Phoenix sound systems have a great goose sound unit.  You can get it with a single note horn or a claxon (aaooogha) type.  I used this on my "rail hearse" and hid the unit inside the casket.
Mike

I wonder if anyone could point me to articles pertaining to the conversion of the 35 -ton shay, the climax, and the heisler to battery/sound.
I currently have sound with track power in all 3 and would like to make a trailing car with li-on battery and trackside TE along with a remote
accessory module to ring the bell and blow the whistle .  Hoping this car can be "plugged in" to any of the 3 to run.  If the first car works, I'll build 2 more.  Thanks in advance,
Mike

You might also try using lighting "gels" that can be found in lighting stores, theatrical outlets, anyplace that does staging.

Hi all,
Awhile back my Spectrum Centennial 4-4-0 hit the proverbial deck at a train show.  I managed to salvaged almost all the parts, but am in need of the single steps found at the front of the tender.  Also, due to the fall the boiler/smokebox has become loose from each other.  When the driving rods bush forward the smoke box separates from the boiler.  I was wondering what kind of glue would be best to use for this?  Ca?  Hotglue?  Epoxy?
Thanks for any help in advance,
Mike.

Rumor has it that Bachmann is working on british steam outline in 1/29 for the UK market!  Is this true?  Could there be an A4 pacific in the works?  If so, would it be available to the american market as well?
Mike

I believe in the eastern logging regions a lot of companies did away with the air brakes, as they were delicate and exposed on the skeleton log cars.  Rather than keep up maintenance on them, hand brakes were usually employed, although some had none whatsoever, which may be why most of the time you see the locomotive downgrade from the log train . 
Mike

Thanks Jim, the diagram helps.   And a bit of "light" humor Coitenly doesn't hoit' either!  Nyuk!  Nyuk!
Mike

Thanks guys.  It's as I feared.  Back to Hobbyland for the 2-legged variety. 
Thanks again,
Mike.

Question for the electronic gurus here.  I'm wanting to use a bi-polar (red/green) 3-lead LED to tell direction of track current.  i.e., it's green one way, when you switch the direction of the loco it turns red.  I thought I had this thing figured out, but it's got me stumped. 
I can connect -lead to the center and touch the +lead to the left or right and they work fine (red/green respectively).  But when I switch the direction on the throttle and try it again nothing works.  I've tried the resistor on the center lead (-) and I've tried 2 resistors on the positive leads but nothing.  Am I barking up the wrong stack?
Mike

Ok, since we're putting in .02 cents, here's mine.  Bachmann already has the trucks for the shay and climax.  What would be so difficult to produce a flat car with  a vertical boiler, water tank, and wood fuel bunker and a choice of full length roof or shortened with either 2 cylinders on the side for a shay, or in the center for a climax?
Sounds like a natural to me.  I'll take one of each!

Now, this is the class A I'm wanting! 

http://www.gearedsteam.com/climax/images/class-a-vertical.jpg

Mike

I've been researching for the same thing, and I've come across this site:
http://www.tastudios.com/turbo_smoke.htm
This seems to really put out the smoke!  And it has a syncrhonization ("chuff &puff") that times the fan with the sound system.  It's around 70.00 and I'm going to order one for myself after seeing the video.
Mike

J.D., could you post a link to the article about building your loco carrier?  I've followed your link to your blog and saw the pictures.  Looks like what I'm after as well.  It says if I go further down there are instructions on how to build it.  I can't seem to find those.  Guess you have to be a member of LSOL. 
Thanks,
Mike.

Hello all.  Happy holidays to you.  I'm bashing together a steeple cab electric and I'm in need of a trolley pole or two.  I've never looked closely at the available Bachmann open or closed trolley, and was wondering if these are a sprung trolley pole that might be used for current pickup, and if so if they're available as parts?
Thanks for any input,
Mike

Hey Skip!
I'm in the process of painting Aristo's SS track before I lay it outside.  I'm using Krylon, but the red primer then a thin wash of black using isopropol alcohol.  Works real well.  I'm using vegetable ouil on the railhead first, smearing it with my finger, and that seems to take care of the railhead as well as the sides of the railhead.  Good luck.
Mike.