Locomotive Steam Whistles by Zina Abbott

Steam locomotives often have two types of sounding devises—bells and steam-powered whistles. Although newer locomotives have moved to air horns, the old engines of the 1800s relied on steam to power their whistles which generally located on the top of the steam boiler in front of the engineer’s cab. Railroad employees still use the term “whistle” to refer to signaling.

 

CLICK HERE to see and hear a steam-driven locomotive whistle.

The loud blasts served several purposes including signaling and warnings. Because trains are fixed-rail vehicles, this was necessary to avoid collisions and other problems.

If you wish to hear examples of different train whistles through the years, please CLICK HERE.

Whistles were almost always actuated with a pull cord, or sometimes a lever, that permitted proportional action, so that some form of "expression" could be put into the sound. Many locomotive operators had their own style of blowing the whistle. It was often apparent to other employees who was operating the locomotive by the sound of the whistle.

During the 1800s, different whistles and signaling patterns became popular as railroad technology developed and different whistles came into use.

Not all these codes are universal, but vary by nation. Other signals used in the past are obsolete. One signal that remains in use in North America is the one for approaching a crossing such as that used by vehicles or farm equipment. It is the Morse Code letter “Q”:

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Why the letter “Q”? Railroad technology was developed in England before it made its way to North America. Even after the United States broke away from Britain—and that nation finally accepted that we were a separate nation no longer under their dominion—what took place in Britain still had a great influence on this nation.

Queen Victoria reigned for sixty-three years from 1837 until 1901. Train travel was the most efficient and comfortable mode of transportation at the time. When the queen traveled, for security, efficiency, and homage reasons, the train on which she rode was treated as a through train. All other trains were to clear the rails during the times her trains were expected to pass. Likewise, those on the ground crossings were to stay back and not impede her trains. The engineers started using the signal “Q” to announce that the queen was on board the train. Eventually, that became the signal for approaching a crossing.

1994-Santa Fe train before merger with Burlington-Northern under Bradley Overhead, Merced County.

Since I live close to two railroad lines—the Burlington-Northern & Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific—I plan my driving routes between my little town and the two neighboring communities around the railroad tracks. The BN&SF is not bad to wait for if it is the Amtrak coming through. I don’t enjoy waiting for the freight trains on either line, especially since one major crossing has the side track as well as the through track. Being blocked by one freight train waiting on another one to pass in the opposite direction is no fun. 

One of my friends once asked why I didn’t take a shorter route. I told her my game plan is to get across the tracks while the getting is good. I don’t like to take the chance the double tracks will still be clear on the “short” driving route. 

One thing I can tell you is, I’ve heard the above "approaching a crossing" signal many times. It sounds like this: CLICK HERE.

Here is a chart of some of the whistle codes used in North America.

 

As has been known to happen to me before, after I finished and published my latest book, Kate’s Railroad Chef, I realized there was in inconsistency in my story. I end with those at the Jubilee Springs railroad depot hearing the train signal it is approaching the station. However, the story starts with passengers waiting for the train to arrive. Did they hear the whistle? If not, why not?

So, dear reader, I rewrote the first chapter to include a few sentences about the train whistle. It will not change the overall story line for those who already bought the book or are reading it on Kindle Unlimited. However, I will publish the additions to Chapter One here (If you have not yet read the book description, please be aware my hero stutters.):

            As he left his office, Garland raised his hands and shook his head to ward off those waiting in the lobby as they surged toward him.

            The question coming from one man who stepped in front of him stopped Garland’s forward movement. “I was standing outside about an hour ago and heard a whistle. How come the train’s not here yet?”

            Garland focused his gaze on the man he did not recognize. “You heard a whistle? How long ago?”

            “At least an hour, maybe more. You know—toot-toot-toot, and then nothing.”

            “Thank you for t-telling me. I’m on my way to the maintenance shop now. I’ll ask.” Garland raised his voice to be heard as he pushed through the crowd. “I have no news. I’m going to s-s-send men to check.”

            Once he reached the door leading outside the depot, Garland finally broke free of the crowd. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he rushed toward the repair shop used for necessary track and equipment maintenance. After searching the premises, he finally spotted the foreman, Joe Hodges, walking towards him. He strode over to meet the man. “T-train’s been delayed.”

            “We noticed. What do you figure? They this side of Cotopaxi?”

            “Yes, Cotopaxi said the t-train is running an hour late, but it should have been here. I need a handcar loaded with t-tools. Can s-some of your men be p-prepared to go looking for it?”

            Hodges grimaced. He twisted his upper body to look at his crew of maintenance men huddled around a wood-burning heater toward one corner of the repair building, and then he turned back. “I suppose we could. Hate sending them out this late in the cold with the dark coming on, only to have the locomotive round a bend and plow into them.”

            As he glared at the man, Garland clamped his lips tight. Everyone worried about getting hit by the train, but no one seemed concerned that the engineer and passengers might have run into trouble. True, Martin Underwood left him in charge, but there was a limit to how much he could order around Joe, who had as much authority in his realm as he did in his. “A man waiting in the depot s-said he was s-standing outside about an hour ago and heard a whistle. No one in here heard anything like that?”

            Hodges shook his head and waved his hand as if to brush away the question. “Awhile back, one of my men said he thought he heard a couple of short blasts. They were so faint, though, he decided he was just hearing things. All the engineers who run this line blow a very distinct whistle after they round that last point on Longfellow Gulch to signal they are approaching the station. We know that sound like we do our own mothers’ voices. No one’s heard anything like that tonight.”

            As he leaned his head forward, Garland worked his jaw. Does he think I’m an idiot? I’m well aware there is a list of whistles a train engineer uses to signal different situations. “I’m aware there is a s-special Morse Code s-signal used strictly for approaching the s-station. The whistles that your man did hear, were they a s-series of short blips, like the s-signal used for an emergency?”

            As Joe Hodges gaze met that of Garland’s, his eyes widened, and he swallowed. “I don’t know. I’ll ask.” He shook his head. “That whistle is pretty loud, and it’s not like we’re in the middle of a big storm right now like we were yesterday. You’d think if the engineer did blow his whistle, we all would have heard it.”

             Garland shook his head. Simple physics. “Not if the t-train ran into t-trouble in the middle of the gulch. With the way the walls are s-steep and shaped like an amphitheater, the gulch would p-project any s-sound the t-train whistle makes toward the s-southeast, the direction it faces, which is away from Jubilee S-Springs.”

            Hodges cursed as he turned his face away and shook it. “Makes sense, now you point it out. I’ve even had one engineer tell me that’s why they wait until the locomotive rounds that last bend before they blow the signal that they’re approaching the station.”

              “Mr. Hodges, we need to do s-something. Because Mr. Underwood is gone, I must s-stay at the s-station.” 

            Heaving a sigh, Hodges used his fingertips and thumb to rub each side of his forehead. “I’ll send some men—”

            “Hey, boss! We got someone here from the incoming train needs to talk to you.” 

Kate's Railroad Chef, the third book in the Train Wreck in Jubilee Springs series, is currently available both for purchase and for no additional charge using your Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description, please CLICK HERE.

 

 

The link for the Train Wreck in Jubilee Springs series may be found by CLICKING HERE. (Amazon is being shy about putting it on its own series page since these books are also part of the Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs series.)

 

Sources:

Steam Locomotive Components from Wikipedia

Train Whistle from Wikipedia

YouTube

Photo of train whistle courtesy of the blog post, https://www.trainsandtravel.com/2015/06/07/a-train-whistle-mystery/  by Jim Loomis, author of “All Aboard! The Complete North American Train Travel Guide ” (Chicago Review Press)