Many prototype diesels have/had the bell mounted under the frame. On a lot of models you can find it if you look long enough, but sometimes it's hard to find. On first generation diesels, some railroads (Northern Pacific and Minneapolis & St.Louis for example) ordered engines without bells, and added bells they already had on hand from retired steam engines.
I wonder if when the OP referred to the "first run" of the Walthers FM H-10-44 if he was referring to the FM H-10-44s that Walthers made back in the 1990's - the ones with the Roco drive?? Those didn't have a nose bell, and didn't have the prototype-specific details the new model runs have.
OK, now I am getting fixated on diesels and bells. I just noticed that the Milwaukee Road also mounted bells on the front of many other diesel locomotives. For example, the Alco RSC-2 has front mounted bells. These were clearly added on, possibly taken from steam locomotives as they were being retired.
Now when I look at photographs of these same diesel locomotives owned by other railroads no visible bell is found on many of them. However, I assume that all diesel locomotives shipped with bells. Some mounted below the frame, but where the hell were the other bells mounted?
And where were the bells mounted for the streamlined freight and passenger diesel locomotives. You never see them awkwardly mounted on the nose.Am I wrong in assuming that all early diesel locomotives would have factory installed bells?
I noticed with the Walthers first run of this locomotive wit a QSI decoder that when you activate the bell it first sounds like a hatch or door opening before the bell is sounded. However, I cannot figure out where the hatch would be.
I think that the FM H-10/H-12s came from the factory with the bells on the front. My first run H-10s and H-12s did not come with bells. I ordered steam loco front mounted bells and flattend the back of the mounts to fit them to the H-12s. I'm trying to get the bells from the 2nd run H-10s for my H-10s. Other wise I'll go with the steam bells. Milw. Rd. did move the bells to the underside of the frame on a few locos.
Paul
Good Question - I looked at several books and they appear to have the bell in the delivery paint scheme. Usually most engines have the bell mounted under the frame, but a lot of switchers did have a high mounted bell - I suspect it was a 'steam engine' thing that carried over to early diesels.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I recently purchased the newly released Milwaukee Road FM H10-44 that Walthers produces. This is from the second run and it has the bell mounted on the front of the locomotive. This matches the many photographs I have seen of the original prototype. However, I also have a Milwaukee Road FM H10-44 from the first run Walthers made that lacks a bell. Was the bell added on after the sale of the locomotives to Milwaukee Road? And did the FM H10-44 come with a bell installed in a hidden location for other railroads? I can see plenty of photographs of these engines and only the Milwaukee Road apparently mounted the bell on the front of the locomotive. Lastly, did some of the Milwaukee Road FM H10-44 locomotives not receive a bell mounted on the front?Just curious, I like that the two productions runs look different with the new one also having an all-weather cab window.