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12:12

Planes, Trains and Automobiles The clock talked loud. I threw it away, it scared me what it talked.

—Tillie Olsen, Tell Me a Riddle

This chapter could have been titled “Talking Clocks with Wheels,” but that would have negated the reference to a three-star movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. At the end of the chapter are the cars from the 2006 movie Cars. Of noteworthiness are the historic antique classics, i.e., World War II airplane, classic automobiles, and the antique steam engine. They are works of “art” in the care and detail given to the clocks.

Flying Fortress (B-17G) Talking Quartz Alarm C lock. Features: analog face (12/24), 18" wingspan, alarm, monitor” (demo) button, realistic engine and machine gun sounds, props rotate, nose cone light flashes as pilot gives an audible “turning.” Nose art is: “A BIT O’ LACE.” Teltime, ca. 1990. (istcc) Note: The photo (bottom right) is of the Flying Fortress “Miss. Lace,” taken May 12, 1945, by Charles E. Brown. Digital media enhancement by B. K. Ba tes. Website: http://bates-r-us.org/abitolace/

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In the words of the original owner: “This is a loud, no-nonsense antique auto alarm clock, with working headlights, sounds of a cranking starter, revving engine, honking horn, loud music (we can't agree on what tune it's playing but it sounds something like ‘She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain’), and a nice female voice that says ‘Good Morning!’ when you press the button to shut off the alarm. It runs on four AA batteries and has a quartz analog clock. It’s a full 14" long, 4½" wide, and 5½" high overall. It sits on genuine rubber tires. Alarm: At this point the headlights light up, the starter starts cranking the engine, which finally starts ("VROOM!"), the horn starts honking ("WHONK! KA-WHONK!"), and this goes on until you either press the off button (“Good Morning!”) or go out of your mind.” ca. 1995 (Photographs, Andrew C. Green; sound, George Thomas II).

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From the same manufacturer as the classic automobile, other than the symbol on the clock-face, the manufacturer is the same and remains unknown at this time. This superb talking clock is a rendition of a 1943 steam locomotive, clearly an outstanding effort. Alarm function only. At the alarm time, clanging bells, lights come on, and a “WAKE UP, WAKE UP” Press the off button, and a female voice says, "Good Morning!" ca. 1995. (Andrew C. Green)

1920s class ic touring auto talking clock (a smaller version of the classic auto on the right). On the alarm: “Rise and Shine, it’s time to get up,” a start-up of the motor, lights on, and then at the alarm off, “Good Morning.” 11" x 5" x 5" ca. 1995. (istcc)

“LUXURY” 1920s classic touring auto talking clock. On the alarm: Big Band era music plays, then “Come-on everybody, UP, UP, UP.” The engine roars and at the alarm off: “Good Morning! 14" x 6" x 6" TelTime, ca. 1995. (istcc)

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Thomas the Tank was a children’s favorite “character” during the 1970s. The clock was also formatted into a tea ching-time talk-ing clock (see Chapter 3:03). Speaks: “Thomas is a really useful engine.” ca. 1990. (is tcc)

Talking Train Clock. At the alarm-time, clang-ing bells, whistle and train-on-tracks sound are heard. At the stop-alarm, the engineer says, “Good morning, time to get up.” J.S.N.Y., ca. 1995. (is tcc)

With the alarm, a bell rings, the engine “chugs,” and the conductor s tarts the countdown “Are you ready, 3-2-1, WAKE UP!” Galaxy, 1991. (istcc)

The Lionel Train Company, to celebrate its 100th anniver-sary, chose a talking clock motif (2000). The small mountain town with its talking town clock has a three-piece train that moves around a track when the clock strikes a preset alarm time. It has bells and whistles, and when the alarm is shut off, the conductor says, “Good Morning, all aboard!” (istcc)

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NASCAR granted a license for a talking clock. “Gentlemen, start you engines” with an engine sound of “Varoom, Varoom.” © NASCAR, ca. 2000. (istcc)

Dale Earnhardt Talking Wall clock. Car No. 3 races around the clock with “race sounds” on the hour and the announcer says, “And there they go….and the winner is Dale Earnhardt.” ca. 2000. (istcc)

1992 Formula 1 Indy car of world champion Nigel Mansell. Features: “Realistic red/green starting light sequence.” on the alarm-time: “Start Your Engines varoooom, varoooom, varoom.” Licensed by Nigel Mansell Services Ltd., Zeon, 1994. (istcc)

The most capitalized on car-toon celebrity in talking clocks is the venerable Mickey Mouse (see Chapter 9:09). Here his transporta-tion of choice is an automobile. “Hi, Good Morning.” © Disney, 2003 (istcc)

