The Siren Board

I'm thinking K-5 Sterling

holler wrote:I'm thinking K-5 Sterling

A little bit off-topic, but it seems that Robert Swanson got some ideas of names for his train horns from Sterling! Is there a Sterling P-5?

thewoog34 wrote:

holler wrote:I'm thinking K-5 Sterling

A little bit off-topic, but it seems that Robert Swanson got some ideas of names for his train horns from Sterling! Is there a Sterling P-5?

Robert Swanson got his names from how the horns operated/were designed.

H=Hexatone, referring to the hexagon shape of the H6

M=Modulating

K=Kettle drum

not sure what P signifies.

Sterling had their model lettering to designate their design I believe

2v8=2hp vertical 8?

M= motorized

H= hand crank

not too sure on the K or Y (unintentional lube joke sorry)

If I'm wrong on this please correct me.

3t22 wrote:

thewoog34 wrote:

holler wrote:I'm thinking K-5 Sterling

A little bit off-topic, but it seems that Robert Swanson got some ideas of names for his train horns from Sterling! Is there a Sterling P-5?

Robert Swanson got his names from how the horns operated/were designed.

H=Hexatone, referring to the hexagon shape of the H6

M=Modulating

K=Kettle drum

not sure what P signifies.

Sterling had their model lettering to designate their design I believe

2v8=2hp vertical 8?

M= motorized

H= hand crank

not too sure on the K or Y (unintentional lube joke sorry)

If I'm wrong on this please correct me.

I'm pretty sure the P stands for "Pre-set pitch" as it did not require anywhere near as much regular re-tuning as the M series did. Swanson made a joke, saying that it stands for "piss-poor" despite the great build quality and low maintenance need (even compared to the K series) of the P series.

I would love to know the difference between a Sterling M-10 and Y-10.

Okay, gotta go on-topic for something, so I'll ask a question relating to the topic of this thread. In Charleton NY (It's in upstate NY) the VFD used to have an older siren on it before being replaced with a Model 2 (or 2t) in the 1960s. The old siren was bought some time in the 1920s or 30s, maybe even the 40s. My girlfriend's dad describes it like this: It was very big, much louder than the Model 2. It had a VERY slow wind-up. It looked like a water tower, but with the tank split in half almost and right below the "dome" on the top it looked like it had ribbed housing. It sounds to me like he is describing a VERY early Darley or maybe even a Sterling 2v8. He said that it is possible that he knows the person who still has the siren sitting in his shed and he could get pictures (or I could even offer to buy the thing) but for now, what siren do you think was on this VFD?

thewoog34 wrote:

3t22 wrote:

thewoog34 wrote:
A little bit off-topic, but it seems that Robert Swanson got some ideas of names for his train horns from Sterling! Is there a Sterling P-5?

Robert Swanson got his names from how the horns operated/were designed.

H=Hexatone, referring to the hexagon shape of the H6

M=Modulating

K=Kettle drum

not sure what P signifies.

Sterling had their model lettering to designate their design I believe

2v8=2hp vertical 8?

M= motorized

H= hand crank

not too sure on the K or Y (unintentional lube joke sorry)

If I'm wrong on this please correct me.

I would love to know the difference between a Sterling M-10 and Y-10.

Sterling Y-10 had a brake on it. Other than that there are no differences.

videogamer wrote: Sterling Y-10 had a brake on it. Other than that there are no differences.

Yelp anyo- oh hey that might be what the Y stands for, but probably not.

Anyway, yelp anyone?

Towards the end of this video I hear a few sirens. I know one is a Carter, but what is the other?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4l9z_2m ... r_embedded

8/12 allertor sounds like

Siren on the left? In Walkerton, IN. (credit to amtrak3501 for the photo.)

It looks like a Sterling of some kind.