Great Western Two Tone Whistles Enquiry...

Just asking if anyone knows how Great Western engines whistles work as this weekend, as other times have heard Western region engines using the whistle and it sounds as if it has two, or that it has two pitches. I know the practice has been done to great effect with Western engines but is it limited to them. I'm not looking for tones normally, but would like the prototypical sound to be used on a western engine sound chip for a model im getting.

Can anyone else offer advice on how it works.

Thanks....

 

they have two whistles, the normal one and a brake whistle to request the Guard to apply the brakes on a non-fitted freight (as far as Im aware)

 

Indeed, 2 whistles, 2 separate chains etc. Can be quite entertaining for playing tunes on as well as their proper purpose, should the mood take you!

 

I thiink that this was quite common on other railways in the 19th Cent but only the GWR continued with the practice.

 

Yes, high pitched normal train whistle and deeper toned brake whistle. Being married to a girl from Skipton, I did "Ilkley Moor bah t'at" on Saturday on 5643 to certain folks' disgust!

 

I know the words and verse to that being a Cub Leader.....

Thanks to all your help, especially above quoted person, for whom his role this last weekend should be the stuff of legend..... (inc. Old Peculiar if needed....)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTHGA0_bQfw

 

Not so much a case of tradition dying hard at Swindon, it never died at all.

 

9600 did it on the mainline too, see 3mins 15secs into this:

[video=youtube;GrFrj6kBgak]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrFrj6kBgak[/video]

 

Anyone ever heard them blown together - to make a GWR 'chime'?

 

Did it on Saturday...

 

Many a time
I think this video of mine has 5164 doing so:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n_1fnNiAW0
2.56 onwards

 

There were good reasons for retaining both the service whistle and the brake whistle on GWR locos. Clearly the brake whistle had a function on unfitted freight workings where the guards brake was also required.

Also though in talking to enginemen (unfortunately now deceased) the brake whistle was used to draw attention to danger where trains were nearby/passing by blowing several blasts to alert attention. Those using the brake whistle for trivial entertainment purposes devalue this useful feature not found on lesser company locos and should be discouraged from doing so.

 

Its not a chime, its a power chord!

For those with a liking for slightly sad 1990's music, you can do a pretty good impression of the start of 'Jump Around' by House of Pain with them as well...

 

Here is a fine exampe of 5542 on the GWSR blowing both notes at once:

 

<Zombie_thread>

I make the notes D# (Brake) & G# (Main), so it's actually either a Fourth or an Inverted Fifth depending on which note you take as the root - a power chord is a Fifth.

</Zombie_thread>

 

Good old Swindon, stuck in the 19th Century as always.

 

One from 2009 at York:

5043 had just passed the SNG hauled Christmas White Rose from Cambridge outside the station, which I was on.