As webmaster of the districtdave.co.uk website (yes it needs updating ), I’ve been sent the following intriguing question:
My husband & I own a diesel industrial shunter a Ruston & Hornsby 88DS Rowntree & Co Ltd No3 recently name Ken Cooke after a Normandy Veteran who unveiled his nameplate on Father's Day. Today we have been donated an London Underground whistle I have a attached a video so you hear how it's sound also two photos of the whistle & a photo of the locomotive it on. The person who donated the whistle told us if we contacted you as you may find it interesting & would maybe know what type of whistle it is, he did say it has been on the Isle of White.
Whilst all images and the video are hosted on my Photobucket account, they are attributed to, and consequently copyrighted to Glynnis Frith
I did reply that it would likely be from a withdrawn / scrapped 38ts, however I was then advised that the whistle has been in a display cabinet for many years. Might it therefore have come from Standard Stock or another unidentified source ?
The senders are aware of this thread and will be interested in any responses.
No sleet locos went to the Isle of Wight. Staff at Ryde Works installed de-icing equipment in one of the standard stock cars , a member of the works staff operated the equipment from the cab by using manual valves.
I flagged this thread with a representative of the LT Museum today and received the following reply:
Westinghouse ‘O’ pattern. Common on most stocks before the higher pitched type as on A stock became the norm. Battery locos still have them I believe. Our 38 still has them fitted and can be selected via a diverter valve if required to be demonstrated.
So there you have it... either Standard or 38TS trains 😁
The ultimate answer will relate to however long the whistle remained in the cabinet... however even then it'll be debateable as spare 38 cars were sent and then scrapped on the IoW from 1990/91 onwards.
Apologies for the double posting, but I've received an email:
Thank you for your help in tracing the whistle identity its interesting to hear what others thought. My hubby tells me the running pressure of the whistle is 80 to 100 psi. I will ask how long the whistle spent time in the cabinet.
IMO* if the whistle has been in the cabinet for:
27+ years, it'll probably have come from Standard Stock
24-27 years, either Standard Stock or 38TS
<24 years, most likely from a scrapped 38TS
I'll update again when I have more info.
* I'm very happy to be corrected by more knowledgeable members