Where is my horn?

Dec 21, 2006 2 Replies

My Dad just gave me a 1958/1959 Lionel trainset that his Dad purchased for him when he was a kid. We last had it under our tree in 1995, and now its time for my kids to enjoy it. Though I think I am enjoying it more than they are at this point. :)



Anyway, I have it all operational and running around the O-27 track under the Christmas tree. But...the horn does not work. I popped open the locomotive and found there was no battery (a good thing!). Now, when I run it, I can see the contacts closing when I press the button, but nothing else happens. Actually, sometimes the train light will brighten and the speed will increase when I press the button on the transformer.



I found and read a great FAQ on the horn system, but it is all text-based. I have snapped a photo of my train at the link below. Where is the actual horn? Maybe it is just completely missing? Though I could not quite see where there were any cut wires, etc. to tip me off. If someone can tell me if its there, or if its missing and where I might go from here (where to get one?) I'd apprecite it!



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Happy Holidays!



Tom



This is normal. Operating the whistle control on Lionel transformers switches an additional transformer winding into the circuit that boosts the output voltage by about 5 volts. Lionel steam locos used a whistle activated by a small blower motor that draws almost as much current as the drive motor in the locomotive; the voltage increase helps keep these trains running at about the same speed.

Your horn is missing. It should be attached to the gray metal "L" shaped bracket that shows in your photo just to the left of the reversing relay. The horn is a battery operated buzzer type device about 3/4" thick and 1

3/4" in diameter. There was a good list of parts sources in a recent post to this group, though I couldn't spot it in a quick look as I write this. George Tebolt, Olsens Toy Train Parts, ALFRA Engineering are all good sources, and there are others if you Google on Lionel repair parts. Geezer

Geezer, Thanks for the response. I see where you say it should go now. And thanks for the contacts; I have an email in now to George Tebolt if he has one. I talked to my Dad and he doesn't ever remember removing it; something my grandfather must have done way back... :)

Thanks aga> > Anyway, I have it all operational and running around the O-27 track

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