...is most likely against some local regulations we have where I live. (Surprise!)
What I want to know is if there is a way I could do it digitally. Any ideas?
There is enough room under the hood for me to mount a sizable speaker of some sort (yes, heavy duty speakers, I know computer speakers won't work )
Another cool thing to do would be mounting a bell in the bed. (The mechanical ones they have on diesels, I have no interest in the steam ones you have to manually ring) A) Would this be a better option, and B) does anybody know of a source where I could get one of these bells?
Thanks for all your help and ideas, I realize that this is probably just a dream.....
Acela
The timbers beneath the rails are not the only ties that bind on the railroad. --Robert S. McGonigal
I had a small electronic device on my car at one time. I got it a Chicago Mailorder house, Whitmans? Whitakers?... don't remember the name anymore. They mainly sold car parts.
The device ran off the car cigarette ligher socket for power. Had a smallish speaker in a "water proof" plastic housing, about 4 or 5 inch diameter and 2 inches deep, that was to be mounted behind the grille. There were 4 buttons for different "authentic" (ha ha ha, that term still breaks me up!) Railroad sounds. A "bell", a "steam whistle", a Diesel horn, and a "chugging engine",
The bell was not too bad, but I could not tell if it was supposed to be an engine bell or a grade crossing bell. The Steam whistle was just two short, "lifeless" blasts of a general steam whistle. The Diesel horn was more like a cross between a French horn and an Oboe, again rather "lifeless". The chugging engine I was never able to determine if it was supposed to be a steam locomotive or a poorly running Diesel.
All the sounds only played a fixed time period; holding down the button made no difference, it just played once. The steam whistle was about 2 seconds, but the others were closer to 4 or 5 seconds.
I did have fun with it!
One time while being directed to a parking space at a fair I accidently hit the chugging engine sound and the teenager directing me commented that my car sure needed some work.
Another time, I was at a grade crossing on a city street and a young couple with a child were standing at the tracks. The Father figure was pointing up and down the tracks as though teaching the child about safety at RR tracks. I slowed as I crossed and hit the Whistle button! The Man stood up straight so fast I though he'd throw his back out. His head swiveled back and forth looking both directions in rapid succession. In the rear view mirror I could see his wife laughing hard and pointing at my car while slapping the man on his arm. Poor guy, as a STEAM railfan myself, I really do feel bad about it, but it was very funny!
Alas the device did not last more than a couple of years. I was on a long trip during "road repair" season and every other 10 miles of Interstate were down to just one lane in each direction. I kept my finger on the whistle button pressing it often to warn the workers I was "comin' through". They often looked up and smiled at me. Then I noticed nobody looking any more and I noticed a rather foul burnt resistor smell in the car. Yeah, it had burnt up the output stage of the unit. I tried repairing it, but then found the speaker was no longer an integral unit... heat and shock had pretty much destroyed the plastic case and the speaker cone was in shreds.
I have seen videos of people that have put Diesel horns on their car. Search YouTube and you will find many. There used to be a couple of websites devoted to the "hobby" of putting them on cars... a Google search should find something about them.
I have also seen steam whistles on cars, run by either compressed air or the exhaust (exhaust whistles used to be quite common on cars back in the early days of the automobile). I tried putting a 5 pipe aluminium whistle on my little 4 cylinder exhaust and it sounded terrible with the pulsing.
You can buy dual and triple horn compressed air horns at Wal*Mart and other such big stores as well as automotive places (AutoZone, etc.) that come with a small motor driven air compressor (no storage tank is needed). These don't sound too bad, but are nowhere near as loud as a real RR Diesel horn.
There apparently is a black market amongst truckers who want a RR Diesel horn on their semi's.
I have two large locomotive bells that I bought via antique dealers. Neither has any sort of pedigree so they are not worth much more than the scrap value of the metal. One is cast iron (painted gold) and one is polished brass. The brass one has an "air ringer" mechanism. I attach a bicycle pump to it and one strong pump will ring it maybe 3 or 4 times. LOUD! (and lovely!)
If I owned a Hummer, I most certainly would mount one of the bells on it. Sure wold be nice to have a real "Hummer Dinger".
