4-8-4 - 4500's Original Whistle Blowing Video - Steam Tractor Show - Pawnee, OK

The first two scenes on this video are 4-8-4 SLSF 4500's original whistle. It was being blown by Mike Massy, 4-8-4 SLSF 4500's restoration manager, several years ago.

This was at the steam tractor show in Pawnee, OK. The wood fired power house boiler was putting out about 80 psi at the time, but you can get an idea what it should sound like at 250+ psi.

I do not know where this whistle is now, maybe back on the engine again. But if not, hopefully in a safe place.

A few years ago, I took a six chime Santa Fe whistle down there and Matt Ritchie in the second scene climbed up to the top, mounted it, and we blew it off and on all afternoon.

I do not know if they do that or not at Pawnee anymore, since Matt passed on. I do have a couple of whistles I would like to hook up somewhere.

I will have to watch for a whistle blow event somewhere this spring or summer.

 

Matt Richie has passed away?

How old was he?

Met Matt eons ago when I worked at the Eureks Springs and North Arkansas (ES&NA). He was shooting video of the ES&NA as I recall.

Cannot remember if I was running an engine that day, or what, just remember meeting him.

Then, decades later, I saw him again once when I was on a loan-out for WATCo. He had been with WATCo for a while by that time.

If I am understanding you correctly, sorry to learn of his passing.

Andre

 

Cannot remember now how I found about it.

He called me one time, and was having health problems.

I think he had cancer of the esophagus, but not sure if that was the cause of death or something else.

He was still posting on Trainorders in Jan 2015.

 

Thanks for the reply, Dennis.

Saddened to learn of his passing.

Andre

 

He died during surgery, early 2016.