Anybody know what air horns were used on the diesels of the CG. Need to know if Leslie S3 or S5 types or Nathan K3, K5, M3 or 5 chimes were used and on what type loco (I.e. E7, NW2 etc). I want to add sound to my HO gauge pike. Wouldn't want a rivetcounter to string me up me for having the wrong sound - egad.

David

-- David Godwin (WDGodwin@aol.com), September 05, 2001

Answers

A Hancock air whistle was just that, a whistle, not a horn. The most notable of its users was the New Haven Railroad, but others, including the Clinchfield (on at least one F-7) and Seaboard Air Line (on its SDP-35s) were users in the Southern part of the country. Its appetite for air was one of its shortcomings (on an RDC it could wipe out the brake system's air supply if enough grade crossings were encountered), but it sure sounded a lot nicer than most air horns.

Here's a location with photographs and sound bytes:

http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/h4700.html

-- Henry Statkowski (kilroy@getconn.com), March 22, 2002.

... What is a hancock air whistle? I have seen pictures of one, but what's so different (Besides the appearance) about it?

-- E. Rosser (repoman801@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

to the best of my memory c of ga alcos geeps and e units used either nathan m-3 or nathan m-5... some were equipped with the hancock air whistle... and my memory says that the emd switchers usually had the single tone air trumpet.. the f units generally had the single bass trumpet .. how ever during repairs some air horns were change.. i do not remember any leslie air chimes on c of ga units..

-- glenn kermit marsh (glennm@imspipe.com), September 06, 2001.