The Horn Thread

[Tadman]

I'd like to account for the horn types on CSS equipment, after a PM conversation between PRR and myself left some questions lingering. What horn is used on the MU's? PRR thinks there might be a different horn on the 100-series, but I've never noticed this. Also, anybody know what single tone horn was used in the 1980's on the original Sumitomo order?

Modern Horn sounds, from youtube vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PClA2fZCuKU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB6UYyPC ... ed&search=
100-series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjuJTROuSfM
1980's single tone horn on unrebuilt 30-series MU:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CgUEwS4 ... er&search=
Video with both - second train near shops has single-tone horn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjuJTROuSfM

Edit: I should frame my curiousity; recently I've noticed some UPRR power out here in Kansas with horns that sound a lot like CSS MU's, and it kinda throws me for a minute.

[MikeF]

The MU's currently have Nathan P3 horns. The 100 series cars were built with them; the older cars received them during mid-life rebuilding. (You're right about some UP locomotives sounding like the cars -- P3's are pretty common on freight engines.)

Nobody I've spoken to seems to know what kind of horn the Sumitomo cars were built with. I wonder if it was from some Japanese maker. Could have been a Nathan or Leslie, though -- single-chime horns are kind of hard to distinguish.

In case anybody's wondering, the "orange cars" had Westinghouse AA-2 horns. A few of them found their way onto the new cars and operated well into this decade, though I don't think they're still around.

[Tadman]

I remember the AA2 horns on the newer MU's in the 80's! I could never figure out why the horns sounded different on the eastbound runs than westbound runs, but I was absolutely sure there was a difference. Mike's comments solve a 20 year dilemma for me. I would guess quite a few MU's from the original order had AA2's on the east-end cab, while the japanese horns were on the west cab.

[dinwitty]

interesting trick that helps identify train direction.

I was perusing the threads and hit this.

I just a few days ago put a LokSound DCC in my Little Joe. I nabbed the GG1 version as I figgered that would be about the closest I could get to the Joe sounds. But I have the LOK Sound Programmer so if I can find the real sounds of the Joe and other equipment, I can drop them into the decoders.

I own a music Synthesizer and I could about duplicate any sound out there with computers here etc.

[dinwitty]

What I would like to know is what is used in the LIttle Joe, I was just watching a South Shore video, and one of the Joes has a single tone horn, but the other Joe seemed to have a multi-chime horn.