How do you wire it up?
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I think we'd need a lot more information than what you provided. Power source, engine product number, etc.
I agree.. sorry. I have a lionel union pacific dummy 8573. It is suppose to have a horn. i have the whistle controller lionel 8251-50. I attached the wiring to my zw transformer controller with the "whistle/directional" push switch. When I energized the track the red light blinked. When I unhooked the horn whistle control the "red" light did not come on. I did try to engage the whistle control. The "dummy" tried, although weakly to do something. Your thoughts?
I think those MPC controllers were not very robust.
My 2 cents may not be worth even that. You might take a pic of the inside to show us. Your #8573 and its motored unit #8564 were made in '98. This must mean horns were switched to a more modern electronic horn with electronic board to trigger the age-old shot of DC juice against the AC power that makes the powered unit run. If you've explored the wiring, checking if the pickup roller on the dummy with horn unit is connected properly to the board, etc., it might be that all you need to do is "tune up" the horn. Try thin pliers to, in very small amounts, turn the little screw on the "bicycle horn" until the "weak something" that happened begins to sound more like a horn. These horns can be aggressively loud and "buzzy" sounding, but if you keep tweaking the little screw mounted on the horn itself, you can find a more pleasant sound, too loud or not.
