Horns used by the Santa Fe

Research by Ron Chamberlain, article by Paul Brown

Updated 3-18-07

Attachments:

Early Era Applications (up to about 1960)

• From photos, all had dual Wabco horns as original equipment. Type AA (straight bell) or AAC(curved bell) were replaced by dual Leslies. From photo evidence, the Leslie A125H & M dual horn was the standard Santa Fe replacement horn for the doodlebugs, sometime in the mid 1930's. It sounded G#, B below mid. C. However, by the 1960's some of the old worn dual Leslies were replaced outright. The M160's horn was replaced with a Wabco model E-2 single tone, and Leslie model A 126-247 operating in tandem, sounding F, B below mid. C. The M190's horn was replaced with a Leslie Supertyfon model S-25 single tone horn, sounding mid. C.

• Equipped with Wabco AA2 dual tone as delivered: Sounds D, G below mid. C.
• Replacement horns were Leslie A-200-156 and A-125-247. D#, B below mid C.

• Equipped with Leslie A200/A125 as delivered - Both horns, the Leslie A200-156 and A125-247, faced forward. They were normally sounded together D#, B below middle C.
• Replacement horns for the E3 and E6 classes were Leslie Supertyfon model S-3L-R (low C, D#, A) or S-5T-R (low C, D# ,F# ,A, C#)

• Equipped with twin Leslie A200-156 as delivered: Left facing forward, right to the rear, and operated in tandem creating a vibrato D# below mid C. sound.
• In the early 50's, some of the passenger Fs were retrofitted with five chime horns; Nathan Airchime M5R24 (C#, E, G, A, C#), or Leslie S5TR (low C, D#, F#, A, C#)
• The Santa Fe sampled both the Nathan Airchime M5R24, and Leslie S5TR in passenger service during the early 1950's. Although we have no official Santa Fe motive power directives, photo evidence will show that the Leslie horn won out on cowl body passenger unit retrofits by the mid sixties. In fact, all the PA's were retrofitted with the S5TR by 1962. There were few M5 applications when compared to the Leslies. A notable exception was FM #90.
• The Santa Fe used a different arrangement from the Leslie recommended pattern on the majority of it's Leslie fives. For documentation, I have a 1962 EMD air horn parts list for the Santa Fe calling for the third and fourth from the largest bell to be reversed. This is evident on all the PA's, and the majority of EMD passenger motors. The Leslie standard configuration called for the second largest bell and smallest to be reversed, which by the way, the majority of the railroads used.
• Note: Two known Santa Fe S5T's are preserved. One is on the F7 347C at the Calif Rail Museum and one is in a private collection. One of those two came from the F3 16C. Evidently, these two five chimes are among the few rare examples saved from the hundreds of Santa Fe applications that eventually went to scrap.

• #50 was equipped as delivered with Wabco E-2 (large horn) & A-6 (small horn).
  
• PA's equipped with twin Wabco model E-2's or Leslie A-200-156's as delivered. Right side facing forward and the left to the rear. The E-2's sounded F below mid C in vibrato. Photo evidence also reveals some units with twin Leslie Tyfon A-200-156. On occasion, one of the twin horns would fail and was replaced with the other type, creating a discernable discord. D#, F below mid C.
  
• All the PA's were retrofitted with the Leslie S5TR by 1962.

• The #90 was delivered with twin Leslie A-200-156, Rt side facing forward and the left to the rear. They sounded D# below mid C in vibrato.
  
• Photos suggest retrofitted with a Nathan Airchime M5R24 by 1959
• Budd RDC 191/192
  
• Appeared to have been delivered with Leslie Tyfon model A-125-2A Chime Tone. Notes were C#, F above mid C. Later replaced with single note Leslie model S-25.

• Equipped with twin Leslie A200-156 as delivered. Left facing forward and right to the rear and operated together creating a vibrato D# below mid C.
  

• Equipped with twin Leslie A200-156 as delivered. Right facing forward with the left facing to the rear, operated together to create a vibrato D# below mid C sound effect.

• As delivered: Split version of the Leslie Supertyfon model S-3L-R. Two bells on a two horn manifold (S-2M) on the right side and one single bell horn(S-25) facing rearward on the fireman's side. D#, A above mid C with the A bell often overblowing to F#.

• Early deliveries- Leslie A125-247 - short hood (forward) - and Leslie A200-156 - long hood (rearward).
  
• Mid deliveries- Nathan Airchime MS-1; From photos, the MS-1 replaced many A-125-247 atop the short hood facing forward.
  
• Late deliveries- Leslie Supertyfon S-3L - split, see below.

• Leslie Supertyfon S-3L - split, see below - All deliveries.
• It appears from photographic evidence the first units in the 2650 class were delivered with split Leslie A125, A200's (one front, one rear). However; the horn type varied over the three year delivery period from 1950-1953. Many had the classic Nathan Airchime MS-1, while others, towards the production run end, were equipped with the split version of the Leslie Supertyfon S-3L. Split, meaning the largest bell on a single horn bracket facing rearward on the long hood, and the other two bells mounted on a two-horn bracket facing forward on the short hood. All of the 700 class GP-9's were delivered in this way as it was an EMD standard application. What you heard at trackside was a dual horn, or Leslie Supertyfon model S2M. The single tone horn was used for reverse moves.

• From photos, it appears most four and six axle classes were delivered with Wabco model E-2 horns or Leslie A-200-156 horns. Many were delivered with, or retrofitted with a Nathan Airchime MS-1 horn on the short end hood.
  
• All 800 class RSD-15 alligators were delivered with the Leslie Supertyfon S-3L-R.

• Most were factory equipped with the Wabco A2 (long bell) sounding D above mid. C.
  
• There might have been a few Wabco A6 applications on the ALCo switchers.
  

• Delivered with the Leslie Tyfon model A-125-247, sounding B below mid C.
  

• Wabco A2, Nathan Airchime MS-1, or Leslie A-200-156.
  Check photos for positive id. MS-1 sounds C# above mid C.
  

• One Wabco model E-2 horn

• Most, if not all were equipped with the Leslie S-5T-R or S-3L-R as delivered. Some were converted to the Airchime K3LA later in their service life.

• As delivered: Leslie "L" chord structure on a U or universal base. Leslie SU-3L-LR. Horn differed from all factory designated models with the smallest bell located and reversed in the center position, which was a normal Santa Fe configuration.

• All were S-3L-R and variations.

• All were Airchime K3LA and variations. D#, F#, B above mid C.