Some of you may know of my affection for whistles, and at my job we are privileged to regularly swap out whistles and see what we can get out of them. Some of these I've taken a lot of effort into making sure the sounds have been documented, with the latest being a mid-range 6" L&N 3 chime. If you've never heard one, be sure to visit the link, as I have several more whistles and their identification for anyone who wants to learn more about the different sounds that could once be heard on the railroads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBcUmTY6yE

This will likely be one of the prettiest whistles you will ever hear. I hope you all enjoy listening to them at your leisure.

John,
Great video! I love the sounds of different whistles.
Not to hijack the thread, but in contrast what whistle does the L&N 152 wear up at the KRM in Kentucky? What power did the L&N typically use your type of whistle on?
Bruce

I've seen some recent video with #152 carrying a similar whistle. Depending on the way the chimes are turned can affect the recordings coming from different microphones. You also factor in Doppler affect or cowling around the whistle like on the #611 or #4449.

I'm not a L&N expert, but I know they had a couple different railroad specific whistles. I have a single note bell which I've made an adapted dowel for use on a Hancock bowl and hope to hear it in the next couple of weeks. The L&N also had a shorter length three chime that sounded similar but had a much sweeter sound. To compare it try the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUSH2A8LinE

Fast forward to the 6:00 minute mark; you'll hear I believe a modified C&O 6 chime and then the short bell L&N 3.

152's "original" (as it was presented to KRM's with) does sound similar to the one in the video. The whistle's tone changed over the years, and it was retired because the walls of one of the chimes had become very thin.

When I was involved at KRM, before moving to St. Louis, 152 usually carried a whistle from a Southern Railway MS class 2-8-2, a sister of 4501. She would, though rarely, carry a 5 chime whistle from the L&N's streamlined 4-6-2 number 295. I say rarely as it wasn't liked by the crew as it was an "on and off" type of whistle and didn't have much room for really working it. I always liked it though, and once or twice, on my request, we used it, just to have something different.

Later on, through an estate, we were able to get another L&N 3 chime whistle in very good shape, though I cannot comment on how much it is used. I also cannot remember it it was smaller or larger than the "original" whistle.

Hearing the video reminded me of my younger years with 152. It's flat-bottomed tender, from an L&N 4-8-2 was designed for a stoker, which the 152 did not have. Consequently, after the first 3-4 tons of coal had been used, someone needed to go back in the tender and push the coal forward. I got pretty good at it, preferring to use a ballast rake, rather than a shovel. I also usually got very very dirty, much to my mother's horror when I arrived at home that evening. Riding up in the tender was like riding in a very dirty dome car, where goggles are required.

I have an open invite to come back and work with them one day, need to use it this year, maybe I can report after my visit.


David M. Wilkins
Coal-Pusher, Kentucky

The 5 chime you mentioned, did it have a railroad style valve below the inlet or was it built into the bowl itself? From my experience the railroad style valves have been harder to work with, but then again guys I've worked with have stated they found them to be the opposite and preferred them.

John,

It must have been built into the bowl itself, as we never changed it. We only changed the chimes.

We had a large Southern Railway "steamboat" whistle, but the railroad-style valve, built as part of the whistle bell, was frozen and we could never figure out how to get it unstuck for fear of damaging it.

Not to hijack the tread, but, I was home in Kentucky this past weekend, and my parents found this when sorting through photos. I must have been 12 or 13, but it was when I started at KRM.

David -

Maybe one day, we will see the 152 with the smaller ex-GM&O tender that she was paired up with at retirement. With her shorter runs these days over KRM trackage, it's always something to hope for even if it will probably never happen.

Les Beckman
Keep-Shoveling, Indiana

Good stuff to read. If anyone in the organization is knowledgeable on the subject, I'd love to hear as asked earlier what class engines carried which whistles. The L&N is quickly becoming one of my particulars of interest.

John,

Please shoot me a PM, I'll put you in touch with someone that may be able to enlighten both of us.

Les,

I'd like to see that too, but the ex GM&O tank is in pretty rough shape the last time I saw it. It's best use would be as a pattern for a new tank. If you were going that far, I'd personally prefer to put an L&N design small tank behind her, like she carried before the GM&O tank. There are a few cosmetic changes I'd make to give her a more like an in-service appearance, but I'm no longer involved due to distance, and I'd be violating my rule on not telling other museums what to do.......