Re: 490 Whistles

You know, I heard 498's whistle, but I can't remember it at all. Maybe that's why. I remembered 487's big bullet-topped Lunkenhimer (or maybe it was a "Powell"). I have a recording of 497 in 1967, and it wasn't too thrilling either. It seems that 490's got the duds of the whistles, which was above point.
I've seen shots of 490 on the 1956 RMRRC trip with the bullet top 3 chime that probably ended up on 487 shortly thereafter. Probably one of the few cases where a 490 got a real pretty whistle.
Correction on 493's whistle Herb. It was a badly screwed up 5 chime. Photo's show it that way. I have a recording of it somewhere. It also briefly surfaced very early in D&S history on 476. I've got recordings of 476 when the D&S started with that nasty screamer on it. I later found out it was badly flawed casting with several holes between the varius chimes was well a hole into the center hole for the mounting stud.
We had one with that problem on the 484 in the late 1970's. It had a very odd sound, but still sorta cool. Someone cut open one of the chimes, brazed up the hole, and neatly welded the works together. Now it sounds "normal". It is what was on 497 most of last summer.
As much as the home made hoots look like they made out of 5" superheater tube, they are actually cast whistles, with "D&RG" cast into the top of the chime.
I'd like to hear 491's whistle someday.