Horn Installation on NYC GP-7 and GP-9. Does anybody know what was installed on these early geep locomotives delivered to the New York Central? Photos of GP-7s show a single horn on the engineer’s side (right side) of the long hood facing forward and a single horn on the fireman’s side (left side) of the cab facing back along the short hood. My guess is these were Wabco E-2 horns (single “blat” tone). See example photos: http://gelwood.railfan.net/nyc/nyc5607s.jpg http://gelwood.railfan.net/nyc/pe5615s.jpg Photos of GP-9s are problematic as the air horns all seemed to be mounted on top of the hoods and most photos don’t show the top of the hoods very well. It looks like there are two horns just behind the second cooling fan from the front of the long hood (just in front of the air tanks on the “torpedo tube) models. There is a single horn on top of the short hood. The double horns look similar to the Leslie S2-M, but my recollection is they didn’t sound like the S2-Ms that were on some of the later E-8 locomotives. See example photos: http://gelwood.railfan.net/nyc/nyc5955s.jpg http://gelwood.railfan.net/nyc/nyc5986s.jpg http://gelwood.railfan.net/nyc/nyc7300.jpg The 7300 may have a Leslie S3-?
The GP-7 had a horn for both directions,and you had a whistle cord for each horn. The GP-9 had one set of horns when new. They were a group of 3 horns , 2 facing forward ,the long end ,and 1 facing to the rear,all operated by one whistle valve.I think the rear horns were an add on because of road crossings.They still were operated by one air valve.Do not know what type they were we just made noise with them. LEW
Thanks, LEW, you helped by telling me that there was only one whisltle cord and that all three horns sounded together on the GP-9. Another part of the answer came from Ron Chamberlain on the Yahoo Horn/Whistle group. He wrote that the GP-9 had the Leslie S-2M (double horns) on the long hood and the single horn on the short hood was a Leslie S-25. Since they were sounded together, the sound would be like that of the Leslie S-3L. That was a 3-chime horn used by many other railroads. Sound samples can be heard at: http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/ Ron also confirmed that the GP-7 was equipped with two WABCO E-2 single air horns as you described. Sound samples can be heard at the same web site.
Mike, or LEW, do either of you know what brand or sound the single air horn added to the Niagaras was?
Mike,Fitz Can't answer about the sound Fitz. Mike; When the GP-9 first came around we had trouble calling in a flagman or whistling off and the men on the caboose hearing it.The 3 horn cluster was on top in one location and the rear horn was smaller then the forward horns This may have been another reason for putting a seperate horn on the short end at a later date. LEW
Jim, the air horn on the Niagaras was either the WABCO E-2 (same as on most road diesels) or Leslie A-200-156. They both have similar sounds. I'm not sure that I have seen a good source for that information. I will try to pin it down, or maybe some one else can provide it. LEW, you have me checking back to look at builders photos of the GP-9. Although most of the photos I referenced were dated close to the build dates, there is a possibility that some changes were made in the first year or two. Your comment about having trouble calling in the flagman and the crew in the caboose hearing signals has me wondering. You said the single horn on the short hood was pretty small. That doesn't match with the information I got about the S-25 which is bigger (and deeper sounding) than the horns on the long hood. So maybe these got switched later. Huh! Another puzzle. I'll keep looking.
Mike, off topic somewhat, but you are posting from Slovakia. Are you a transplanted American or a Slovakian citizen interested in New York Central history? I have a high school classmate who became a doctor and spends most summers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He was a pediatrician and lectures on child abuse.
Mike,On the original horns 3 horns were in 1 group. One horn in this group was facing to the rear and was smaller than the other two,this is the horn we could not hear.The larger horn on the short hood was the one that was added. LEW
LEW, thanks a million for that additional information. The original 3-chime horn that you describe would be the Leslie S-3L: http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/s3l.html with the #44 bell (the smallest, highest pitch) reversed and facing to the rear. Later the #44 must have been swapped with the #25 and the #25 installed separately on the short hood facing to the rear. Was there still just one whistle cord after the large horn was mounted separately on the short hood? Jim, we just moved to Slovakia last year. I am a US citizen by birth. My grandparents were originally from here. My wife is from here and although she became a US citizen, we chose to live in Slovakia when I retired to be close to her family. I railfanned the NYC as a teenager in the 1950s and felt fortunate to experience the last of steam (Mohawks and Niagaras and even one P&LE Berkshire) as well as early diesels. I never heard the Niagaras use their whistle - always the air horn.
Mike, that would make us contemporaries. I saw the end of NYC steam in the Mohawk Valley, NY. Too young to appreciate the significance of what was happening with the transition from steam to diesel, plus at the age when I was more interested in girls than trains.
