# Substitute For LGB Track Sound Magnet?



## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

Has anyone found a substitute for the little LGB track magnet that triggers the bell or whistle sound in sound-equipped engines? I thought that a refrigerator magnet, placed beside one rail, would work, but not so. Perhaps it wasn't strong enough. The LGB magnet would pick up six or seven paper clips at once; the reefer magnet would only pick up three or four. My plan was to place several magnets five sections apart, for a series of whistle sounds. 
SandyR


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I thought radio shack had some of those small super magnets? 

Regards, Greg


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

You need the specially polarized non-refracting optically neutral magets. 
These are encased by the old LGB folks in a harmonious-focusing array of dense particulate plastic to channel the magnetic waveforms in a pattern specific to the reactive qualities of the super-conductive reed halves in the contacts. 

They are very hard to come by any more. 






However, I have used the magnets for door and window alarms, removing the magnet from the case. 
See how one of those works.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

A club member uses the Radio Shack magnets in the following manner. 
A sheet rock screw through the ties and hten glues the magnet to the head of the screw. 
the glue keeps the magnet in place. Use a short sheet rock screw. 

(sheet rock screws have a flat head!!)


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## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

Curmudgeon, that's a great suggestion about the door and window alarm magnets (and I didn't understand a word of the explanation of the LGB magnets, but it was sure impressive to read! My bad!)! 
Dan, that sounds really workable; the sheet rock screw through a tie also would control the height of the magnet, and thus its distance from the whatever on the tender (or is it on the locomotive?). 
I'm strictly a plug-and-play type of person; guess it's time to get educated!! 
Thank you both. 
SandyR


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

I've always Radio Shack magnets and they work fine. 
bubba


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## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

Radio Shack it is, then! Thank you for the help. 
SandyR


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Radio Shack 1/2" diameter disk magnets. Dirt cheap. I glue (CA) a stack of two of them on a strip of styrene that fits between the ties and under the rails. Glue the magnets off to one side of the strip. The styrene strip goes under the rails to keep a metal loco from picking up your magnet as it passes over it. The strip is easily moved to various locations and can be flipped around easily for left side or right side placement.


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## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

Yippee!! Thank you Del, for the how-to (in words of one syllable for old folks like me)... 
SandyR


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## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

The magnet solution that works for me is found in some shower curtins. The quick way to use them is to double back sticky tape the magnets to a tie. May not be complicated enough for some people but it works for me. I now use a urathane glue and attach the magnets to a piece of plastic wood that goes into the space between the ties. Almost invisable and I can easly move them aroud the railroad to vary where the sounds occur. 
James


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## hans911 (Jan 9, 2008)

James & Del, 
Both of your descriptions sound very do-able. However, never having owned an LGB loco until lately I'm not all that familiar with the magnet placement. A picture is worth 1000 words as they say. 
How about a picture of your solutions?? 

Thanks for your efforts, 
PH


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

On another note, the LGB magnet has a protrusion above the track and my Aristo snowplow hits the magnet, thus causing it to come off the tiea aND CAUSES A DERAILMENT. 

The sheetrock screw and strong 1/4 inch magnet are kept 1/8 inch below the top raoil thus no more derailments. 

PS, the Aristocraft rerailer has the same problem and I added washers to mine to raise the rails above the plastic!!


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By hans911 on 18 Nov 2009 09:52 PM 
James & Del, 
Both of your descriptions sound very do-able. However, never having owned an LGB loco until lately I'm not all that familiar with the magnet placement. A picture is worth 1000 words as they say. 
How about a picture of your solutions?? 

Thanks for your efforts, 
PH 


A drawing along with dimensions can be found in the manuals on my website. Here is a link to the 2.4GHZ Enhanced RailBoss (page 15).


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## sailbode (Jan 2, 2008)

Come on folks, This isn't rocket science!  A magnet is a magnet and there are 2 different "poles" on each magnet. If the good old refridge magnet doesn't work it's because you're trying to use the wrong side. Flip it over and I'm sure it will work. If you're using a magnet that is housed in such a fashion that you can't get to the other side you'll have to figure something out. Hans, if you haven't already figured it out the magnet sensors are not in the middle between the rails but rather on either side fairly close to the rail. As the train passes over the rail a magnet on the left will trigger the bell and magnet on right will trigger the whistle.....or visa-versa


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## BIGD2039 (Jan 22, 2010)

THE MAGNETS THAT CAME WITH MY NEW LGB69232 TENDER, SNAP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RAILS BETWEEN THE RAILROAD TIES


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## sailbode (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes but if you want to blow the whistle or ring the bell in more than one place on your track, the LGB magnets are a little pricey. As suggested, the much cheaper generic magnets work fine.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

you could try those magnets, that are used to keep the doors of kitchen cabinets closed. 
they are fairly strong. 
(i never used them for whistles and bells, but i use them under the locos for working reedcontacts for switching)


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## SLemcke (Jun 3, 2008)

Try this website. They have an LGB replacement magnet and contact that fit inside the ties.
Steve


http://www.shourtline.swl4.com/


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