Whistle advice?

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PRR5406
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Location: Eastern Maine

Re: Whistle advice?

Post by PRR5406 »

Just received the Mintz whistle in the mail, and I think this is going to do exactly what I want. Great tone, beautiful sound, works well on lung power. This is good.
"Always stopping my train, and risking my ankles, with American made, New Balance sneakers."
jscarmozza
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Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:09 pm

Re: Whistle advice?

Post by jscarmozza »

PRR,
Mine didn't arrive yet, would you mind giving me the overall length and diameter? I'm retrieving my engine from storage at the club with the intention of retrofitting the whistle and other things to it, the dimensions will get me thinking of 'how to'.
Thanks, John
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NP317
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Re: Whistle advice?

Post by NP317 »

I got a Mintz air whistle decades ago about 1980.
I first mounted it on my little 1970 Datsun 1600 pickup truck, above the rear of the cab, with a portable air tank in the bed. The truck was painted to match our passenger cars of the then-new Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad: Green with gold stripes.

That whistle's next home was in the classroom machine shop of the University of Washington (Seattle) Mechanical Engineering Dept. It replace the dangerously loud bell on the balcony, that marked the class periods. Every time the bell rang I'd have a near-heart attack! The whistle provided mellow time reminders from about 1986 - 1997, and was a favorite with our students. I got requests to install the same whistle in other shops on campus. Never did, though.

Finally, I installed The Whistle to replace the door buzzer on the Shop under the Seattle Monorail's Center Station. It remains there today.

Maybe I'll get another Mintz whistle as a door buzzer for my new shop...

Thank you Mintz Family.
~RN
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NP317
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Re: Whistle advice?

Post by NP317 »

On a similar note (all puns intended), the whistle I installed on my new 90-ton Mikado actually spent several months on the front of the Red Monorail in Seattle!

For the duration of the Harry Potter Exhibit at the Seattle Center Pacific Science Center, the Red Monorail was vinyl-wrapped to become the Hogwort's Express.
The driver's end representing the locomotive had the traditional air horns replaced with my 4-chime whistle, running on compressed air. I tuned the air delivery for maximum volume without distortion. It became a favorite with all the train operators, and they wanted whistles under all four cabs! But the historic horns got put back in service, and I retrieved my whistle for its next life.
Red Wrapped Nov10.jpg
That whistle is now mounted under the running board on the Fireman's side. In the pic below, the running board is not yet installed, and the whistle is visible.
~RN
Mikado First Steam1 sml.jpg
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PRR5406
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Location: Eastern Maine

Re: Whistle advice?

Post by PRR5406 »

My Mintz whistle is 9 3/8" length, and about 1 78" diameter
"Always stopping my train, and risking my ankles, with American made, New Balance sneakers."
jscarmozza
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Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:09 pm

Re: Whistle advice?

Post by jscarmozza »

Thanks.
It's going to be difficult to hide on my 1".
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PRR5406
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Location: Eastern Maine

Re: Whistle advice?

Post by PRR5406 »

Just to report back to the group. My Mintz whistle works like a dream on my Reading A5a. It sounds like a choir at lower pressures and at 100 psi, she'll scream a bit over the harmony, but still sounds great. It's a really nice steam locomotive voice.
"Always stopping my train, and risking my ankles, with American made, New Balance sneakers."
jscarmozza
Posts: 599
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:09 pm

Re: Whistle advice?

Post by jscarmozza »

I couldn't find a place on my 1" Atlantic, or tender, to hide the Mintz whistle; so I gave the whistle Nelson describes in his book a try, and it turned out pretty well with good tone on air (haven't tried it on steam yet). I did the best I could to disguise it as an air tank, I think once it gets a coat of flat black it should fade into the background and actually look like a tank. It took me four days to make it, two small castings, a piece of 1-1/2" brass drain tail pipe and some scrap brass sheet...and I surprised myself by how good it sounds.
John
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chucketn
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Re: Whistle advice?

Post by chucketn »

How about a thread of just whistle sounds and descriptions/dimensions?
BClemens
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Re: Whistle advice?

Post by BClemens »

Since the volume of the chamber lowers the tone and length lowers the note (maybe someone has tried this..), what would happen if a four chime was reduced to a two chime. So each half is one note and a web is taken partially to the end of the barrel so that the single chamber is one long one ending at the base by sealing it off. Only 1/4 segment has the knife edge...the other ends the chamber.

Would this work even as a whistle? Sound waves may not turn that corner.... The barrel cover would need to be open at the knife edge segment but closed and sealed at the adjoining segment.
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Steam Engine Dan
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Re: Whistle advice?

Post by Steam Engine Dan »

jscarmozza wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:54 am I couldn't find a place on my 1" Atlantic, or tender, to hide the Mintz whistle; so I gave the whistle Nelson describes in his book a try, and it turned out pretty well with good tone on air (haven't tried it on steam yet). I did the best I could to disguise it as an air tank, I think once it gets a coat of flat black it should fade into the background and actually look like a tank. It took me four days to make it, two small castings, a piece of 1-1/2" brass drain tail pipe and some scrap brass sheet...and I surprised myself by how good it sounds.
John
that looks nice john, can't wait to hear it on the atlantic.
jscarmozza
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Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:09 pm

Re: Whistle advice?

Post by jscarmozza »

Hi Dan, I don't think it will be on my engine for the Labor Day run (no valve), but I'll try to get it on soon after. See you at the club. John
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