F3 questions

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Two questions about the F3’s (9960 set) used by CBQ for the California Zephyr:

  1. there are two chimes. In its DSX series of sound decoders, Soundtraxx sez the “1st gen EMD/Wabco E2” is correct. Upon audtioning their decoder, what I hear is two chimes at almost the same pitch, which results in a slight wavering sound.

Anybody know if this is correct?

  1. Would this set have had diaphragms?

Thanks

Hal

2

Hello Hal, Photos show those Q passenger F3s with single-note Wabco horns, at least as delivered. But I never heard the real thing, so I can’t say what they sounded like. The F3s were all built with diaphragms – they were standard equipment. So long, Andy

3

Hi Andy

OK, I’ll add the diaphragms to these Stewart F3’s I got from Mike, and also need steam generators from Details West.

My photos of 9960 show one foward-facing chime and one rear-facing. The sample does sound like two chimes at about the same pitch, so I’ll assume it’s correct unless someone knows better.

Thanks

Hal

4

Hal,

The American Limited diaphrams work great on all my Stewart Fs. I also use the Kadee #450 close coupling couplers. This combination actually allows diaphram faces to touch like the prototype does. I don’t know what your min radius is, but this setup works on 24" never tried it on anything smaller. The #450 bracket has 2 mounting holes for coupler box mounting. The outer hole used @ rear will leave the units slightly further apart and the diaphrams barely touch when backing up. This may allow for an even smaller radius.

5

About the only choice (other than a Hancock Air Whistle) for horns in the forties-fifties was the single chime “BLAT” airhorn. Smaller engines like switchers usually just had one facing forward, larger diesels would have one facing forward and one backward. This gave more consistent volume in both directions, usefull for a road engine that would have to blow it’s horn while travelling in either direction. The sound (that is, the pitch) of the horns would basically be the same, but of course it could happen that one would be slightly higher or lower pitched than the other, producing the sound you describe.

Eventually many diesels had their horns replaced with three or five chime set-ups. I believe Soundtraxx on some of their decoders give you a choice of single, three or five chime horn sounds.