TMCC Controlled Oscar Mayer Wienermobile

If Oscar Mayer would give you permission to use their wienermobile and logos I'll bet you could sell a ton of these.

very cool.  I have two of the smaller ones mounted on a flat car get lots of comments.

It would have to be a lot easier to make them if I wanted to sell them, but at the end it turned out to be pretty cool.

I got a lot of comments on the simple little TMCC NYC Fire Car at the last show we did, the kids loved it.  Since that was a hit, I figured to have a couple of neat novelty items for this show to run.  I love seeing the smiles on the kids faces when they see some of this stuff.

OK why would anyone want a TMCC wiener mobile?  LOL!  John that's too much!

John,

What's the story on the Oscar Meyer song - did the sound file come on a board with the Weiner Mobile, did you use a reprogrammed train sound card, how did you do that, ITS GREAT !?!?!

Best,

Dave

Hi John

 great pics.

I put the BIG bridge pic on to night.

John

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.   LOL!

Think I'll go make a snack...maybe a hot dog!

Is this what someone would regard as a train meat?!? Great creative project

That's brilliant. I absolutely love it. 

Thanks folks. 

As for the audio, I used the same board as Steve.  I've since found a source for self-recordable ones for about $12/ea, so in any future projects, I'll have a cheaper source.  The three boards illustrated are the sound board, the ERR MiniCommander 2 TMCC board, and the custom power supply and trigger board for the sound card from the TMCC control.

I was looking for a novelty project for shows, and when I saw Steve's creation, I thought it was really cool, so I set about making one.  Since our displays are all command, it required command capability.  I did get a bit carried away with the lighting, but what the heck.   And, you can't have a hot dog running around on your tracks without a driver, so I had to put a couple people in the cab.

The original Wienermobile was $6 on eBay, so that part of the raw materials was cheap.  The whole project cost a bit more than $100 for the parts, and with my new cheaper audio card source, it would be closer to $70.  Of course, I don't count the parts box and all the labor actually getting it to work.

John, that's outstanding.  Very cool.  The extra work on the lights was worth it.  

I'm a sucker for cool lighting effects, what can I say.

Me, too.  

Well done John!

Do the bank's original left-right and front-back wheel spacings allow it to sit on an O-gauge flatcar?  A less ambitious sound-only version dragged around on a powered flatcar might be something I'd try.  I downloaded the karaoke MP3 file and have a spare MP3 player so all I need is wienermobile which as you say seem readily available on eBay.

I can't say it'll fit, it's a little late for a "trial fit" now.   I believe it probably could be made to work, when you rip the wheels off, the bottom is pretty flat.

Here's one setting at $7 with no bids.

Wienermobile Bank

And another.

Ok, sorry, but it has to be said,

------  It's a Weiner!------

Did you score one of these?

It's not only a wiener, but it's also a BIG hot-dog.

John,

Excellent work, people will love that at a train show.

Thanks Dennis.  I'm hoping all that work was not for nothing, that's for sure.  I am happy with the result, it sure cool running around the tracks.  I'm wondering if I'll be expected to come up with a new thing like this for every show.

That is awesome! May I ask what sound module you know of that you can record your own sounds?

You can buy them at bigDAWGS Promotions, they're the sound modules intended to go into greeting cards.  The ones that I now have can record three different sound clips tied to three separate push-buttons.  If you buy five of them, they throw in the programmer that plugs into USB.  They provide a simple little recording utility that allows you to load up the module sounds.

Thats great!

Make a bunch in HO...the HO wienies would love it!!!

You have to find an HO sized Wienermobile, I think this one is a bit large for HO.

That is awesome; I don't care what Marty sez!

No whistle steam on that wiener either?! I'll pass

John,

Nobody was bidding on the Wiener you linked to on "the Bay" so I snagged it!  Thanks for the heads up... Now, which of the "cards" did you get from the "BigDog" sight you referenced?

I'd like to get 5 of them with the programmer as you did!

Best,

Dave

Ya whistle steam with Mega Steam hot dog cart smell would put it over the top. Great job John.

Ron

Thanks guys, except for RickO   Just kidding Rick.

Dave, this is the module I ordered:  BARE USB 5-BUTTON MULTIPUSH - 200 sec

Looks like you can order less and still get the USB programmer now.

John, I can't stop laughing. That thing is hilarious.

Thanks.   I have to give creative credit to Steve "Papa" Eastman in the forum here, he did a conventional one that gave me the idea for the command model.

I was thinking the weiner had to be pretty big to get those boards in there.  Sizing it by watching the video on the fastrack, it seems to be a pretty decent specimen.  How big is the weinermobile?  And if I may, this just goes to show...

----Weiners are more Fun when they're Functional!  

I'm happier with a functional weiner, I know that for sure.

The body is 3" wide almost exactly, and around 8" long.  The tail of the wiener sticks out another two inches to make the OAL around 10".  Height above the track rails is exactly 5", which has been an issue with certain areas of some layouts.

The largest board is the sound board, it's in the bottom rear and it's about 2 3/4" long, just fits as you can see.  The other boards easily fit inside the wiener.

Actually, there's one in that search with 49 minutes for $9.99 with no bids, they're readily available if you just search.

Another with two bids at $5.20 with one day remaining.

Ahhh.... a car from the dead meat company! Cool! A friend of mine is doing the same with his.

I used to work for that company as it is owned by Kraft but the company split about 3 weeks ago with Nabisco and I ended up on the Nabisco side after spending 28 years with Kraft selling that and the packaged meats from Uncle Oscar!

I think Steve started a trend with his creation.

