Apologies in advance if someone has already mentioned this (but I don't recall it). Railswap.org has, under its steam locomotive listings, an ad for steam whistles. 5-chime listed at $656.25; and 3-chime listed at $603.75. Source is Multipower International (www.multipowerinternational.com). Prices supposedly expire 5/31/2004 (these prices reflect a 25% discount). I don't know anything about the machine or tonal quality, but the price seems attractive.

Multipower International's ad on Railswap.org

> Apologies in advance if someone has already
> mentioned this (but I don't recall it).

Yep, it has. Multipower is the American agent for Chinese steam locomotives and appliances. The whistles in question are knockoffs of American step-tops; in general they need basic machining and reworking to get them to work properly, but they are available and are cheap, if you don't mind paying a Communist country where the workers probably made a total of $35 making it (add the shipping, of course).

LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

> Yep, it has. Multipower is the American
> agent for Chinese steam locomotives and
> appliances. The whistles in question are
> knockoffs of American step-tops; in general
> they need basic machining and reworking to
> get them to work properly, but they are
> available and are cheap, if you don't mind
> paying a Communist country where the workers
> probably made a total of $35 making it (add
> the shipping, of course).
Do you really think the workers make that much? bb

> Do you really think the workers make that
> much?

Maybe $35 divided by all the workers that worked on it?

It's not for me to get into this squabble, but I was leaked a figure as to what the actual cost to Multipower per whistle was F.O.B. the foundry. Not to put too fine a point on it, it *was* a two-digit number. How much of that gets down to the lowly worker isn't my business. Mind you, Multipower *does* have to pay overhead in the U.S., *does* have to pay shipping for pretty heavy stuff, etc.


LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net