I wish to add a bell/whistle activation button to my postwar ZW. Unfortunately the modern Lionel 6-5904 seems to be only a selector switch for using either whistle or bell and nothing more. Besides that the activation units seem to be best suited for modern engines and not high current draw postwar air whistles which I sometimes use. Gunrunner John showed a picture of one he made for himself, but I would prefer to have one already made that I could purchase. If I have to make one I need more detailed directions on what I need to buy in order to make one and how to wire one up. Since Radio Shack went out, it is a problem to obtain electrical supplies around where I live. Any ideas on whereI could find a unit I just described?
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There is at least some good information in this old thread, first one on the top of the search for "bell button". https://ogrforum.com/t...nd-activation-button.
JGL
N5CJonny, I made several of these boxes back when by copying Lionel's 6-5906 Sound Activation Button for the bell activation. I added the indicator lamps and circuit protection. Gunrunner John's sound activation circuit is new improved circuit.
See how to at Sound Activation/Block Protection Box toward the bottom of the page for a dual box that will add bell to both ZW handles. The incandescent lamps are no longer available and would probably have to have LED substitutes which would require circuit redesign.
Thank you very much for the information Susan. I will study that link. Right now I only have one MTH FM Train Master engine that I use with my old Lionel ZW that needs a bell activation button. All the other engines I use on that track are all postwar, so the whistle control on the ZW is fine for them. All my modern engines are run on a separate track and are powered by a MTH Z-1000 which already has a bell button. Unfortunately that one MTH engine I just mentioned is an old MTH FM Train Master from 1996 and that doesn't like the MTH Transformer (go figure).
John, for some reason the link you provided does not seem to work.