Train Horns

murphy41

murphy41

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Jan 22, 2009
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How many of you guys have the REAL deal ? Nathan Air Chime or Leslie ? Looking to do a set on my truck, mainly for a conversation piece and looks. But maybe looking to get a set that is used or individual chimes and build a kit myself versus purchasing a complete set. I.E without compressor and lines and all that jazz. Anyone have a connection with someone that works at a rail yard that I could maybe purchase a set from, or a link to a site that sells them not in a kit. Did a couple searches and didn't come up with too much luck. Would really love a set of RS3L's, but would take anything I could get a hold of. I see myself getting in major trouble with K5LA's or K6LA's, and kind of prefer the tone of the RS3L's anyway.
 
I've got K5LA's running at 150psi, 5 gallon tank with a Viair 480C feeding it. All 1/2" lines with AN fittings. I also have the stainless debris shields from Micro Precision. MP is Nathan's parent company and they sell individual parts from bells to bases to repair parts. By the time you put a set together you'll spend as much as just buying a set off eBay or one of the normal places.
Hornblasters and realtrainhorns both sell full kits as well as just horn sets. It can get expensive...I have about 2 grand tied up in mine.

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K3HA's under my truck with a 5 gallon tank.

K3LA and K3HA are the same horns just a different mounting base.
 
Dang Rich, you have all the cool stuff on your truck ! LOL

I figured I'd be a little more into a setup if I piece one together. But that way I can spend a couple to a few hundred at a time rather than a lump sum all at once. That $1,100 to $1,500 price tag is steep for me up front. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend that much a good setup that'll sound good. The difference between a set of Nathan's or Leslie's over some like Klienn or Horn Blasters is worth the extra money in my opinion. :lolly:

That's good to know on the K3's Dave., I think those are the ones I may end up with. Leslie's are kind of hard to find. I am gonna look up Micro Precision and start ordering up some parts.
 
My kit started out as the conductors special with a 5 gallon tank. I had those horns for about a year and paid roughly 550 bucks for them new. I got them from a vendor on here.
After that length of time I searched high and low for a set of K3LA or K5LA that I could afford. I found the K3HA on Horblasters forum for CHEAP. I snagged them up and redid all my half inch lines and upgraded to the half inch air valve.

They are the real deal and LOUD. Here's is some info I ran across when doing my search for the horn several years back...


http://trainweb.org/mdamtrak199/horns/khorn.html
 
So basically there is no budget way to do a set of horns


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Truck salvage yard parts and a budget compressor

Squeaky Wheel
 
97rada said:
So basically there is no budget way to do a set of horns


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Click to expand...

For Authentic "Train Horns", No. They are pricey. Specially getting a compressor that'll keep up with them. About as budget as I planned on doing a set, was building my own kit and gathering parts over a period of time.

Thanks for the link Dave ! Do you or Rich mind sharing pictures of how you mounted the compressor and where you placed it ?
 
Mine is all mounted in this box in the bed. No....I never haul anything in my truck. LOL

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I'm looking for a new tank now....polished aluminum or stainless.
 
That's a badass setup. I do haul stuff in my truck, dirt bike and other random stuff. But I have a place in mind to mount the tank. I'm thinking of getting one of the Pro-Tech sealed chain boxes for a big truck and using that to mount the compressor and Nitrous bottle. They have lock built into the handle/lid. And are the perfect demension to mount dead center in the bed and still strap two bikes in against the front of the bed.
 
Thats not a bad deal either. I usually don't check craigslist very often but I guess I better start doing so.
 
Since you started this it got me off my ass to find the tank I want....finally found a 5 gallon with 1/2" ports...and chromed aluminum. Should look better than the black tank for show stuff.

AVS_TK5ALUM_CHR_9_NB.jpg
 
my setup was simple, 8 gallon tank where spare tire used to live, shop air line run to horn mounted to frame under passengers seat, pair of viar 380c's in tool box in bed, along with relays and 200 psi pressure switch, horn was a train horn, wabco E2. ball valve control mounted next to 4x4 selector near floor. burned up for now, but may be re built.
 
UNBROKEN said:
Since you started this it got me off my ass to find the tank I want....finally found a 5 gallon with 1/2" ports...and chromed aluminum. Should look better than the black tank for show stuff.

AVS_TK5ALUM_CHR_9_NB.jpg
Click to expand...

Got that picture from the place I got my tailgate handle relocation kit. Cool guys to deal with. Thats a badass lookin tank !
 
I dont have any recent picures of my setup, but it's similar to Richards.

I havea 5 gallon tank mounted in my tool box and used 1/2" hose with PushLoc fittings.


There is a guy selling and entire K3 kit of over TrainHornForums.com for 1000 bucks. I saw a few other horns for sell on there aswell.
 
I've been keeping an eye on that forum now that I know about it, for sets for sale.
 
I actually called AVS this morning and switched from the chrome tank to a powdercoated silver aluminum tank. Decided I didn't want that much chrome in there.
note that tank doesn't have mounting feet either...I'll be using black 7" stack clamps for a custom mount in the box.
Doing this one instead.

AVS_TK5ALUM_SV_9_NB.jpg
 
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I like the look of the silver tank over the chrome or polished for your truck. The guys at AVS were pretty cool to deal with when I got some stuff from them.
 
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