# Bell sound on live steam loco?



## Skeeterweazel (Feb 11, 2014)

Thought i'd throw this out there. Would like to do this down the road.
How difficult is it to give a live steam loco a bell sound? I bet it's possible if you throw enough $$$ at it.
Please fill me in on the options to do this. I know nothing about sound and DCC and such.

Thx.
Marty


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Mixing electronics and steam isn't really a great idea (though R/C with steam is somewhat popular); you'd also have to find space to mount a speaker. Probably the easiest solution is to install everything in a boxcar behind the engine.

You'd also need to decide how to trigger the sound effects; could be track magnets, or R/C. If you went R/C, then you could control the regulator too.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

There was a thread here many years ago that showed a working bell with sound.
Here is the link to the youtube video of it:
http://tinyurl.com/cpk7sbo
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

I'll try this way instead to see if it works!




Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

A long time ago, back when they ran live steam in front of the Queen Mary show, and I was too much of a newbie to appreciate it, somebody went after a 'keepin' it real' solution by actually putting a small, but nicely melodious, bell inside a following box car! Servo controlled, I believe. Took a while of listening to figure out that the bell was inside a 'sound car', so to speak 

I suppose you could synch the boxcar servo to the one controlling the cosmetic bell on the K-28 video above. It would really create some great double-takes.


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## Skeeterweazel (Feb 11, 2014)

Thx guys. Vid mentions "sound card". What is that exactly?


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

A circuit board with a digitally sampled sound. There are various ones available and not very expensive.

Andrew


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## Skeeterweazel (Feb 11, 2014)

This looks like a neat idea. Can have 4 different sounds. Think it is under $20. Have to come up w/ your own sounds though.
http://trainelectronics.com/USB_Sound_4/index.htm
https://www.sounddogs.com/previews/2701/mp3/453719_SOUNDDOGS__be.mp3


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