# Cattle car with sound



## unimog (Apr 21, 2008)

I stumbled across this and wondered if it was ever made for large scale. Neat idea.

A model railroad cattle car sound effects system includes a speech synthesis circuit (FIG. 6) for "playing" selected cow voices stored as digital data in an EPROM (160). In a random mode of operation, a state generator (30) provides a pseudo-random count that is used to select among four different calm cow voices, one of which is silence. The resulting audio output is perceived as random contented cow sounds. A pendulum motion detector (FIG. 8) provides an indication of lateral motion of the system. An up/down motion counter (40) maintains a motion count reflecting the level of excitation of the system (and the cows). The motion counter increments responsive to motion, and decrements gradually in the absence of detected motion. A motion count of at least four invokes a triggered mode of operation, in which the counter output is used to select among four different excited cow voices. The resulting audio output imitates increasingly agitated cows as the motion count further increases.


----------



## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

yes I have one in a car ... no longer made


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

4268S was the LGB yellow D&RG cattle/stock car with cow sounds.


----------



## unimog (Apr 21, 2008)

Dan, 
Did that have the motion sensor to change the cows sounds as they were agitated? 
Ti


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds cool. I put the ITT sound card in a stock car with a 555 timer. They didn't have peeves, so I went with cows.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Jack (BigDude65) has a cattle car with a motion-driven cow sound module. Very realistic - the more you jostle the car, the more noise they make!


----------



## acmartina (Jan 6, 2008)

I have a sheep sound unit that I bought back in 1994-95 time frame. There were a number of different sounds available. Pretty cool. I can't remember the vendor but I still have it. I want to say it was Q-something-or-other. I have the manual in a file somewhere. 
Steve


----------



## acmartina (Jan 6, 2008)

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=OAIjAAAAEBAJ&dq=5267318


----------



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Interesting idea.

Sheep, cow, and other livestock sounds are easy to add using HQ Sound modules or find the LGB sound cars offered over the years, but to have a sound module that adjusts the sounds based on motion is pretty neat.


----------



## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

The sound systems with pinball mechanisms were made by QSI.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That patent is awarded to : Frederick E. Severson, Patrick A. Quinn 

Quinn Severson Industries, QSI.... I don't think they made it, but who knows?

Regards, Greg


----------



## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 02 Dec 2009 08:20 AM 
Jack (BigDude65) has a cattle car with a motion-driven cow sound module. Very realistic - the more you jostle the car, the more noise they make! 










Thanks for remembering, Peter. Yes, I do. In fact, it was one of the first "bashes" I ever did and marked the first time I tried using an airbrush.
http://www.millermodels.com/pages/frameset.html

The sound part, however, was relatively easy. The first thing I did was obtain a sound module from my friends Bill and Mary Miller of MILLER MODELS Sound Systems (#SS433 "Cattle Pen") which is powered with a 9-volt battery. It has a digital recording and the cows sound very realistic. There's also one for sheep, if you're doing a "double-decker" stock car.

The module has contacts for an activating button which causes it to run for about fifteen or twenty seconds or so each time the circuit is closed. I installed a good speaker inside the car in a baffle (just a box with a hole for the speaker) made of .040 sheet styrene and painted black. I hooked the Miller module up to the speaker and powered it using a 9-volt battery in a clip and holder (from Radio Shack) with an on/off sliding toggle switch in series between the battery and the module.

Because I didn't want the cows to be mooing constantly, I thought I'd rig up a mercury switch to trigger the cow's complaints only when they were jostled. Finding one turned out to be the hardest part of the project. Since mercury is now considered to be a "dangerous" toxic substance - mercury switches are almost impossible to find anymore, even on the internet. Then I had a "brain wave." I went to Home Depot and bought the cheapest home thermostat I could find - less than ten bucks - and tore it apart just to get the mercury switch inside. (Old thermostats could probably be had for nothing if there's any home remodeling projects going on in the neighborhood. Keep an eye out for them.)

The two leads from the switch were attached to the module contacts and the glass tube was oriented fore-and-aft on the car floor with a slight down-slant, in the "off" position. Now, whenever the car is coupled up a little too briskly, the mercury makes contact and the cows let you know it. I found that the on/off switch is necessary in order to shut down the whole system for transport and to keep the cows from mooing their heads off and driving me crazy in the car. (It also saves the battery.)


