Horns on NS GP40-2`s

Hey everyone-

After catching the SA-31 freight in Lakewood today, I have a question that maybe someone can answer. Several of the NS GP40-2`s that run down here (i.e.- 3021, 3032, 3045) have different sounding horns than the traditional Leslie S3-L 3 chime horns on most of the other CSX and NS engines. It is a 5 chime horn on these engines, but after listening to sound clips on various websites, i cant find a horn that sounds like the ones i hear on these engines. Anybody happen to know what they are? Thanks for any info. Take care -Chris

CTL10D wrote:Hey everyone-

After catching the SA-31 freight in Lakewood today, I have a question that maybe someone can answer. Several of the NS GP40-2`s that run down here (i.e.- 3021, 3032, 3045) have different sounding horns than the traditional Leslie S3-L 3 chime horns on most of the other CSX and NS engines. It is a 5 chime horn on these engines, but after listening to sound clips on various websites, i cant find a horn that sounds like the ones i hear on these engines. Anybody happen to know what they are? Thanks for any info. Take care -Chris

3045 has a radical horn if I recall correctly. It was in Metuchen Yard a few years back and I always loved hearing its horn. It's almost a dissonant sort of creepy sound. I love that horn. Maybe someone here knows what I'm talking about and has a sound clip.

Hi, after looking at some photos of 3031 and 3045, it appears that they might have either a Nathan P series P5 or P5a. Both were standard on older NS locos. Here are two pages from, The Five Chime Consultants Web Page:

P5: http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/p5.html

P5a: http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/p5a.html

I agree, i love to hear these styles of horns rather than all of the new k5la's used on almost all of the new engines today. Every time i hear an Alp46 or a CV car's horns, it makes me cringe.

If memory serves, 3045 had a horn that sounded similar to the P5a listed there. Thanks for the link btw!

Yes, P5 variant. Tuning could be slightly different. Always nice to hear a P5 roaming around here in S3 and K5 country. The 3045 is odd with its P5 on the long hood end and if I remember right, a 2 chime on the short hood end. I wish it will still around so I could take a closer look.

Scott

Hey guys-
Thanks for the input everyone. . The p5a was indeed the sound clip that sounded most similar, so I guess its safe to say thats it. Nick11, the 3045 and 3021 are weird too in the sense that its seems like only the two high pitch bells blow on that horn, giving it that creepy sound, like you said. I guess maybe if the engineer doesnt lay hard on the valve that maybe only a few of the bells get air to them. Oh well, take care everyone. -Chris

CTL10D wrote:Hey guys-
Thanks for the input everyone. . The p5a was indeed the sound clip that sounded most similar, so I guess its safe to say thats it. Nick11, the 3045 and 3021 are weird too in the sense that its seems like only the two high pitch bells blow on that horn, giving it that creepy sound, like you said. I guess maybe if the engineer doesnt lay hard on the valve that maybe only a few of the bells get air to them. Oh well, take care everyone. -Chris

Your welcome. I've heard 3045's horn at full blast during my freshman year at college. It was a very foggy afternoon and suddenly a headlight is seen and I hear the horn at full blast (with all the chimes) and through comes the engine (which I'm pretty sure was 3045) long hood forward in Conrail Colors. Unfortunately, it is now in NS colors. I just wish I had a camera!

Here's a shot (albeit, not the greatest) of 3045 a few years back during my freshman year here at Rutgers.

http://nick11a.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... x?id=88410

Hmm, I confused the 3045 for that high hood geep which was sitting in east dover yard for a while. Nick, what was that engine number? That was the one with the 5 chime on one end and the 2 chime on the other. Good shot of the 3045 Nick. It with a GP15-1 which is cool.

scott

wpdj61 wrote:Hmm, I confused the 3045 for that high hood geep which was sitting in east dover yard for a while. Nick, what was that engine number? That was the one with the 5 chime on one end and the 2 chime on the other. Good shot of the 3045 Nick. It with a GP15-1 which is cool.

scott

Oh Scott, you're thinking of 5095. I was trying to figure out what you were talking about with the horns on each end which I didn't think 3045 had.

And Scott, in case you didn't realize, 5095 which was in Dover Yard for the week or so was the same Geep you heard and we saw at Washington Yard back in June. That was so funny, you were like "I think I hear a GP38? I do, I do hear a GP38." And sure enough, we go past the trees and look down the ROW, and there was 5095 on a local there.

