# methods for adding sound to boxcars etc..



## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello 
I'm looking for methods for adding sound to boxcars etc.. Seems I remember not too long ago that someone mentioned using cheap MP3 players to rerecord and add sound. Where do you get these? I'm thinking of making say a ice cream truck boxcar and it would be neat for it to play that little tune that they all play as they drive by my house. Any ideas? 
Todd


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd,

Try here, http://ittproducts.com/hqpage_2008.htm
I have the cattle sound in acar it's not to bad.

Don


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By cape cod Todd on 17 Aug 2010 10:28 AM 
Hello 
I'm looking for methods for adding sound to boxcars etc.. Seems I remember not too long ago that someone mentioned using cheap MP3 players to rerecord and add sound. Where do you get these? I'm thinking of making say a ice cream truck boxcar and it would be neat for it to play that little tune that they all play as they drive by my house. Any ideas? 
Todd

Todd - I have experimented with a number of different sound devices over the years and find that an inexpensive MP3 player from Electronics 123 is the best bang for the buck. In single quantities they are less than $11.00.


The device can record a 50 second (lower quality sound) or 25 second (higher quality) MP3 file via its USB connector. 

Note that it requires a bit of work on your end as the included speaker is only for testing and you need to add an auxiliary speaker to get decent volume. I have written up a detailed description of this device and how it can be used in a garden railroad that includes installation on a flatcar. Easy to make that a boxcar! Also easy to trigger with a reed switch on the bottom of the car.


See: MP3 Player Article 


It might be worth your time to look it over.

Let me know if you have any questions.

dave


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## stan2004 (Dec 27, 2007)

Putting it all together is the challenge to using low-cost MP3 players. For example, the 2 cheap players shown on the left were only $5-$10 but are powered by a single AAA 1.5V battery. These only drive headphones via the 3.5mm plug so you need an amplifier. But battery powered amplifiers usually run on 4x batteries or 6V. So now you have wiring and possibly some kind of voltage circuitry to run them on a single battery pack. Then you have the issue of triggering the sound. This usually means wiring across the "Play" button in the MP3 player. But if you're comfortable with this kind of tinkering it opens up all kinds of options relative to the off-the-shelf, albeit plug-and-play, sound modules. For example a web search for "free" downloadable MP3 ice cream truck sounds yields numerous choices.











You can also buy MP3 players with built-in speakers about the size of old handheld transistor radios. These might fit in a box-car. Another thought is to put an old FM handheld radio with integrated speaker in the boxcar and transmit the ice cream sound from an MP3 player, CD player with a CD burned with the desired sound effects, a PC or whatever to the boxcar. FM transmitters (example shown on right) are only a few dollars now since they have been mass produced for MP3 players to transmit to FM car radios.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Don, those look like a nice set up. How would you compare them to RAM sound systems.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

That ittproducts site has some nice sounds. I liked the hobo camp. 
I think I'm looking for something like a small fit inside boxcar recordable player that is inexpensive. I like what Dbodnar suggested and he provided some nice directions to get it done but I am not the best when it comes to electronics. Maybe some cold winter day when I can take my time and get it right but for now something easy and quick. The search continues. 
Thanks


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