Blues in the night: The whistle to end all whistles

Back in the late 1960's, early '70's, I had a hill farm in very rural Vermont. Some quiet late summer nights the sound of the Montrealer horn would waft in the open window from about 25 miles away. Even today, I listen on late nights for the sound of a long gone train. It is poignant and haunting.

Each evening the northbound Vermonter blasts through our NW Vermont town.  When it's on time it comes through right about 9pm, just as I put my son to bed.  He loves it- all is well and time to nod off!  That whistle is part of his life.  We love it.

Personally my favorite is the K5LLA that's pretty much the standard on SD70ACe's.  Probably not the best horn for Amtrak, it's got one heck of a discord, but when you hear this you know something big is coming!

Yes the Amtrak whistles are a bit special and I wanted one for my door bell back here in the UK but never got to ordering it. Have to make do with you tube!

The A4 pacific chime whistles are a bit special in the UK and were sort of replicated on our Class 90/91 locos.

The Swiss Rail electric loco whistles are nostalgic too as are those on some trams.

I've always wanted to know that. Thanks, George for the info, and Fred for passing it along.

BTW, Fred, once you post an article, can you go back and fix a typo? (hint hint)

And just how many of us still have a piano in the homestead?

David S, you sure can fix typos. Thanks. If there's more than one, get back to me <g>. Mr. Carleton, few of us have pianos, but I raised two musically gifted daughters and their mother would have it no other way.

Fred Frailey

I feel better with that typo fixed.

My mother got a piano not long after we moved into our house in the early '70s, and she played it a lot. I studied a "how to play the piano" book some, but I never got into it. It hasn't been played in a few years now.

My favorite is the Nathan P5 as heard on Espee engines in Northern Cal in the 60's....let's see.....I recall GP9E 3308, F7A 355, F7A 6432, PA3 6041, FP7A's 6453 & 6458 as the standouts.  Those 2 F7's were assigned to RV-Oakland service, kept close to the Rotary Snow Plow service.  Growing up in the East bay of SF-OAK, you could hear them coming up thru Berkeley blowing for about 15 crossings - then a silent spell as they ground past Albany Hill, and then a burst of chime melody sounding off for Central Ave. in El cerrito. Of course, some were not well tuned and clogged by then, but overall, I loved 'em.  

The ATSF F's and PA's that had those big honkin' Leslies sure were ear candy as well.  And a finely tuned WP M5 sounded fantastic reverberating off the wall of the Feather River Canyon, and the peaks around Lake Almanor and Portola.

Any of you folks ever hear the "steamboat" whistle on the Norfolk and Westerns Class J?  Puts any diesel "whistle" to shame!

I tried to go to Washington Union Station for the National Train Day exhibits.....couldn't get near the place. Huge crowds, long lines...I gave up and went home!

Lots of us still have pianos-I'll have to try that chord later when I get home. The steamboat whistle on the J is something to behold, but the hoot whistle on the A is also something to hear!!  I miss the single note BAAAAMP of the GG 1. It just says "get out of my way!!!"

Additional comment on air horns: what's the deal on the horns they use on the SD 70M's?? 18000 ton coal train coming at you, horn sounds like a dying goose.

Okay, what do you guys think about the air horn on SP 4449?

The BAAAAAMP I miss is the one on the BN E9s in Chicago commuter service.

The air horn on the SP 4449?  I've never heard it, but can't understand why you'd put an air horn on a steam engine.  I KNOW they were trying to be "modern" and all that but it still doesn't make sense.

I just have to weigh in on this one.  I'm an N&W fan, always have been, but once you've heard the C&O hooter, which is far less famous, you will know why they wrote songs about lonesome whistles in West Virginia.  Next best is the one on the little narrow gauge engine, the "Eureka".  It's the definitive n.g. whistle.  By the way the had a C&O hooter on some trips with the 765 but they hardly ever blew it.  

I don't think I could ever get nostalgic about Diesel horns. I don't care a hoot about the harmonics. They are horns. I grew up West of St. Louis. In the winter, when it was very cold with snow on the ground (A full moon wouldn't hurt) you could hear the KATY'S night freight Steam Whistle rolling down the Missouri River Valley. That was special.

SP GS4s had air horns as built. From what I've heard, it was standard to use the horn; the whistle was only for special purposes. Or something like that. Fred, can you call Doyle and ask him about it? I know he uses it a lot.

As someone said above, this conversation is about horns, not whistles.  Having worked on, around, in and under diesel locomotives for 30 years, there is nothing romantic about any of them, or their horns.  Now retired, I too live within earshot of a railroad crossing, and can state that happiness is hearing a train blowing in the middle of night -- and not being on it..

If this were Facebook, I'd click Like on bobyar2001's last comment.

By the way, several months ago, Iowa Interstate RR (I just read Fred's article; nice) tested an authentic Rock Island air horn on one of their ES44ACs, but found that it was not loud enough to meet current federal requirements.

During my childhood, while visiting my grandmother in Tyrone, PA, I spent a lot of time by the Pennsy's four track main.  This was during the transition era, when first generation diesels were replacing steam. I hated the sound of the horns on EMD F units. The earlier ones made a brassy "blat" sound that was pitched in a very unpleasant tonal level. Later ones had a two-tone chime that was very loud and discordant.  I believe the passenger E units had a softer, more pleasant sound.  The first time I saw a Baldwin "shark" I expected it to have a very loud and scary horn because it looked scary.  Instead, it had, as I recall, a single tone horn with a soft sound pitched in a pleasing range.  My favorites were the Alco horns, which were sweet music indeed.  I occasionally saw Fairbanks-Morse diesels, which at first I took to be supersized Alcos.  I can't remember what their horns sounded like.

SP4449 sports a Leslie Typhon, I think, and if you have ever heard the album "A Farewell to Steam" those GS horns are all over the SP bonus material. Great Sound!

I'll say this...growing up on North Houston and being able to listen to the BN's horns every night was quite the way to close out the evening.. Being an engineer,there was no better way to blow for a crossing with a K5LA with a quill valve. Talk about making music!!!!!