Sorta like this;
You are not alone in your dream... good luck with it!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Acela026 ...is most likely against some local regulations we have where I live. (Surprise!) What I want to know is if there is a way I could do it digitally. Any ideas? There is enough room under the hood for me to mount a sizable speaker of some sort (yes, heavy duty speakers, I know computer speakers won't work ) Another cool thing to do would be mounting a bell in the bed. (The mechanical ones they have on diesels, I have no interest in the steam ones you have to manually ring) A) Would this be a better option, and B) does anybody know of a source where I could get one of these bells? Thanks for all your help and ideas, I realize that this is probably just a dream..... Acela
As for tractor trailer trucks having train horns, those can be bought at truck stops as kits. I have seen five chime "train horns" for sale at the bigger truck stops.
James
Semper Vaporo I had a small electronic device on my car at one time. I got it a Chicago Mailorder house, Whitmans? Whitakers?... don't remember the name anymore. They mainly sold car parts.
I suspect your supplier was J C Whitney
http://www.jcwhitney.com
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
YEAH! J.C.Whitney... That was the place.
They have lots of various add on horns and stuff.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/horns/c2545j1s17.jcwx
and the "Big Railroad Sounds" device:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/garage-pro-railroad-horn/p2009067.jcwx?filterid=c2545u0j1
a bit different than what I had, but basically the same thing.
I also notice a bell;
http://www.jcwhitney.com/90db-electric-ding-dong-city-bells/p2010181.jcwx?filterid=u0
First let me tell you that the horns you hear at the crossing are not running full blast, and these things are loud, very loud.
Unless you have a way to regulate the air, a 3 chime horn at street level blown at full volume will cause damage to anyone near or in front of it, and I doubt you want to go to the expense of mounting a horn, compressor and valve, plus a limiting regulator.
We have a jerk down here who has mounted a 3 chime in his pick up, he delights in driving through parking lots and sounding the horn whenever he gets the chance, and I have personally seen his scare a lady so badly she had a wreck.
She was backing out of a parking slot; he was traveling down the lane, then stopped, and waited until she was most of the way out of the slot and blasted her with it full bore….she was so scared she floored the gas and slammed into the cars across and behind her, destroyed her car and heavily damaged two others…he thought it was hilarious until the cops showed up, they ticketed him for excessive noise and aggressive driving, and on the accident report, they listed his horn and his actions as the cause of the accident.
I am pretty sure his insurance company found nothing funny about it at all.
Trust me, train air horns make the ones on 18 wheelers sound like bicycle horns, and I stress again, they can cause physical damage at full volume and at street level.
As advised, email J.C Whitney for their catalog and look at the quieter and cheaper alternatives, and think before using it.
No one expects a sound like that behind them on the freeway, and scared people do stupid things.
23 17 46 11
All I'll say is my spare tire on my '08 F-250 is in the bed with a chain and not in it's spot under the bed. Also my favorite horn happens to be a Nathan P5.
Adrianspeeder
USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman
edblysard No one expects a sound like that behind them on the freeway, and scared people do stupid things.
There's a message thread right now on the Model Railroader magazine forums with links to some You-Tube videos of a locomotive air horn mounted in a farmer's field to scare away birds, and a person with horns mounted on the roof of his car. The message originator even says where you can buy them and what they cost.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/209461.aspx
I'm not sure what the penalty would be for using them, but I have heard a semi driver here in Sierra Vista with them on his rig. You can hear them from a long way off.
edblysard First let me tell you that the horns you hear at the crossing are not running full blast, and these things are loud, very loud. Unless you have a way to regulate the air...Trust me, train air horns make the ones on 18 wheelers sound like bicycle horns, and I stress again, they can cause physical damage at full volume and at street level. As advised, email J.C Whitney for their catalog and look at the quieter and cheaper alternatives, and think before using it. No one expects a sound like that behind them on the freeway, and scared people do stupid things.
Unless you have a way to regulate the air...Trust me, train air horns make the ones on 18 wheelers sound like bicycle horns, and I stress again, they can cause physical damage at full volume and at street level.
