Sawtooth500A lot of SP Steam Loco's had diesel style air horns in addition to their whistles. I haven't seen that on any other road. What was their purpose and why only SP?
The horn could be heard much greater distance than a steam whistle. We could hear the horn for about three to four miles when the 4449 used the horn compared to the steam whistle maybe a mile or so if all was quiet. It is amazing how that single note horn carries the sound.
The NYC used the air horns on their Niargara also and several of their locomotives, but it seems to me the Niagara only had the air horn. I believe several other railroads including the C&NW and Milwaukee did use both the whistle and horns on their steam engines.
Maybe some other examples will be cited.
CZ
Sawtooth500So back in the days of everyday steam (or even when SP 4449 is running now), what were the guidelines for when to use the horn and when to use the steam whistle?
I know they were listed as city and country types in the Daylight book, but I do not know if guidelines or hard rules applied to their use. Maybe someone could tell us that. I lived in the midwest during steam era days and did not get to see the SP under regular service. Sorry I cannot be exact on their use.
Doyle seems to use the whistle most of the time, but does sound the horn now and then. When they left Dunsmuir south bound in 75, he used the horn several times. It is his option to use either type.
The airhorns also use much less steam to operate than does a typical straight steam whistle.
cprted The airhorns also use much less steam to operate than does a typical straight steam whistle.
The airhorns used compressed air. '
Would it be of bad taste to be LMFAO?
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CAZEPHYR cprted The airhorns also use much less steam to operate than does a typical straight steam whistle. The airhorns used compressed air. ' CZ
Which was produced by compressors powered by STEAM, so the air horns would still be a draw on steam from the boiler, just indirectly.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
challenger3980CAZEPHYR cprted The airhorns also use much less steam to operate than does a typical straight steam whistle. The airhorns used compressed air. ' CZ Which was produced by compressors powered by STEAM, so the air horns would still be a draw on steam from the boiler, just indirectly. Doug
challenger3980 CAZEPHYR cprted The airhorns also use much less steam to operate than does a typical straight steam whistle. The airhorns used compressed air. ' CZ Which was produced by compressors powered by STEAM, so the air horns would still be a draw on steam from the boiler, just indirectly. Doug
But it wasn't an indirect statement.
That was my point. It takes less steam to produce the air required the blow an air horn than it does to blow a steam whistle.
SP Enginemen that ran regular service steam have told me that the general rule (nothing in writing really) was that the air horn was used for warning, i.e., grade crossings, people on or near the track, livestock, etc and other uses when moving..
The steam whistle was used for rules compliance, i.e., calling out or calling in a flagman, acknowledging or calling attention to, a second section, etc., often times when the train was stopped or not working a lot of steam..
They did not seem to differentiate between the two for use in the day or at night; ,
And of course, there were exceptions to this informal procedure, as each Engineer was different. This really only applied on the cab forwards, GS class Northerns so equipped All MT-class Mountains got airhorns with skyline casings and the regularly assigned Pacifics that worked the Del Monte and some of the Senators. I do not know if any ten wheelers carried air horns.
My memory is that the air horn was used for grade crossings. I remember the horn as being very loud.
Since the air horn was directional and pointed ahead, the steam whistle was more likely used to communicate with the rear end of the train.
My father took my brother and me along when he had some meetings in Bakersfield on one of our grade school vacation days. He sent us home on the train. I remember being disappointed hearing an air horn in the distance as the San Joaquin Daylight came into town. I felt much better when a steam engine came into view. We even had a steam helper out of Bakersfield. My mother met us at the depot in Los Angeles, we went home on the streetcar.
LEC
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