And yes, that CR GP15-1 Operation Lifesaver Engine was cool. Unfortunately, it is no longer here. I forget the number of it offhand. We have a few other GP15-1s hear at Metuchen though (CSX ones) on and off along with quite a few NS GP38s. I ain't seen a GP40 though here in a while. I miss them.

And one more thing about 3045, I have a video of an NS train at Bound Brook back in May where 3045 is the third unit and is coming back after being repainted- it was fresh in NS colors. Unfortunately, they didn't send it back here to Metuchen Yard but rather to Browns and stuff.

nick11a wrote:

wpdj61 wrote:Hmm, I confused the 3045 for that high hood geep which was sitting in east dover yard for a while. Nick, what was that engine number? That was the one with the 5 chime on one end and the 2 chime on the other. Good shot of the 3045 Nick. It with a GP15-1 which is cool.

scott

Oh Scott, you're thinking of 5095. I was trying to figure out what you were talking about with the horns on each end which I didn't think 3045 had.

And Scott, in case you didn't realize, 5095 which was in Dover Yard for the week or so was the same Geep you heard and we saw at Washington Yard back in June. That was so funny, you were like "I think I hear a GP38? I do, I do hear a GP38." And sure enough, we go past the trees and look down the ROW, and there was 5095 on a local there.

And yes, that CR GP15-1 Operation Lifesaver Engine was cool. Unfortunately, it is no longer here. I forget the number of it offhand. We have a few other GP15-1s hear at Metuchen though (CSX ones) on and off along with quite a few NS GP38s. I ain't seen a GP40 though here in a while. I miss them.

And one more thing about 3045, I have a video of an NS train at Bound Brook back in May where 3045 is the third unit and is coming back after being repainted- it was fresh in NS colors. Unfortunately, they didn't send it back here to Metuchen Yard but rather to Browns and stuff.

I recall the high hood Geep being the 5001. It's gone along with the boxcar that was sitting near Salem St. for who knows how long.

Correct, the 5001 was the high nose geep in Dover for many months......Now the H0-2 has the Gp40-2 3061 still in Conrail paint! I caught him pulling 2 HCL tankers past Mount Tabor yesterday morning complete with caboose.....I'm assuming he had to switch Reisch chemical on the Gladstone branch....or however u spell it....

Steve

njt4172 wrote:Correct, the 5001 was the high nose geep in Dover for many months......Now the H0-2 has the Gp40-2 3061 still in Conrail paint! I caught him pulling 2 HCL tankers past Mount Tabor yesterday morning complete with caboose.....I'm assuming he had to switch Reisch chemical on the Gladstone branch....or however u spell it....

Steve

Reheis I believe it is. I do recall them having 5095 too at one point as well. This one also has the dual horns on each end.

They also had the 5270, (a former CR gp38-2 that had just been repainted into the new Horsehead scheme) which had a P3. Those horns sounded even creepier than the 3045's.

Hi guys-
Ah, 5270. That unit was down here 2 years ago on the Southern Secondary. When I saw it then, it was still in its Conrail paint. A P3 horn? Thats proabably an oddball. And Nick, its funny that I made the comment I did about only hearing 2 high pitch bells on 3045 blow, because I caught it today and the engineer layed on it and all 5 horns definitely blew. It was one of those sounds that makes you go "......whoooooaaaa thats awesomme....." lol I like P5`s now lol. Take care guys -Chris

CTL10D wrote:Hi guys-
Ah, 5270. That unit was down here 2 years ago on the Southern Secondary. When I saw it then, it was still in its Conrail paint. A P3 horn? Thats proabably an oddball. And Nick, its funny that I made the comment I did about only hearing 2 high pitch bells on 3045 blow, because I caught it today and the engineer layed on it and all 5 horns definitely blew. It was one of those sounds that makes you go "......whoooooaaaa thats awesomme....." lol I like P5`s now lol. Take care guys -Chris

Glad you liked it Chris. And since it is fresh in you ear, I've been doing some reading and listening, and I believe 3045 has actually a P5 with "new casting." It's been three years since I heard it, but that's what I think it is like. Take a listen and see if it rings a bell (pun intended). This new casting changes the sound and tuning of the horn while all of the bells are still their original length. So as a result, it sounds quite a bit different from the original P5.

Here is a direct link from this site: http://trainhorns.net/airchime/p5_nc_030614_2.wav