Tried a $5 train whistle from a gift shop and it actually helped me spot a loose coupling

I picked up this little brass whistle at a station in Pittsburgh and blew it near a coupling that sounded weird, and the vibration change in the whistle's tone told me the pin was loose before I even checked it manually - anyone else use random tools like that on trains?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly6112d ago

Bought a $3 harmonica at a flea market once and tried the same trick, ended up sounding like a dying goose while a conductor stared at me. Didn't find a loose bolt but I definitely got a new nickname from the yard crew.

sarah_brown12d ago

Oh come on, a "dying goose" is WAY too harsh. You probably just needed to find the right spot on the train. I've done the same thing with a cheap harmonica and it actually worked after a few tries. Maybe the conductor was just trying to figure out where the noise was coming from, not judging your skills.