# Are all Lionel horns battery powered?



## ChopperCharles (Jan 3, 2012)

Lionel horns use a relay that only responds to DC offset voltage... so why is there a D cell battery? Do more modern (70's, 80's) locos have the same battery powered horn, or do the horns run off of track voltage? I'm somewhat confused...

Charles.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Only some early Lionel horns were battery powered, most run from track voltage.


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## ChopperCharles (Jan 3, 2012)

I'm interested in adding a horn to a loco that doesn't currently have one. What parts am I going to need? Is there a wiring diagram somewhere?

Charles.


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

All postwar Lionel horns, 1945-69, were battery powered. Basically bicycle horns operated by a DC relay. When purchasing a postwar diesel with a horn be sure to check the battery compartment for damage as a common problem was users leaving the battery in when the trains were put away for storage. 

Electronic horns were introduced in the MPC and modern eras. Today you can add an electronic horn to a hornless engine provided you have room for the small circuit board and speaker. You can readily find replacement horns for your postwar diesel although I've heard the relays are hard to come by.

Lionel made a Railsounds boxcar which I believe is a better solution for adding a horn to a hornless locomotive.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You can add a RailSounds board if you want horn, bell, and engine sounds. You can also add an inexpensive horn board, drop me a PM and I'll fix you up with one cheap, I have several.


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

Here is a link to the Williams True-Blast diesel horn. I would install one of these rather than retrofit an old postwar mechanism.

http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200803396

I found a you tube video where you can hear it in action:


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

The horn relays and the whistle relays are functionally the same. Mounting may be an issue, but electrically they are interchangeable.


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## ChopperCharles (Jan 3, 2012)

Okay I like that idea servoguy, but there's a connector on there, and my locomotive does not have any kind of electronics on the inside. Do I just hook the red and black wires directly up to the center rail and wheel pickups? Or is there more required?

Charles.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

It would probably help if you had a loco with a horn or looked at the Olsen's wiring diagram. Horns and whistles are not wired the same.


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## ChopperCharles (Jan 3, 2012)

If I had a loco with a horn, I wouldn't be interested in adding one, now would I? 

Charles.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

If you had two locos, one with and one without a horn, you might possibly be interested in adding a horn to the one that didn't have a horn. 

After 60 years of experience with the old bicycle horns, I would advise you to install an electronic horn. Keeping the old ones working is a bit of a chore.


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

It's a very simple connection. You connect one wire to the frame and the other to the center rail. Probably Red goes to the center rail.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

You also need to connect the wires to the horn and battery.


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