STEAM WHISTLE?

[Greenhornet]

I was watching the latest Trains DVD, the EMD Geeps. The Deleware & Lackawanna 4118, was doing some switching. The engineer signaled with the air horn. Not a horn but, a steam whistle. Was this the factory installation, or an after market installation. That is the best part of the DVD.

[wjstix]

I grew up along the Minneapolis Northfield and Southern, their diesels used Hancock Air Whistles. I imagine they could be fitted at the builder, or the railroad could add them later. They basically work like an air horn but sound like a steam engine whistle. It was quite a downer when the SOO took over and started to BLAT the neighborhood with airhorns!!

Anyway, I believe a couple of big railroads (Penn Central?? New Haven??) used them in the past. Progressive Rail (that now operates much of the old MN&S with diesels using a similar paint scheme) have some engines with Hancocks, but they aren't very loud compared to air horns so they generally use the air horns for grade crossings.

[blue streak 1]

After the start of AMTRAK southern RR equipped a couple of its E's with steam whistles. I only heard it once and it was scary because you know what I was wondering. "back to the past"? Believe it was eng 6901.