Question about SP GS-4's

Barry Franklin posted:

I have a question about these locomotives. Did SP ever install single chime hooter type whistles like N&W or C&O used, on any of the GS4's?

No, NEVER!

I know they had air horns on them, but I thought they always used the steamboat sounding whistles like UP's big locomotives, or N&W's J class.

Correct, i.e. the SP GS class 4-8-4s used the Hancock deep steam boat type whistles, however the air horn was used virtually all the time for grade crossings & warnings. The SP tended to use the steam whistle only for communicating with crew members, i.e. calling out the Flagman or calling in the Flagman.

I was told that they had hooter whistles also,

No, not true. The SP use 5/6 chime whistles on their freight locomotives, but no "hooters".

but I don't remember ever hearing one. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Barry

Thanks for the reply. The reason I asked this question, I downloaded a Gs4 ps3 sound file into one of my engines, and the main whistle sound seems to sound correct, but the soft key buttons for the forward and reverse whistle toots sound like the C&O allegheny whistle. I was told by MTH that this was the correct sounds.

Barry Franklin posted:

Thanks for the reply. The reason I asked this question, I downloaded a Gs4 ps3 sound file into one of my engines, and the main whistle sound seems to sound correct, but the soft key buttons for the forward and reverse whistle toots sound like the C&O allegheny whistle. I was told by MTH that this was the correct sounds.

Who at MTH told you THAT, i.e. about the "C&O Allegheny whistle"? 

A steam loco with a horn doesn’t sound right. Horns belong on diesels. A steam loco with a horn is just weird to me.

Hot Water, I inquired about this through a friend, and this is what he was told by someone at MTH. I bought a ps3 kit to install in a ps1 gs4 that I've owned since it was new. But after trying the sound file I don't think I'll do it now. I didn't think it was right, but I wanted to make sure. I'm glad I tried the sound file before  I tore it apart...........

Barry Franklin posted:

Hot Water, I inquired about this through a friend, and this is what he was told by someone at MTH. I bought a ps3 kit to install in a ps1 gs4 that I've owned since it was new. But after trying the sound file I don't think I'll do it now. I didn't think it was right, but I wanted to make sure. I'm glad I tried the sound file before  I tore it apart...........

Well, that is a bit confusing since once PS2 or PS3 is installed on ANY model, then many different sound files can be installed, off the MTH website. I have at least 3 MTH GS-4 models (all PS2), and the whistle is dead on. In fact, the MTH sound engineer came out to Portland, OR, many years ago and recorded SP 4449. I've been a crew member on SP 4449 since 1975, so I'm pretty familiar with her whistle.

The file in question is a ps3 file........

Barry Franklin posted:

The file in question is a ps3 file........

OK. I will call one of my contacts at MTH on Monday, and try to determine what the devil you are talking about. 

Thanks for the help. I have updated several of my ps1 engines to ps3, and before I upgrade each engine I download it's ps3 sound file into an existing engine that's already been upgraded, so I can hear it, before I start. It's only the soft keys that seem to be wrong. The file in question is: R132_P_4-8-4_4449_160405aU4X    

Thanks

Barry Franklin posted:

Thanks for the help. I have updated several of my ps1 engines to ps3, and before I upgrade each engine I download it's ps3 sound file into an existing engine that's already been upgraded, so I can hear it, before I start. It's only the soft keys that seem to be wrong. The file in question is: R132_P_4-8-4_4449_160405aU4X    

Thanks

Just got off the phone from my contact, for sound sets, at MTH, and we should have an answer for you tomorrow.

Hot Water posted:

Barry Franklin posted:

Thanks for the help. I have updated several of my ps1 engines to ps3, and before I upgrade each engine I download it's ps3 sound file into an existing engine that's already been upgraded, so I can hear it, before I start. It's only the soft keys that seem to be wrong. The file in question is: R132_P_4-8-4_4449_160405aU4X    

Thanks

Just got off the phone from my contact, for sound sets, at MTH, and we should have an answer for you tomorrow.

Three different people (one of them me) listened to the whistle sounds of the file number you provided, and the regular whistle, plus the soft keys for FOR and REV, all sound like the correct deep, GS-4 whistle. The grade crossing soft key, plays the big air horn.

Don't know any more to tell you. It all sounded correct to me.

Robert K posted:

A steam loco with a horn doesn’t sound right. Horns belong on diesels. A steam loco with a horn is just weird to me.

I once had a neighbor who was a hogger on the SP in the late 40s and early 50s. He said that he ran GS's up and down the Southern CA and confirmed that he never even heard of anyone signaling for grade crossings with the whistle with one. I'd shown him a DVD of 4449 on one of it's trips and he started laughing, asking what was wrong with the air horn.

I seriously doubt nay locos on the SP had a 'hooter' mounted on it, but it's always tough to say, "never" as there could have bene one mounted somewhere. Heck, there's a book on the GS's showing a round SP lines logo was applied to a tender on a GS, something the other books would have said never happened (though it was probably there just for that photo).

p51 posted:

. Heck, there's a book on the GS's showing a round SP lines logo was applied to a tender on a GS, something the other books would have said never happened (though it was probably there just for that photo).

Correct.  The round SP Logo was removed and standard SP lettering was applied after the photo was taken.

Rusty

Hot Water posted:

Hot Water posted:

Barry Franklin posted:

Thanks for the help. I have updated several of my ps1 engines to ps3, and before I upgrade each engine I download it's ps3 sound file into an existing engine that's already been upgraded, so I can hear it, before I start. It's only the soft keys that seem to be wrong. The file in question is: R132_P_4-8-4_4449_160405aU4X    

Thanks

Just got off the phone from my contact, for sound sets, at MTH, and we should have an answer for you tomorrow.

Three different people (one of them me) listened to the whistle sounds of the file number you provided, and the regular whistle, plus the soft keys for FOR and REV, all sound like the correct deep, GS-4 whistle. The grade crossing soft key, plays the big air horn.

Don't know any more to tell you. It all sounded correct to me.

Hot Water, thanks for checking into this, I appreciate it.  But now I'm perplexed and confused. I put that sound file into 2 different engines, and it acted the same way in both engines. I know I didn't imagine this, so at this point I don't know what to do or say. The problem must be with something on my end.

Thanks again