When alarm goes off, the disk ro-tates at 34 rpm and screeches to a sound-ing halt with "Good Morning" greeting as the alarm is turned off. Alarm on/off but-ton is on front tire base. Control buttons are shaped like brake and gas pedals. Hands are wrench and screwdriver, ca. 2005. (istcc)

Tire Talking Alarm Clock. Features: quartz analog face, alarm, and sound effects of engine shifting through gears with the tire spinning, then at alarm stop: “Good Morning.” 2007. (istcc)

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A big rig truck that speaks. All the rubber wheels roll and when the alarm sounds, the trucker wakes one up with the start of his engine and the words, "Hey! Wake Up! Hey! Wake Up!" In addition, the lights come on and the horn on the truck “honks.” Sea Star Clock, 2000. (istcc)

A 10-wheel big rig. At the alarm-time a diesel horn blows twice, then a tough-sounding trucker yells, “WAKE UP, WAKE UP!” Next, the engine fires up and loudly idles until the alarm-off button is pressed, and a voice says, “Good Morning!” If one cannot find the “off button” (on the top of the cab), the alarm sequence will repeat until the batteries “die.” ca. 2001. (is tcc)

“Monster” Truck Talking Clock. On the alarm: auto horn, up-tempo music, lights on, then at the alarm off: “Good Morning!” 10" x 7" x 8" TelT ime, ca. 1995. (istcc)

The “Read Lady” 1940s roadster talking clock. On the alarm: Glen Miller’s “In the Mood” plays, then “Come on everybody, UP, UP, UP.” The headlights come on, the engine roars and at the alarm off: “Good Morning!” 14" x 6" x 5" TelTime, 2001. (istcc)

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This English version of a talking clock on wheels is from the British comedy series Only Fools and Horses. Alarm only: “Rodney, Rodney, Rodney, wake up, you dipstick,” accompanied by the “Fools and Horses” theme music. Wesco, 1990. ( istcc)

Lightening McQueen and Mater Talking Alarm Clock/RadioFeatures: Backlit LCD digital clock, wake up to radio or McQueen and Mater phrases, Phrases include: “Where am I?” “Where are you?” “How can we do this?” “Ah come on, you’ll love it.” Waking people is fun.” AC Adaptor. © Disney, Pixar, King

America, 2006. (is tcc)

Mater Talking Alarm Clock Radio. Features: Backlit LCD digital clock, FM auto scan radio, oil barrel snooze and setting buttons, five alarm phrases featuring the Mater character voice, e.g., “You gonna sleep all day? Come on Matty we got some towin’ to do.” © King America, 2006. (is tcc)

Lightening McQueen (movie Cars) Talking Alarm Clock Lamp. Features: LCD backlight clock, snooze, decoupage lampshade, power cord, 60-75w bulb. On the alarm, Lightening McQueen phrases, e.g., “Come on let’s go burn some rubber,” “I’m faster than fast, I’m Lightening McQueen, oh yea, Lighten-ing is ready!” 15" tall. © Disney/Pixar, King Features, Inc., 2006. ( istcc)

Lightening McQueen Talking Alarm Clock Radio. Features: Backlit LCD digital clock, FM auto scan radio, safety cone snooze and setting buttons, five alarm phrases featuring the McQueen character voice, e .g., “Oh yea, lightening is ready.” © King America, 2006. (istcc)

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Power Cruiser Talking Clock. On the alarm: “Vaaarrrrooom, varoom, varoom, vaaarroom,” and on and on. Press the cycle seat: “Good Morning!” Contact No. VAU266, 018, ca. 1995.

Helicopter Shape Talking Alarm Clock. On the alarm-set time the sounds of a helicopter s tarting up with a rotator “ swish-umph, swish-umph,” then at the alarm-stop “Good morning.” Six different helicopter designs are available in English, German, and French. TelStar, 2007. (istcc).

An original talking clock fire engine and bank (before modifi-cation shown on the right) that for the alarm: “Time to get up, time to get up, then a screeching siren. Pushing the ladder down stops the siren; then comes a “Good Morning.” ca. 2001. (istcc)

This talking clock fire engine was ostensibly a handcrafted modification of the fire engine at

the left by a firefighter after 9/11. The electrical b ox is an elaborate set of mechanisms that triggers not only the alarm time with engine bells, lights, and siren but also the ladder is re leased and elevates. At the alarm: “Time to get up, get moving.” Alarm off: “Good morning.” 9" x 9" x 4" ca. 2002. (is tcc)