Want to make your neighbors hate you? Want to be arrested as a public nuisance? Want to make the Home Owners Association have a coronary? Want to make trespassers run for their lives? Need a horn for your locomotive? This outfit sells Nathan Airchimes (complete with air compressors and storage tanks) and repair parts for vintage copies. AirChime Railway Horns – HornBlasters
When I was working we had customer's quarry where we would take a train of empties to be loaded and leave the engines to move the loaded train. Frequently when the crew was dispatched to pull the loaded trains, the crew found the horns missing and alternate arrangements had to be made to move the train. After serveral incidents we stopped leaving the power at that location.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
On the tourist line I run on, there was someone who lived near the railroad and had their own horn setup. It was not uncommon to hear him blow his horn as a "call and response" to our train blowing for the nearby crossing. Neighbors must have loved it. Haven't heard it in a few years, though.
A few years ago the group that operates the Str. William G. Mather museum (a tied up ore boat on Cleveland's lakefront) had a Saturday whistle-off. They put an air compressor on the deck with a long pipe with branches, upon which people could mount their own whistles, whether from locomotives, interurbans, or ships. They could then blow them and enjoy listening to their whistles "speak" ("sing"?) again. It was a real show and one could hear the results quite far away! Naturally, I loved it.
Our local historical society is considering doing something similar for locomotive whistles when we celebrate The Year of the Railroad in 2025. Bring your whistle and hear it once again! But instead on going out over Lake Erie, the sound will waft over our small town; what the neighbors might think is definitely going to be a consideration.
I was on an N&W 1218 fan trip returning to DC from Lynchburg on the Southern main. Some wahoo with a van-mounted air horn leapfrogged us three times using parallel Route 29. Each time he blasted us while on one of those long double track stretches, I'd involuntarily whip my arm inside. Had a quick adrenaline shot and then felt foolish.
Rick
rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.
There are cams at the Duluth Aerial Bridge (MN). The camera folks regularly post videos of this ship or that arriving or leaving. Seeing a "footer" (1000+ feet) slip by is pretty impressive.
A regular event at the bridge/canal is "captain's salutes." It's usually the short version (one long, two shorts), although occasionally the long version (three longs, two shorts) makes an "appearance."
The ships initiate the exchange. The bridge tender replies in kind. The horns on the bridge are two five chime railroad horns - sorry, don't know the brand. They could stand some tuning...
Some of the videos show the bridge from the harbor side. In those videos you can see that hard alongside the bridge are some condos and other residences. I wonder if anyone regrets their purchase after one of those exchanges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tkfjTRa-6I
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68 Some of the videos show the bridge from the harbor side. In those videos you can see that hard alongside the bridge are some condos and other residences. I wonder if anyone regrets their purchase after one of those exchanges.
The long two-story building on the south side of the bridge that looks like joined townhouses is actually a hotel, and everything on the north side is all businesses and hotels. Everybody I've seen there (having been there in person) is there partially for the experience of watching the ships come and go, so I doubt that there are any complaints.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
Here's a great example of the long version of the salute during the final minutes of the SS Lee A. Tregurtha's career as a steam powered Great Lakes ore carrier, featuring her now replaced Tyfon steam horns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-eRNYL5Twg&ab_channel=BoatNerd
With steam powered accessories like steering gear requiring the continued presence of a steam boiler, I had hoped that she'd retain them after being repowered with a pair of modern diesel engines. But it sadly wasn't to be.
blhanelThe long two-story building on the south side of the bridge that looks like joined townhouses is actually a hotel, and everything on the north side is all businesses and hotels.
Ahh.
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