Thanks for your concern, and as much fun as having a real one would be, I understand that it is generally not a good idea probably illegal in my area anyway.
Everybody else, thanks for the help!
Keep it comin' !
What I need now is a Graham White 353-100 valve.
What about bells?
Not like the big brass thing on steamers, but the modern ones with the "air ringer" (as Semper Vaporo put it ...)
?
An electronically adept person could proably assemble such a device with little problem.
Emergency vehicle sirens are usually about 100 watts - loud enough to be heard, but not totally deafening at close range (although probably still loud enough to get you a ticket if misused).
An older, transistor-based siren might be easier to modify. The speakers aren't terribly expensive - new they run on the order of $100+
Couple it to some form of solid state recorder and sample the desired sounds.
There are train horn enthusiasts with pretty sophisticated set-ups on vehicles. Most have at least a large air tank, and sometimes an auxiliary compressor.
Disclaimer. I only told you one way to do it. Don't be blaming me if you're stupid with it and get in trouble...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Larry,
Ironically, the site you linked in your post is where I got the idea! And don't worry, whatever happens, I won't be blaming you
Thanks for your input,
(now why is my text blue???)
There was another video on You-Tube a few months ago of a home-made motor bike with an air compressor and locomotive horns mounted on it, and the owner was blasting the horn as he drove down the street.
See / hear it here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=when3v7NVFk
Ed is right. I heard a train horn behind me from a truck who (at least in my way of thinking) had no reason to do it. The only reason I didn't jump a foot was because I was belted in.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
tree68 An electronically adept person could proably assemble such a device with little problem. Emergency vehicle sirens are usually about 100 watts - loud enough to be heard, but not totally deafening at close range (although probably still loud enough to get you a ticket if misused). An older, transistor-based siren might be easier to modify. The speakers aren't terribly expensive - new they run on the order of $100+ Couple it to some form of solid state recorder and sample the desired sounds. [snipped - PDN]
Couple it to some form of solid state recorder and sample the desired sounds. [snipped - PDN]
Neither one needs to be very loud - just distinctive and strong enough to separate from the background noise, cell phone ring tones, and other distractions and ambient noise.
- Paul North.
Honestly, the first thing I would do is to check my local DMV codes/laws very carefully. If you can pass that 'test,' then by all means, high ball ahead!! Good luck!
Nance-CCABW/LEI
“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” --Will Rogers
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right! --unknown
Won't an MP3 player "Loop" on a song? Record one clang of a bell and play it back in a loop. There are battery operated speakers that plug into these players that are not all that big that could be hung from the handlebars of a bike. Or on the rear bumper of your car.
It may be legal to have it on you truck, it just might be illegal for "on-highway" use. It could be legal in the state but illegal within city/town limits. I deal with state inspection of vehicles so I get a lot of things like this that are in grey areas of state laws. Mainly its just a lot of aftermarket stuff that does not meet DOT regulations or has no DOT numbers on the part. The two people I know who have railroad air horns have them mounted under the hood... out-of-sight out-of-mind. At my old job I met a truck driver ( 18 wheeler) who had a three horn AirChime mounted on his truck, not sure if it was legal or not. Its just one of those things that very by location.
TG3 LOOK ! LISTEN ! LIVE ! Remember the 3.
Train Guy 3 ...It is just one of those things that very by location.
...It is just one of those things that very by location.
Do you (or anybody) have an idea of where I could find out? I've done some online research, where I could find nothing for my state, city or county that mentioned anything close to this. My thought leads me to the Oklahoma DOT, possibly contacting them about it? I don't think the people at the local DMV would be very helpful, plus it is always super busy and the workers are pretty crabby.
Thoughts?
Try this and click on 'vehicle equipment.' You will have to scroll down like it says.
http://www.traffic.findlaw.com/traffic-tickets/oklahoma-traffic-laws.html
(I'm having wicked formatting problems with this--I DO know how to do it but...!!! )
Here is an excerpt from that same document:
A. Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than two hundred (200) feet, but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound. The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation, give audible warning with a horn but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway.
