is a wiring diagram for the horn on Lionel's site. Go to the service main page,
Type in conventional classics
Scroll down to 2340 GG1
At the bottom of the parts list, click on wiring diagram.
Oops you are right, slip of the keyboard fingers. The pot is 630-8302-139. Corrected above. The on/off switch is really not required. you can by-pass the switch but you will still need the plug connector. The switch would be useful if you are double heading 2 loco's with sound so both engines don't blow the horn.
@Craftech posted:What are chances of adding a "real horn" to the Menards F3? It's absolutely awful (I have Versions 1 - 3) - all bad.
John
There are many ways to add a horn to any engine. I assume by real my mean better sounding?
You can simply remove the relay, or PCB (Relay, or PCB depending on the age of the whistling tender) from a whistling coal car, install it into the engine, and connect a .wav, or MP3 player, with a sperate speaker. You can find many on Amazon and Ebay. This will allow you to use the horn button on your transformer, or how ever you trigger the horn in conventional mode.
I prefer the Mp3 module below this allows you to play up to five selectable unlimited length audio clips. Sound
clips are triggered individually by an RF key fob transmitter or discrete wire inputs.
A great way to add sound to your layout or rolling stock.
$79.99
https://ogrforum.com/...nd-board-has-arrived
You can also add an ERR Cruise Commander Kit, and connect the MP3 sound module to that and have full TMCC control, alone with the sounds you want to load on the MP3 module.
So if I follow the wiring diagram correctly, I would need to snip the wire leading from the switch to pin #2, leaving a portion of wire leading from pin #2. That portion of wire should then be grounded to the frame. The snipped portion leading to the switch would connect to the pickup roller. Then the wire from the switch to pin #1 remains intact.
Sequence:
pickup roller ===> snipped wire (from pin #2) ===> switch ===> wire intact from switch to pin #1
Snipped length from pin #2 ===> frame
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