Detailing - whistle & bell rope

Paul,
You might consider a solid metal rod for the whistle as in the photo below. This in turn connects to a lever arrangement inside the cab. Think about it, you really don't want any slack in a cord to blow the whistle. Also, note how the rod runs through a tube that runs through the sand dome.

Thanks Jim

I have used braided fishing line, for a cable look on some structures I have built. It's very realistic and comes in different colors and diameters.  I have a dark green .

Will look at them.

Thanks Patrick

craft section at wallyworld has items that look like small eyelets,chains,hooks etc.  

One way that you can make your own rope guides is to use the cotter pin method. Drill a small hole in the boiler. Take a piece of very small diameter wire and make a loop so it looks just like a cotter pin (a half twist at the base of the loop might be a good idea too). Now insert the end of wires into the boiler and snug it down to where you want, then spread the wires on the inside and glue them down.

Jim

I definitely like this idea for the loop.

Many thanks for the help 

I don't know which steamers you have targeted for the ropes, but many modern large steam locos had no swinging bells - they typically had a pneumatic clapper and a stationary bell, like diesels. The engineer would just turn it on and off as needed. You wouldn't want to put a bell rope on a Niagara! That would be sort of like putting whitewalls on a Hemi Charger.

I also understand that some whistles were not operated directly by the engineer; he pulled a cord or operated a valve in the cab that in turn operated a servo (pneumatic or steam, I suppose) that would open and close the whistle proper (no fancy quilling here!). So far as I know, many NYC modern steamers were like this. However, if a cord was used, it may have still run along the boiler to the valve on some locos, if the valve was not in the cab. (Again, never spotted a cord on a Niagara - which had a horn and a whistle, anyway.)

I'm sure that you've researched the issue, but I'm just sayin'.

check out the bead section at MIchaels or AC Moore for the eyelets and braided rope