Special shop favors

[NW Mailing List]

I'd be surprised if Nichols didn't do a little something to make it worthwhile. . . 

EdKing


From: NW Mailing List 
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2010 6:08 AM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
Subject: Special shop favors


I am surprised that special shop favors were still being given to engineers at that late date (1950's & 60's). Were there any other notable examples of such favors?
Mr. King, I still share the dismayed feeling of your recording of when the "Jawn Henry" whistle was replaced with an air horn. There is something about a steam whistle that makes you desire to play your own spacial song, but an air horn just sounds like an air horn.
Gene A. 



--- Original Message ----- 
From: NW Mailing List 
To: NW Mailing List 
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2010 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: Strasburg RR 4-8-0


Further in connection with the Nichols whistle - when the 382 was not available for the Abingdon Branch, the shop would put the whistle on the 429 for Nichols.

Before Nichols bumped in as engineer on the branch (when Joe McNew retired), all the Ms carried the standard hooter.  They sounded about the same as the ones on the big engines.  The only M that sounded any different was the one Nichols was going to run that day.

EdKing

382 was equipped with a custom whistle built for N&W engineer F. T. Nichols.  Whenever he operated 382 on the Abingdon branch, the whistle was installed.  It's a 3-chime single barrel whistle and has a very (!!!) distinctive sound.  Strasburg tried to make a copy but could never get it to sound the same as the original.

 A tape was made where Nichols described the whistle and its history, among many other subjects.  Link Museum has a copy.  The whistle still exists and was used on #475 at Strasburg Feb 2010 for a recreation of "382".  See videos on Youtube.

Dave Stephenson



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