Air Ringer

Discussion in 'General Steam' started by Karl, Jun 13, 2008.

  1. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Continuing the discussion from the booster thread....here's 609, supposedly at Clinton(per the negative sleeve), with a top-mounted bell with an air ringer.
     

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  2. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Thanks Karl--Until I saw you photos, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. Auto air ringers would more commonly be installed on switch and passenger engines right (being around pedestrians)? Would they be just randomly installed or a factory option? Certian class of locomotive?

    Tom
     
  3. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Based on the pics in Collias's book, it appears that air ringers started to appear very early. Page 90 shows 1007 during 1905 with this appliance. They appeared on several ancient examples of Frisco steam such as former KCOS locomotive 94 or 1880-built number 100. It looks that by the 20's nearly "all" power had the air ringers, and all subsequent puchases, freight or passenger were so equipped.
     
  4. gbmott

    gbmott Member

    I certainly never saw a locomotive from the late 40's to the end of steam that did not have an air ringer. Also, to the best of my knowledge the SLSF always used the type of air ringer that actually swung the bell as opposed to those that simply moved the clapper as, for example, the Midland Valley.

    Gordon
     
  5. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    I think the 4500s came with a ding-ding-dinger bell that also would swivel in the hanger. I kept threatening to put one on the 1522 because the Viloco air ringer was a pain in the butt most of the time. It either would swing the bell in circles or sometimes wouldn't start when you opened the air valve and you'd have to yell at the fireman to pull the rope to get it started.
    I know they were that way in service because somewhere I saw a notice by the Lindenwood roundhouse foreman concerning it.
    I still like the swinging bell best, with the red mouth and all.
     
  6. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    The ringer I saw as a kid was a fixed type where only the clapper moved--That's really what made me notice automatic bells. It rang very rapidly--and loud. Ding-ding-ding-ding...Very different from the rope bell that rang when you saw the fireman pull the cord.
    The occaision was at Springfield July 5th 1948 when President Truman made a speech before his train moved on to Bolivar and where he would dedicate a statue to the South American liberator Simon Bolivar. Eveyone in the media (radio and the preliminary speakers) went to great pains to pronounce the South American's name as "See-moan Bow-lee-var." But Harry (in great "Missourah" style) called him "SI-man BOL-uh-vur." And the crowd roared!

    Tom
     

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