Hello Folks, Well, after after looking a couple of dozen photos, one, an overhead shot that I could blow-up considerably, I could not find it. We deal in sensitive information here, but I did have a security clearance a long time ago; SO, WHERE IN THE HECK IS THE WHISTLE ON THIS LOCO? Thanks for any help.
I don't know specifically for this engine, but if you can't see it on the boiler top, it is probably inside the smoke-stack. Some locomotives had them there. An example is the H1-e Royal Hudson of the CPR.
I watched some old youtube videos of the actual T1 in motion. When the whistle blew the steam came from over the firebox. Then I found this. Click on HD , 1080p and watch the O scale T1 when it goes by. It must be those brass colored things in back of the generator. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LebD0me_0u0
The BLI model does not have that item, Candy, and I haven't seen it on the few fallenflags.org photos that I looked at. I do know that whistles were sometimes changed for other types, and sometimes moved around on engines. I just don't know about this one.
I don't know if the plume of steam on top of the boiler in front of the cab is from the whistle, but that is where I believe the whistle was located on T-1s. On the following video, at time 2:30-2:34, you can clearly see steam coming from the whistle as it is blown for a crossing, same location on top of the boiler as the steam plume in the photo above. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwBaGTtz2-0&NR=1
Yes, I agree with you, Hank. The horizontal fixture just aft of the steam dome. And Candy was correct as well. I still wonder why the BLI model doesn't show it, and why so many photos on fallenflags don't either. It's like some models had them somewhere else.
Crandell, it's possible that there were different whistle placements as the 30 original I-10a Consolidations were converted to T-1 Northerns between 1945 and 1947, though I find no evidence of that in photos and videos I've seen. However I did notice the T-1 in the video I posted had a high-pitched whistle tone, whereas other T-1s in earlier videos had the lower tone that I remember from Iron Horse Rambles in the 50's and 60's. So I assume that Blue Mountain & Reading may have replaced the original low-toned whistle. As an aside, this is an interesting and informative website about the Reading T-1 and its history. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/reading/
Hank, overnight I had left a PM for a fellow on the MR forums, also an infrequent contributor here, who runs Reading, and who has the Paragon T-1. He replied today that the BLI engine came with two whistles, a blackish Rambler for freight service and a polished one that would have been a hooter for passenger service. I would have thought the BLI official photos would show either/or as was the case for the engine being shown.
I have contacted a friend who rode/chased them back in the day. When I hear from him I'll let you know. Second question about T-1's I have never heard answered, what is the purpose of the funny shaped dome on top? Not sand, not steam. What is it? :tb-confused:
If you mean the 'thin' lump ahead of the large dome I'd think it's where the top feed connections for the water are, not a dome at all. I've seen similar on many locos and understood that is what it is; although of course what we are seeing is the casing over the lagging - the actual bits are buried inside.
Reading Bell Placement Candy, What I saw on the O scale engine was a brass piece alongside the steam done. Those brass things to the rear a blow-off valves. Isn't it odd that we can't determine the placement of a common appliance? I suppose I could start looking at pics of the parent 2-8-0s. And I'll wait for the last response. Thanks everyone.
There are at least four safeties, or pop-off valves, on modern steamers somewhere near the steam dome, but the item Candy saw is just right and aft of the steam dome comprising an inverted L. The horizontal part is the chime or bell.
I looked again. Do this ...look at my youtube link again. click on the 1080p resolution and click on the full screen button. When the loco is at it's close up point click pause. If you look closely at that inverted L you will see a cord attached to it and the cord goes into the cab.
Yes, I can see the four or five safeties rearmost, just in front of the cab's front wall, the turbo-generator forward of the safeties, and then comes the hooter whistle just to the right rear of the steam dome. In prototypical footage, it looks the same, except in the one I viewed the hooter seemed to lie horizontally atop a vertical pipe and its axis was parallel to the boiler.
That is what it looked like from the videos. The whistle steam appeared to be coming out horizontally and to the side, rather than up, forward, or aft. I remember that many larger locomotives of the late steam era had horizonatlly mounted whistles, possibly for tunnel and bridge clearances on the much larger boilers. The New York Central Niagara comes to mind as an example.
The T-1 were freight haulers and as such had the high pitched 'hooter' whistle. The multi-chime whistles wer found on Reading passenger power. some engines used for the rambles had one or the other, some had both. Interestingly enough the Pennsy had high pitched whistles on their freighters described as banshees. That odd shaped gizmo on the boiler has me guessing, it may house the safety pops. I worked at the Wayne junction car shop with many old Reading men but they are now all gone to the big round house in the sky, so I have no reliable source as to that ood appliance in front of the sand box.
Reading T-1 Whistle I FOUND IT! As some of you already knew-- the freight engines had black painted vertical whistles-- passenger versions had brass horizontal ones. BLI gave me the answer, I just didn't recognize it. There is a stubby little thing just to the right rear of the steam dome--sound familiar? It's black, has a line running toward the cab into the turret cover. I tried to pull that up, and noticed the rearward line. What have we here? We have here, the freight whistle Dumbo! Some people reside in a very dense cloud. Thanks everyone.
