Steam Trains and Engines

A steam train whistle is the audible signal that is typically used on steam locomotives. These devices have a dual purpose: they serve to warn any motorists or pedestrians of the train’s approach and they are used to communicate with employees of the railway system.

The earliest steam train whistles were activated by means of a pull cord, and later, a lever that allowed a proportional action. This mechanism allowed some variation in the way that the steam train whistle could be sounded, giving the operator the opportunity to inject some expression into what would normally be a fairly monotonous sound. Each train engineer developed their own unique way of sounding the whistle and over time, this resulted in railway employees being able to tell who was operating a particular steam train, depending on the sound of the whistle. This was only one of the little details that added to the unique charm and mystique of the railway system over the years. Unfortunately, the introduction of the pushbutton switch to operate the whistle brought an end to this colorful facet of early steam train history.

The use of the steam train whistle as a warning device can be indirectly attributed to the inherent characteristics of the steam train. Trains are obviously extremely heavy vehicles with very low breaking friction, making it hard to stop them when they are running at their normal speed. Other warning devices were proposed but they were either too expensive to implement or their effectiveness left a little to be desired. Steam train whistles on the other hand were cheap, easy to install and effective so they gradually came into regular use.

As we mentioned earlier, steam train whistles are used by train engineers to communicate with other employees of the railway system, either on board the same train, on other trains or on the ground. A system of whistle codes were developed with different combinations of long and short whistle tones signifying specific messages. These messages have to do with passing instructions, safety signals or signifying a train’s next action. Even today, with radio communication between trains and railway system coordinators the accepted mode of communication, these whistle codes remain an integral part of railway communications.

While no longer an indispensable part of the railway system, the steam train whistle remains in use today and in some small way helps to keep the legacy of the golden age of the railroad system alive.