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I need a small locomotive bell (for reasons)

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  • Member since
    August 2019
  • From: Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania
  • 225 posts
I need a small locomotive bell (for reasons)
Posted by steve-in-kville on Friday, September 13, 2019 8:11 AM

I want a small, miniature version of a bell. Battery powered, nothing fancy. I want to mount it to my forklift at work. I looked all over ebay and the interwebs and have not been able to find anything.

Any ideas?

Regards - Steve

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, September 13, 2019 10:04 AM

A small locomotive bell is almost an oxymoron.  Besides, any locomotive bell would probably be too loud for what you have in mind.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
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  • From: Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania
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Posted by steve-in-kville on Friday, September 13, 2019 10:36 AM
There are full size bells for sale on ebay, but I don't need that and it would be way too load for my use. I was hoping someone would make a small version as a novelty. My search turns up nothing.

Regards - Steve

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  • From: Iowa
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, September 13, 2019 11:49 AM

I would bet you have been searching for "Locomotive bell"... try "Bell" or "Farm Bell"... there are several manufacturers that make brass and cast iron bells in all sorts of sizes.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, September 13, 2019 1:03 PM

Try "back up alarm bell."  Found one for $58 that requires no power.  If you mount two, one will ring in each direction.  They mount on the wheel.

There are powered versions, too.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Euclid on Friday, September 13, 2019 8:19 PM

steve-in-kville

I want a small, miniature version of a bell. Battery powered, nothing fancy. I want to mount it to my forklift at work. I looked all over ebay and the interwebs and have not been able to find anything.

Any ideas?

 

If you want a miniature locomotive bell, you might try the suppliers of live steam models and parts.  Google "live steam locomotives."  Once you get tapped into that subject in the search, there are probably many different suppliers that have minature steam locomotive bells. 

They manufacture locomotives and rolling stock for ride-on trains in various scales for track gages from around 4.75", 7.5", and up to about 15".  Bells are probably also available for model diesels in the same size range.  They probably are made with a variety of operating details.  Take a look at this site, and enlarge that smaller photo for a good indication of the bell size.  That model is based on Sandy River & Rangely Lakes #24, which was a 2-foot-gage engine in common carrier service on the SR&RL.

https://allenmodels.com/sandyriver.html

 

If you find some of these companies, you could also call them and ask who they else in the business might have the bells you are looking for. 

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Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, September 14, 2019 8:58 PM

I think Kemtron made a 1/8 scale steam locomotive bell, in the olden days.  But, yes, there must be bells made today for large scale steam models.

Now, the battery power.  That's gonna take a few pleasurable hours of fabrication.

I like it!!

 

 

Ed

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Posted by Enzoamps on Sunday, September 15, 2019 2:13 PM

Search "dinner bell".  They come in all sizes, but in my mind the small kind with a wood handle come up.  Take off the handle.  A train bell has a rich tone, a small bell will make a ting ting sound. An example:

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKBELLG.html?showreviews=1

Google had an endless array of possibilities.

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Posted by 7j43k on Sunday, September 15, 2019 8:47 PM

Found it:

 

http://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Kemtron_Corporation

$17.50, back in the olden days.  A wee bit more now, I'll wager.

 

and here's one you might actually be able to find and buy:

 

http://www.swiftlocomotiveworks.com/Bell.html 

Ed

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Posted by seppburgh2 on Monday, September 16, 2019 7:54 PM

There is such a thing as an electronic bell (e-bell).  They are used to replace traditional bells as they have no moving parts. Just a circuit board playing a loop of a steel bell being wrong.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqaTL0GsY9o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kedpd37HyI

The e-bell could be too overpowering.  Maybe an air chime might be better?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mfun9t31cE

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