Hi,
I'm helping the City of Gainesville GA cosmetically refurbish and repaint their GM 209. As it is not controlled access, I recommended that they do not use a real steam whistle since it would be a likely candidate to be stolen. I'd like to get plans for a whistle and whistle valve so that a wooden facsimalie can be made and placed on the locomotive. A wood replica can be made in the City's shops and replace if needed.
I would also like to put replica builders plates on the locomotive. I have all the info from the cylinder saddle and historical records. Has anyone tried to make a replica of a Baldwin builder's plate?
Thanks
Doug

I know that the Kentucky Railway Museum cast two replica Baldwin plates when they did the cosmetic restoration of the Mammoth Cave Railroad 0-4-2t Baldwin Steam Dummy locomotive a coulpe of years ago. The originals were stolen, and using contruction data, and a plate from a similar era, replicas were cast. You might want to try to contact them.

Contact the Strasburg Railroad. Wayne James Products is a foundry in Pa. that supplies them with reproduction plates for their engines. They can be made in brass or aluminum and are reasonably priced and very good. When the Strasburg converted their CNR 2-6-0 back to CN appearance, they had a CNR #89 front number plate cast and had additional ones made up to sell. I bought an aluminum one for about $75. I understand they are doing the same thing this year for their N&W 4-8-0. I believe a brass front plate will run around $200. A Baldwin builders plate would be smaller and probably cheaper to make.