----------



## unimog (Apr 21, 2008)

Jack, 
What a great idea. Off to HD... 
Ti


----------



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Jack, thanks for the info on Miller Models. Their sound clips are excellent. Best I've heard. A little more expensive then the others, but the sound seems a lot better.


----------



## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Ram Track sells a sound card with cows mooing. They also have a motion activated switch for it that can be purchased. I have them and they sound and work great.


----------



## K27_463 (Jan 2, 2008)

Miller Models units re just ITT sound repackaged at a higher price. Some of the sound files are unique to Miller since they have rights to them , but the hardware is ITT all the way. 
Jonathan/EMw


----------



## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that the first cow mooing sound system for a trail car was made and sold by Roanoke.


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By Big65Dude on 03 Dec 2009 12:56 AM 
Posted By Pete Thornton on 02 Dec 2009 08:20 AM 
Jack (BigDude65) has a cattle car with a motion-driven cow sound module. Very realistic - the more you jostle the car, the more noise they make! 










Thanks for remembering, Peter. Yes, I do. In fact, it was one of the first "bashes" I ever did and marked the first time I tried using an airbrush.
http://www.millermodels.com/pages/frameset.html

The sound part, however, was relatively easy. The first thing I did was obtain a sound module from my friends Bill and Mary Miller of MILLER MODELS Sound Systems (#SS433 "Cattle Pen") which is powered with a 9-volt battery. It has a digital recording and the cows sound very realistic. There's also one for sheep, if you're doing a "double-decker" stock car.

The module has contacts for an activating button which causes it to run for about fifteen or twenty seconds or so each time the circuit is closed. I installed a good speaker inside the car in a baffle (just a box with a hole for the speaker) made of .040 sheet styrene and painted black. I hooked the Miller module up to the speaker and powered it using a 9-volt battery in a clip and holder (from Radio Shack) with an on/off sliding toggle switch in series between the battery and the module.

Because I didn't want the cows to be mooing constantly, I thought I'd rig up a mercury switch to trigger the cow's complaints only when they were jostled. Finding one turned out to be the hardest part of the project. Since mercury is now considered to be a "dangerous" toxic substance - mercury switches are almost impossible to find anymore, even on the internet. Then I had a "brain wave." I went to Home Depot and bought the cheapest home thermostat I could find - less than ten bucks - and tore it apart just to get the mercury switch inside. (Old thermostats could probably be had for nothing if there's any home remodeling projects going on in the neighborhood. Keep an eye out for them.)

The two leads from the switch were attached to the module contacts and the glass tube was oriented fore-and-aft on the car floor with a slight down-slant, in the "off" position. Now, whenever the car is coupled up a little too briskly, the mercury makes contact and the cows let you know it. I found that the on/off switch is necessary in order to shut down the whole system for transport and to keep the cows from mooing their heads off and driving me crazy in the car. (It also saves the battery.)












This is a very cool car, wonder if i could get away with running a couple of these........HMMMMMMMM food for thought.


----------



## RGSNH (Jan 13, 2008)

Jack, 

thanks for the wonderfull description and the source for the switch, i dug one out tonight and it is a three pole connection, so i assume it makes contact at both ends of travel. I have been waiting to do this project for a long time. 

Al P.


----------



## acmartina (Jan 6, 2008)

Cool beans Jack! Thats very nice. I may have to give that a try with another stock car.

Back to the original question, the answer is .... drum roll ... QSI. I located the original operating instructions. I am a terrible pack rat (actually, I'm a pretty good pack rat, but it is a terrible thing to be). Here is a link to a scan of the instructions - QSI Live Action Sound Stock Car Operating Instructions. They are dated 1991. I think I bought mine around 1994.

... and a photo of the board. 














A 9 volt battery goes in the holder in the middle. You can see the little pendulum that activates it just to the right of the battery holder. I always thought it was very cool. Mine has sheep sounds. I would imagine today it could be reduced to a much smaller footprint. I wonder why QSI doesn't sell it anymore. Oh well.

Thanks,
Steve


----------



## John Gaarde (Oct 11, 2008)

If you are diligent (and maybe a little lucky) you can still pick up the QSI Live Action sound boards, used of course. I was lucky enough to get one for $30 from BridgeMasters at last summer's convention in Denver. Some of the sound chips as well as repairs are still available here: http://www.the-scaled-tin-rail.com/soundsets/lasusoundsets.html . They state the original board is no longer available, but that the sound chips are interchangeable. Thanks for the instructions, Steve, I did not have any. John


----------