I know the sausage races are a big attraction at Brewers games.  Can you rig up a Johnsonville brat, a Vienna italian sausage, and some sort of kielbasa creation for a little competition?

Well, we just need the raw materials.  Maybe next time we'll do it with a real sausage as the body.

I have to laugh thinking of the imaginative titles this thread could have. Too funny. 

John you slay me..lol!!!  now you got me thinking on doing one..would do it on a lower chassie thow..Hey let make weenies box cars!!LOL!!!

I abstain from changing it in deference to the moderators.

If I could have figured out a lower chassis, I would have.  I had limited raw materials to work with.  Maybe for my next motorized pumpkin or the like, I'll have a lower chassis.

I think a wiennie loaded flat car or 2 would be perfect to pull behind the wienermobile with a Coca Cola caboose.

No!! Better yet!! how about french fries flat cars kachup and mustard contaners the round cyclenders type as the tank cars with and used a coke can for the caboose?  Gunner you cant say US PA boys dont have creative thinking/Ideas!!

Ha Ha Josey that's a good idea. If the boys at Lionel are lurking you may see a Weinermobile flyer set next Christmas!! Let's see Weinermobile motive power a Weinee operating flat car then mustard and ketchup tankers with a coke can caboose on the rear.

yes..but I would BET MTH proubley would beat LIONEL to the punch..flat cars should have french fries oh better yet have the french fries loaded on the log cars!! salt and peper hooper cars..also cheese tank car.. relish and chilli gonzollas..onion and pickels loaded on a alis chamers car..I'm getting to many crazy ideas on gunnerjohn project..all my friends call me George Beris jr .. Because anything I have I end up customizing them .Even down to my cars and truck I drive..

Let's not forget the bun car.

there you go john!!.. a hotdog train with all the condiments train!! Now were talking!!!

Isn't that otherwise known as the caboose? 

goodone and true.. butt?? you john and N.Q.D.Y you got the bun on the weenier loco already=the bottom part of the loco..why add extra buns for..??

I'm not going near this conversation!

Ah, another project that needs to be done now....I showed my son the few videos you guys provided and my son says "we have to have one daddy"...and I agree.

Sound would be nice, lighting is a must, having command control of my....uh....well..."train", would always be a thought too...

I have a Lionel single geep power truck and an e/reversing unit so it can in and...I mean back and forth.

Now, asking those who have already made these- what kind of access is there in the dog part? I've seen the lighting show thru the dog and body, and this reminds me of my model sci-fi days where an inner coat or two of black to block the light from showing thru, followed by a reflective coat of white or silver to bounce light if needed, would be in order to combat this. I can maybe brush this in or maybe shoot with the AB...?

Thoughts, comments, tips welcome...

After this is finished I'd like to try a few condiment cars....a small mustard and relish car...ketchup too{even though it's said that chicago folks aren't supposed to put ketchup on they're dogs}. Figured a flat car frame of sorts with those small picnic condiment squirt bottles loaded sideways like a tanker...  

Look at the first post of the thread, that's the holes I hogged out to put the figures in, and to install the electronics into the hotdog.

I'd like to do the condiment car as well, it's a great idea.

Since the LED's are very directional, I had no issues with light showing through the shell.

I've had these ketchup and mustard bottles for a while now...think they've been neglected and could be used for this situation...5 1/4" to tip, 4" body. Got these at Hobby Lobby- they came with a lil folding table and umbrella to sit at your outside table....no green relish squeeze tube though...

And since neither steam, electric nor diesel sound applies, this could be a funny alternative............could....

I'll have to check and see if I have any more clear toothbrushes..I know I have transparent red ones....I'd use these to fill in the head and taillights as lenses...I used to use these for model car/truck emrgency lightbars. So I could make some custom inserts to fill those empty light spaces.

I used flat-faced 5mm LED's for the heatlights, they are flush with the surface.  For the tail-lights, markers, and backup lights, they're all 2mm LED's.  I didn't need any extra plastic.

Of course, you know mine sings the Oscar Mayer song, right?

I could scrounge up some LEDs here I'm sure...they're in with the fiber optics stuff...where ever I stashed that!

I figured yours would be decked out with the song...and while my son liked the idea of that he laughed at the idea of the _art machine sounds as shown in pic 2{daughters toy...don't ask....}.

Hunting usable dogs as we speak...and the wife just informed me that if the daughters "sound" is installed it is NOT going to run under the Christmas tree.......killjoy!...I had it all figured out too..gear up the "sound" and when I hit the horn button on the ZW it would trigger said sound while speeding the car up...you can picture that can't ya....{lol}.

Don't give up, you'll wear them down.

You know, those sound modules could be useful for a number of other things around one's layout. Matter-of-factly, they might deserve their own thread

If only there was a way to remotely trigger them--I've got a couple of toy-grade (around 1/32 scale) radio controlled buses that I'm thinking of modifying to hobby-grade steering and speed control, and wirelessly-triggered sound effects (even if from a separate controller) would make them rather interesting novelties.

---PCJ

With $1-2 of components, I think you can modify the same toy-grade remotes you have to activate 4 separate sounds.  Most, if not all, of the thousands of different $10 RC toys have the same Fwd-Rev, Left-Right electronics...in other words 4 separate functions.  I'm using such a RC module to control my version of the Wienermobile.

I'd suggest taking the receiver and modifying it to activate up to 4 separate sound modules or to select from (up to) 4 sounds from a multi-sound module that uses 4 buttons to select the sound.  If you want to pursue this, start a thread on the Electronics forum and I'll make some comments...