# chuff chuff sound



## trainbuffmargaret (Sep 9, 2011)

have recently bought a hornby flying scotsmann locomotive with chuff chuff sound in the tender .Has anyone else have trains with chuff chuff sound in tenders marg


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

THetender is where the sound decoder and speaker are located.

Here listen to this one.



This is a Proto 2000 Heritage USRA 2-8-8-2 with a QSI decoder located in the tender.

Massey


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## trainbuffmargaret (Sep 9, 2011)

*re chuff chuff*

the chuff chuff noise apparently precedes sound chips and is made by fixing something to run across the wheels of the tender to make the sound.These engines were only produced for a couple of years.For what they are the sound is subtle but effective marg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Marg,

We have a nice thread about American Flyer's mechanical "chugger" from days of old ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=4883

A very clever device!

Here's a different "rotor" style ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?p=47580&postcount=2

I think Lionel had them, too ... all the way back in the 1910's.

TJ


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

I have one of those chuffers, but just the tender so I'm not sure what it went to originally. There is a cam on the axle that rubs an abrasive strip inside the tender. The strip has an accoustic enclosure that amplifies the sound. I removed the tender portion and added an old British style boxcar body and run it behind Toby until he gets his sound decoder done. Looks a little goofy, but sounds cool :thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Lionel had a cheap one for O-scale that just had a drum that rested on the center rail. I've seen several, and just sold one recently on eBay. The rubber for the wheel was dead, so I replaced it with a couple of large rubber bands, worked great.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

What vintage would that have been, John?

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It was probably in the 70's or 80's I would guess. I can't seem to find the sale, but I know it went.  It was with a plastic locomotive, which places it in the MPC "plastic era" of Lionel.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks, John.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Found it, it was a NKP set. Note the wheel hanging down in the center, it's filled with some sort of pebbles that make the chug-chug sound.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

AHM made flat cars that had box loads that made this sound. The was a metal contact on one side of the axle. In side the car there was a speaker and circuit board. As the axle turned it completed the circuit and made the chuff noise. Not bad for the time. Also it stay in sync with the train. Only issue was the added weight of the 9v battery. With a small loco on an incline it was not good.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

There is a "sounds of steam" board in that vintage of Lionel, it just had power from the locomotive and common. The contact in the locomotive made contact with wheel rotation, and the board would emit a clash of static that sort of sounded like steam.


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## dbmnj (Nov 12, 2017)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Lionel had a cheap one for O-scale that just had a drum that rested on the center rail. I've seen several, and just sold one recently on eBay. The rubber for the wheel was dead, so I replaced it with a couple of large rubber bands, worked great.


I would like to add the chuff, chuff sound to my trains - is there some way I can do this by adding a car?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Best way would be to get a sound decoder and speaker to install in the locomotive or tender. You can also find sound systems that work through speakers under or next to the layout.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Lionel made sound boxcars that had steam sounds or diesel sounds.

Lionel REA Steam Sounds Boxcar

You can also take a conventional boxcar and install the ERR steam RailSounds Commander in it and achieve the same result.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Lionel made sound boxcars that had steam sounds or diesel sounds.
> 
> Lionel REA Steam Sounds Boxcar
> 
> You can also take a conventional boxcar and install the ERR steam RailSounds Commander in it and achieve the same result.


I bought three or four of the Lionel steamsounds boxcars on ebay over the years as well as one reefer someone had added the ERR RS C to, and use them with soundless locos when I run them. The sound isn't up to the standards of new Lionel or MTH, but it does make a chuffing sound that vairies with speed, and they don't cost much and its easier than building a sound car myself.


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