B. No vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a vehicle any siren, except as otherwise permitted in subsection D of this section.
C. Any vehicle may be equipped with a theft alarm signal device which is so arranged that it cannot be used by the driver as an ordinary warning signal. A theft alarm signal device shall not use a siren, as described in subsection D of this section.
D. Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this title, be equipped with a siren, or similar device, capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet and of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety, but such siren shall not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, in which said latter events the driver of such vehicle shall sound said siren when reasonably necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach thereof.
E. It shall be unlawful for any person to use a device capable of producing auditory warning signals similar to that on an authorized emergency vehicle or to use audible signal equipment from a motor vehicle for the purpose of causing any other motor vehicle operator to yield right-of-way and stop, or which actually causes any other motor vehicle operator to yield the right-of-way and stop, whether intended or not. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the operators of authorized emergency vehicles.
[1] Added by Laws 1961, p. 407, § 12-401. Amended by Laws 2003, c. 411, § 50, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.
BDERIV
Okay, this is really helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for all the great help so far!!
I guess that just leaves me with one more question until I can (hopefully) take this to the next step.
As far as air horns go, lower air pressure=deeper tone & less noise, right? So in theory, blowing a horn on say, 80psi would be quieter than, say, 110psi. Right?
Regardless of if I can mount them on my truck or not, here is one I found recently I am considering bidding on...I just can't believe the current bid is only $51.00!!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-painted-Burlington-Northern-K3LA-Nathan-Airchime-Locomotive-horn-/170902999583?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ca9cd21f#ht_500wt_1361
And thanks for all the help!! You have been a big part in hopefully making a dream a reality!
The few trucks I have seen with train horns have them mounted underneath the sleeper (usually hidden by the fuel tanks), and they are pointed straight down, presumably to deafen the poor DOT inspector that gets to go into the pit at the inspection barn......
Anyway, usually these horns are set up as a third horn, apart from the city and air horns (city horn=the horn found on most cars). The valve for the horn is usually mounted next to the driver's seat on the cab floor.
Personally, I would like a multi-chime horn that makes the same amount of noise as the factory single-note honker on my semi, and a bell (real or electronic) that I could turn on when maneuvering in parking lots or backing into docks, just to warn people that a truck is ready to move. Would not have to be louder than those backup beepers, would even be more noticeable, I think.......
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
The only place I have found that sells train horn kits is at www.hornblasters.com. I have no ties to this company as I found it 2 years while I was researching the same idea for my crewcab dually.
Let me pass on a little bit of history less it be lost forever. Back in 2006, I got a hair for a real trolley bell and after several months of searching on eBay, was the only bidder and winner of a New York City, Third Avenue Railway System (TARS), roof mounted trolley bell. It was obtained from the ground by a young man on an afternoon trip to the Mount Vernon scrap yard in 1947. The cars there had their king pins pulled and then flipped over, which turned the car bodies into splinters. He had no way to tell what car it came from. In corresponding with the seller, who was looking to give his beloved bell a new home, found out that for a few years he had it mounted in his Plymouth!
No small bell, it is 12 inch in diameter and 2 ½ inches high, the mounting bracket is 17 inches long and the legs are off set by three inches to accommodate the curve of the TARS roof. It weights in around 15 pounds. He had a lot of fun with it as back then the memory of street cars and bells were ingrained in every driver! A few years of this and the local cops got after him and he had to remove it. Only to be heard for wake up the neighbor parties.
This bell has some voice and the my family ringers her out for celebration parties, call to Thanksgiving dinner and new year's night. This is a well balance bell, it resonate for almost a minute and glad to have found it from it’s second owner.
It sure would make a driver back in the 40's sit up and look for the trolley's headlight that's about to run him over!
OK, I understand that bells & whistles scare can scare innocent pedestrians and drivers. But as a motorist who has had it with the bad driving of others ("road rage" is such a negative term!), I need to ask if it is illegal for some reason or other to mount a flame-thrower on my car for use in heavy traffic? I think this would be even more effective than the loud and disruptive bells and whistles for clearing a path down the streets and avenues.
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