"Mintz Whistles" are back

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:10 am

Sick of the wooden four-chime whistles sold at the gift shop?

This old "blast from the past" has returned from the dead, so to speak:

http://www.mintzwhistles.com/welcome.html

I wonder if they would work on interurbans or switchers..........

(PS: I have no financial interest in this company or offering.)

twofoot · **Joined:** Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:14 pm **Posts:** 205

Brilliant!

SZuiderveen · **Posted:** Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:28 pm

I have (a vintage) one of these on my 7 1/2" gage Rumsey Lumber Co. Shay. (Known in 49 states as Mich-Cal #2) Gotta turn the globe valve way down in front of the whistle valve to keep it from overblowing.

Steve

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

makes me wanna go build a live steam engine now, or build a North Shore car...

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

For those who want to hear the sound of a Pacific Electric Red Car (or other interurbans that used the same whistle), it's possible to make one out of thin-wall conduit, aluminum rod and a pipe fitting. All it took was a hacksaw; if anyone wants the dimensions, I'll be glad to supply them.

Jim Robinson · **Posted:** Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:07 am

SZuiderveen wrote:

Gotta turn the globe valve way down in front of the whistle valve to keep it from overblowing.

Steve

Also bought one of the originals back around 1980. It's fitted to an actual whistle valve and mounted with several "real" whistles on a pipe manifold hooked to shop air. More than once I've forgotten to drop the inlet pressure from 100 psi to around 20-25... talk about overblowing! If nothing else it proves these things are VERY well made!

At low pressure these whistles sound great. Glad to see them back.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

Frisco1522 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 01, 2013 10:01 am

Have you ever been on a fantrip or around the museum when an army of kids have the wooden whistles. Madness!
When we had 1522 under the same train shed at the MOT as the ATSF 5011 which had a bell cord for the kids to ring the bell. Try 8-10 hours of that on a workday. I always intended to cut open a tennis ball and put it over the clapper.

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

A lot of small children seem to operate on the principle of "I make noise, therefore I am." If they're not blowing wooden whistles, they're hollering, "All Aboard!" every 30 seconds. But if we can get just a few of the kids turned onto railway preservation, they'll keep things running when we've been called by "The Great Crew Dispatcher in the Sky".

railfan44 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:04 pm

And little Bobby Davis was quite over in the corner? NO WAY!