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BR Std 5 Whistles


Right Away
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The earlier batches of BR Standard 5 locomotives where fitted with a chime whistle positioned behind the chimney. In some cases a bell type whistle was used in the same position. On later built engines, whistles were fitted atop the firebox by reason of trouble with the long operating cable.

 

My question: Was the original chimney located position selected as chime whistles will not operate satisfactorily in the horizontal position and could not be fitted vertically above the firebox by reasons of putting the engine out of gauge? 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Right Away said:

My question: Was the original chimney located position selected as chime whistles will not operate satisfactorily in the horizontal position and could not be fitted vertically above the firebox by reasons of putting the engine out of gauge? 

 

Don't see why a chime whistle should not operate horizontally.

 

A4s and Standard pacifics had the whistles at the front.

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Agreed, but the whistles were mounted vertically on the A4 and near vertical on the 7P.

I was questioning the initial reasoning of the design team in their not placing the whistle on the 5 in the generally more convenient position above the firebox with its far simpler control.

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A bit more detail, From the RCTS  book "BR Standard steam locomotives vol two".  

 

"The original tri-tone chime whistle mounted vertically on the smokebox behind the chimney (cable operated) had a tendency to stick open in use and eventually disintegrate".

Therefore :

"Many of the class from the late 1950s (particularly on the SR) had their chime whistles replaced by the "bell type."

 

From 73100 onwards (first Doncaster built loco) " an ordinary monotone whistle was fitted horizontally on top of the firebox."

 

So it looks like the problem was more the operating system of the whistle.   This doesn't reveal whether a chime whistle would have worked horizontally....

 

 

 

 

 

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As an aside the whistle we had on 73096 on the MHR was, as far as I know, an original chime whistle sited behind the chimney. It was fine when dryish steam reached it but there was a tendency for condensate to settle in the pipe length. Hence for the first second or so of sounding it it sounded more akin to a cat being strangled than a locomotive whistle. 

 

However once it got going you could play it beautifully.

Edited by PhilH
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2 hours ago, PhilH said:

As an aside the whistle we had on 73096 on the MHR was, as far as I know, an original chime whistle sited behind the chimney. It was fine when dryish steam reached it but there was a tendency for condensate to settle in the pipe length. Hence for the first second or so of sounding it it sounded more akin to a cat being strangled than a locomotive whistle. 

 

However once it got going you could play it beautifully.

A reported feature of the Brittannia whistles from day one.

 

Jim

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6 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Flying Scotsman's whistle is pathetic...…………………………….I am surprised it is actually fit for purpose on the main line today.

Phil

In Poland the PKP steam fleet is fitted with diesel horns

 

whilst the whistles remain, functional, the rationale is that the public in general are not attuned to hearing steam locomotive whistles, but are aware of vehicle horns (road/rail etc) and are more responsive to them, making a steam whistle less effective as a warning and therefore less safe.

 

As such both are used.

 

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4 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

In Poland the PKP steam fleet is fitted with diesel horns

 

whilst the whistles remain, functional, the rationale is that the public in general are not attuned to hearing steam locomotive whistles, but are aware of vehicle horns (road/rail etc) and are more responsive to them, making a steam whistle less effective as a warning and therefore less safe.

 

As such both are used.

 

Have the OL49s got them now then and Beautiful Helena?. Only the big 2.8.2s had them back in 2003/4.

Phil

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On 16/04/2019 at 14:02, Mallard60022 said:

Have the OL49s got them now then and Beautiful Helena?. Only the big 2.8.2s had them back in 2003/4.

Phil

 

Last time I was there (about 4 years back), the ol49’s had them... indeed I discovered by accident as I was riding behind it and kept hearing it, and I was looking for an SM42 thinking it was piloting or pushing it !

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