# Billboard whistle questions



## mikesdaddy (Dec 18, 2010)

Hi gang,

My AF 283 setup needs a whistle. I've been looking at billboard whistles on the 'Bay. It looks like there are "steam" versions and "diesel" versions. Do they have different sounds?

Are there more desirable versions of these billboard whistles that I should be looking for?

Thanks for any education you might be able to provide!

Greg


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## Timboy (Aug 10, 2010)

Greg:

As to the first part of your question, I have both steam and diesel billboards on my operating layout. The steam sounds to me somewhat like the wooden train whistles found in tourist shops where there is a train ride. Hard to describe the diesel sound. It's kinda like a verbal "gong" someone gives someone else when they want them to shut up. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk". Jim Rome makes that sound on his radio sports talk show when he wants to silence a caller. 

How this helps you.
Regards,
Timboy


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

FWIW, you could probably buy something like the Williams True Blast II horn for either steam or diesel and get a very realistic sounding horn, and it'll also add a bell.

For that option, I'd wire up a 12V accessory transformer and make myself a whistle/bell controller with a some diodes and a couple of pushbuttons for each of the horn modules. The whistle, either diesel or steam, from the True Blast II is very realistic sounding.


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