"White Christmas" on a Steam Whistle

[JasonC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGGLQck0cmk

Scary and melodic at the same time.

[Jim_Ferer]

I've heard honest-to-God steam calliopes before. They're awesome. This was plain cool. I wonder how they did it?

[JasonC]

I've heard honest-to-God steam calliopes before. They're awesome. This was plain cool. I wonder how they did it?

Yea, there are a couple of videos of those on YouTube as well. Not to keen on Steam Whistles but probably by altering the PSI.

[Daniel]

I have always wanted to hear a Nightingale whistle, and that's what that is. It was a large whistle with a cable-controlled sliding baffle inside the dome that raises and lowers its height internally. Listen to the next "warmup" video for an idea of the pitch range. They were designed for use as fire and emergency signals with a variable-pitch signal distinct from a factory whistle. Pulling the spring-loaded cable raises the baffle inside the dome and lowers the pitch, and in the past, people attempted to play music on them. I didn't know there were any left in use.

[Robert Gift]

Leave it to you to know, Daniel.
Thank you. I learn so much from you here.
I could not view it on this computer.

I once played a steam calliope.
The pipes' hot spit was unpleasant against my hands and face.
Glad I had tissue to stick in my ears.
I began the Bach "Gigue" fugue.
Sounded fantastic until the pedal came in.
The span was not enough, but it sure was fun.

[SirenMadness]

The whistle that I've just heard is downright haunting.
I could just imagine myself standing in an unoccupied alley, with the whistle starting up just blocks from me.

[JasonC]

Here's a news article link:
http://www.yorkblog.com/archives/2006/0 ... _loud.html

[Daniel]

Leave it to you to know, Daniel.
Thank you. I learn so much from you here.
I could not view it on this computer.

Thank you, but I forgot that the more common name was "Mockingbird." I believe that the Nightengale was made by a competitor. I have always wanted to try a real steam calliope, but they are hard to come by out here. There is a man in Sweden who built a calliope of sorts out of Kockums air horns which also sounds like fun. The closest thing I have to that is a nearby church which has trompettes-en-chamade attached to their little 10-rank M?ller (which also has chimes and four electronic stops, but no mixtures!).

[Rheems1]

I embarrased to admit that I live about 7 miles from York and had no idea that this thing exsisted..... I will have to go this year and listen to that display.

Dave

[Robert Gift]

Could you get some pictures of it?
All I saw was steam rising above the roof.
Fascinating.
Maybe if we can promote this, so many may attend performances that they will be encouraged to continue.