Re: 484, and guest whistles

trainrider47 Wrote:
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> Hi Tom
>
> Any way you can post an audio clip of that
> whistle? I've never heard a 4 chime. CNR used
> some, but their US roads didn't so I mainly heard
> their 5 and 6 chime whistles.
>
> Up until now, the finest whistle track I have ever
> heard was recorded by Stan Kistler of the Rayonier
> 120 on a rainy day. It was a Powell 3 chime and
> does indeed make your hair stand on end! I've
> heard that same whistle when Earl had it mounted
> on the SL&RG #18 (Ex LS&I) but at slightly lower
> pressure and in dry high altitude air it didn't
> have quite the magic that it did in the moist sea
> level 120 recording. It was still a mighty fine
> sounding whistle though.
>
> Michael Allen

Hi Michael...sorry, I have no real way to get a tape onto this forum
I will inquire about dubbing a copy though.

As to that big Powell on Rayonier 120, the gent responsible for that
great sound was her engineer, Clark Pennick. He had his own signature
way of not quite letting go all the way between the longs and the shorts.

I had use of that same whistle in the Summer of 1972 when I worked with
Dan Ranger on the Klamath & Hoppow Valley. It was mounted on Heisler 10.
One Sunday morning, we dropped an eccentric strap while working steam
right out of the station. Didn't get her put back together again until after dark.
I don't think that I ever let go of the cord on the way back to the mill. Never
had a chance like that ever again.

The Powell was fabricated as WOV (without valve). She had a close nipple and
then a Lunkenheimer whistle valve below that. Some folks mistakenly thought it
was a Lunk because of that. Both of these names had the tallest chamber folded
up into the hemisphere of the top of the bell.