Can someone tell me what I have here?

It's a Ott sound system. They made them years ago. Not bad sound but no battery back up so when the power is off, no sound. They made diesel, electric but not sure if they made a steam systems. Don

So do I need to buy something special to make it work?

No, just run it off track power. Has it been hooked up? I think Williams sold these as a extra at one time. Don

Looks like it is from the Crown Edition of Williams trains. I recognize the connector for the sound unit as I have two Crown Edition diesels.

You just need a transformer to run it, NO special remote or anything, it has what is called True Sounds and most likely has QSI on the circuit board somewhere. At start up with the voltage very low it will play an announcement; clear on track 10, leaving on track 10(the announcement might be a little different but it has an announcement at start up), also will have diesel engine sounds and a bell & horn. The bell can activated at lower voltages and then will quit until it comes back to a lower voltage, the horn can be accessed at higher voltages or speeds and will sound only when pressed by the horn or whistle button.

 

Lee Fritz

Oh great thanks for the information. I'm going to set up a temporary track on the floor and try it out. It needs too wide of curves to run on my current layout.

I'm not sure but my C. E. diesel has the QSI system in it.

The C. E. steam that I have seen photos of have the OTT sound system.

 

I don't know everything about Williams engines but I think I have it correct on this.

 

Lee Fritz

Sleeper,

All you need is track & transformer..LOL! I was sorry to see Wms. discontinue using the system. I still own a pair of SP GP7's in black widow paint after all these years. I received them as payment of a train repair. I liked so much I put them on display under glass. They're still there today.

 

God Bless,

"Pappy"

Looked it up. It's Ott true sound. If any other system in a Williams engine it was installed later. I put the same system in my Williams "Little Joes". For the price and the time they were very good. Ott is out of business now. I think I still have one somewhere. Let us know how it works. Don

So now I wonder if this came with my Genesis Amtrak or if someone added it. I bought it used from eBay and was unaware at the time what was required for a min radius curve so its been packed away.

I know they put it in F units but don't know if it came with your engine. Just Trains sold a lot of Ott systems and a lot of Williams at one time. It's possible they put them in at the store. Let us know if it works on you track. Don

6 years and won't run on your layout!  sell it!

Sleeper,

I'd venture to say that it was added. More than likely from an older Wms. piece. The system was discontinued before the Genesis was manufactured.

 

God Bless,

"Pappy"

It think your right Pappy, they seem a little too new to have the sound system in it. Williams didn't install them in their engines for a very long time. Maybe just a couple of years. Don

I kept it all this time hoping to find room to build another layout and was going to do it outside on my covered patio, but living in the desert is just too windy and dusty.

I’m retiring this year and moving out of CA. I will be looking for a place with either a large basement or possibly a large walk around attic where I’ll have room so I don’t want sell it just yet.  I will sell it next year if something happens to my plans this year.

Not many basements in California unless by buy a old house. Got a friend is San Anselmo with a large layout in his attic. I think he will be selling soon. Don

Sleeper,

Shop around....I live in CA and my trainroom is 20' X 30'. No basement or attic available. I let my ex-wife have the 25' X 49' open floor plan basement. Of course she wanted the custom home that went with it.(The judge made her pay me.)

 

God Bless,

"Pappy"

No they don't that's for sure.

I grew up in PA where everybody not only had a huge basement, but also a huge attic space with windows and stairs. I hate not having a basement, but had to move to where the money was.

I bought the house I have now for the kids and now that they are grown up and gone, I’m stuck with a large house with a lot of useless rooms. I could knock down a couple of upstairs walls for larger rooms, but my wife will not let me because the house is worth more with all the bedrooms in the location we are in.

 

I’ve been trying to talk my wife into moving into one of the smaller rooms so I can have the master bedroom for my trains, but she doesn’t even want to discuss it. LOL

Good for you. It's about time things change and the man comes out ahead.

What about the dining room? You won't need the furniture in the new place, so let's get rid of it now... Do we really use it?

 

Nope, that won't work. it's worth a try. One forum member just acquired a lease to the dining room.

OMG! If I could only have the dining and living room, I would have a magnificent layout. We never use the living room anymore and even when people come over they always end up in the family room anyway. LOL

You guys Crack me up! I can't even imagine suggesting to my wife that I set up trains in the master bedroom or the dining room even though they are good ideas! I'm at the age though where sex is still more important than trains!

play trains.......God bless my son.

When we moved into this house there was and still is an extension off the back door which is now all connected and even has heat  & air. at first wife wanted it as a den I said fine I'm taking one of the smaller bedrooms for my trains well after about 3 months she didn't like down there so I had to move the cable to the living room and was given free use of the den. its 14' x 16'  I can only use 8' x 16' because where the back door is but I know have the 8' x 16' and slowly working on it I have 2 loops there and I even have a loop around the ceiling the whole 14' x 16' I let her discover she didn't want to be down there then I added AC/Heat down there lol plus she realized if someone rang the bell front or back she wouldn't know it. so she wanted in the main house so it worked great for me. 

Well I guess that must be why nothing has changed in my house plus the fact I don’t want to pay alimony. LOL

I met a guy once whose wife passed away and all the kids had their own houses so he cut holes through all the walls and ran trains all through the house.