I own a Southern 3 chime Steptop with a top lever, and a Short Bell 3-chime Hancock whistle. These were collected over the years - the Southern being a $150 craigslist find, and the Hancock was a local find.

The Southern has been used from time to time at a theme park in Missouri over the last few years.

The Hancock was recently acquired, and thanks to an engineer of said theme park, it was blown for the first time at "Whistles on the Water" just a few weeks ago. We were hoping to hear it really sing, but it appears that they knock down the pressure to 70 psi if you want to blow your own whistle, which my friend did. It was a bit wet, but sounded good. Not bad for not having to do any work to it from the get go. We hope to hear it on a full head of 150psi steam before long!

I collect because I like to hear these things. Granted, will I ever get to hear these things on a large boiler with full locomotive pressure? The odds are against me. But if the chance comes up, I will jump on it.

I wasn't able to attend the Youngstown whistle blow as I was on our 1st wedding anniversary trip with my wife, but we at least got to hear 4501's whistle :-) Maybe next time, if Rick chooses to host another one (on a different weekend) :-)

mrwalsh,

You should try to attend a steam show near you. I've gone to the Yankee Steam Up in RI for the past 3 years and a lot of steam enthusiasts bring their whistles there. It's awesome to hear them tooting away all day long.

Some people still make whistles.


https://www.kahlenberg.com/products/ind ... m-whistles


https://www.virginiatruckee.com/steam-w ... ive-works/

I was able to get some Ashton whistle drawings online.

http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/download/f ... &mode=view

http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/download/f ... &mode=view

http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/download/f ... &mode=view

http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/download/f ... &mode=view

A nice steam whistle video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVTFFOHpwL0

I've got a Crosby that I'm pretty sure was off the shop switcher of the Lehigh Valley at Sayre, PA. It's a little one, but it still works, and thanks to a good railroad friend, spent a day on an active steam locomotive with me recording it a couple years ago. I've had it since I was 14, and when I'm done with it, it goes back to Sayre. It's also been blown on air at one of the whistlefests at Altoona.

I'll testify that there's a real difference in sound between air and steam, I've recorded it under both now.

The most OUTRAGEOUS steam whistle collection I've ever seen is in an office of a marine insurance company in New Orleans- a personal collection - and it's everything thing from tiny tweeters to a monster whistle that came off of a battleship, and everything in between, lovingly restored for display. Owner is a whistle fan, that's putting it mildly.

I agree. We were talking about that at the recent Steam Up. everyone thought the steam sound seemed "richer" than the air. I'm not sure if that's the correct word.

An old advert featuring Ashton whistles.

A whistle page from a 1902 Crawley & Johnston catalog.

https://ia600309.us.archive.org/BookRea ... 4&rotate=0

So what does Wikipedia have to say about steam whistles?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_whistle

An old catalog page featuring steam whistles.

https://ia800106.us.archive.org/BookRea ... 4&rotate=0

I picked this one up recently but i'm not sure what it would have been used for or who made it. Any ideas?


http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/ind ... 40&slide=0

http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/ind ... 38&slide=0

http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/ind ... 39&slide=0

Goulds catalog 1900 whistle pages.

Patents for steam whistles.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US145 ... nts&page=3

https://patents.google.com/patent/US454 ... nts&page=5

https://patents.google.com/patent/USRE6 ... nts&page=6

And more:
https://patents.google.com/?q=steam&q=w ... +++patents

Some old Lunkenheimer catalog pages.