Something the N&W would do - steam loco bells on Diesels, plus

[NW Mailing List]

Two basic differences in bells- swinging mount or fixed.  Early steam
locomotives had a bell, usually bronze, mounted to a frame and cradle that
required the bell to be swung by the bell rope to sound.  Later steam had a
fixed bell with an air power ringer that swung the clapper internal to the
bell.  This allowed the crew to flip a switch or turn on an air valve that
would sound the bell continuously until shut off.  

Bronze is expensive relative to steel, so bronze bells tended to not be used
in WWII and later, steam or diesel.  Casting steel was a later development,
too.  Both trends sort of come together in the 1940's leaving steel bells as
the more popular type.

Yeah, there were air powered bell swingers, too, that were to be retrofitted
on old locomotives.

Gary Rolih

 
-----Original Message-----
From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 10:02 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: Something the N&W would do - steam loco bells on Diesels, plus

Could be brass vs steel.  I remember when PRR put the new E44 electrics in
service, they were said to have steam locomotive bells.  I recall they
sounded completely different that any diesel at that time (early 1960s).
Sort of a tolling sound instead of a more tonally dead "dink".

Dave Stephenson

--- On Wed, 7/1/09, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:


> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Subject: Re: Something the N&W would do - steam loco bells on Diesels,

plus

> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 6:38 PM

> Stupid me - how does a diesel

> locomotive bell differ from a steam locomotive bell? 

> Size?

> 

> Brian.




      
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