Re: Whistles on the D&S and the C&TS locomotives

The Powell (or Lunkheimer) whistle carried by the 487 in the late 60's had a distinctly different sound than the slightly wheezy Powell on the 489. 487's whistle was very loud but had a tone and quality that you could hear clearly from well over a mile away. On June 12, 1967 I was standing in the Chama yard looking over the "just arrived" light helper 498 and recording some sounds. Just as I turned on the recorder the 487, coming down off Cumbres, whistled one long for the yard then blew for the NM 17 crossing over a mile out of town. Some day I'm going to make a wav file out of that recording. I tell you it still raises goosebumps! Just a wonderful whistle - but one that sounded horrible when you were close alongside of it. Bust your eardrums! At about a hundred yards it sounded good and it was just marvelous at a quarter mile.