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Whistory
The earliest use of the railway handblown metal whistle is difficult to trace. This being the case, a history of the start of steam driven trains and the onset of the possibility of passengers will help date when they would have been put into use. Couple with this, are the whistles themselves and possible makers to help in ascertaining the onset of their use.
1825 appears to be the start of railway service of goods and passengers. This was located at the Stockton and Darlington Railway, north-east England. This was followed in the USA within decades with a then parallel growth. Thereafter the Panama railway dates to 1855.
Who used the handblown whistles for the railway? It would appear that the conductor/guards had the most reasons for loading and unloading passengers with warning signals in lieu of the trains dangers.
Pictures or prints show them pre 1900, but how far back do the use of railway whistles go ??
The earliest recorded stamped whistle recorded here at TWG is the Stevens Bell whistle ( styled after the steam whistle ) designed by Richard Porteous and manufactured by J. Stevens and son. Since Stevens and Son were already supplying railway items, this makes sense. They also had two locations, one in Birmingham and one in Glasgow.
So, at this point we can safely date the earliest handblown railway whistles to circa 1860. Then if we travel back further in time with Richard Porteous, pre-Stevens we can date the Porteous Wind Instrument marketed for railway use by Swaine and Isaac 185 Piccadilly as the sole wholesale agents as the earliest known railway whistle. This is published in the Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Vol. 3-4
Now we have established a gap of 20 years between 1825 and 1845. Were any handblown whistles used by the railway during this time. Perhaps button whistles? That is the next challenge to establish. It does appear that over the years whistles have been apapted by railway companies. Meaning that whistles have been altered to reflect the railway company. Removing side walls on buttons and substituting clothing buttons made for the railway.
Additionally emblems have been attached to tube shaped whistles, escargots and even beaufort ( conical ). (SEE Dunk collection below)
The earliest undated whistles related to railway appear to be button whistles. These whistles have buttons from the railway uniforms used as the sides of the whistle body. The problem is that button whistles were handmade and not attached to any manufacturer.
At this point we can examine known examples of railway whistles. We will address metal only and leave horn whistles for further research.
Whistology
| Category | Railway |
| Classes | Metal Horn |
| Groups | Button Beaufort Escargot Tube Bell Multi-Tube |
| Sub Classes | Escargots (5 piece, 6 piece) Applied Buttons Applied Labels Porteous Tops |
| Proposed early timeline 1825 to 1900 |
| 1845 Porteous Wind Instrument 1850 button whistles ?? 1865 Porteous bell whistle – West London ( railway ) Stevens and Son Southwark. 1870 Yates watchman round NER 1870 Stevens L.B. & S.C.R. 1886 Acme registered 131 Barr St escargot GNR 1890 6 piece Auld CR 1890 Callander 5 piece escargot 1890 round whistles Hudson 1900 Bean ( USA ) B&O RxR 1900 side mount beauforts and tube shaped Hudson 1900 round knop tube Hudson |
The earliest railway whistles. The Porteous Wind Instrument, were marketed for its ‘discordant’ sound. 1845.
This oldest ‘button circa 1850 ? Maryport & Carlisle railway. Others are also rustic but later looking.
The stamped whistle West London is found on page 73 of More Whistles. Here is the bell design. Circa 1865 – 70 . Matching construction. West London Railway.
Thomas Yates put out a catalogue with model 804 in 1870. Likely this was already being made in the 1860s. North Easter Railway.
Later rounds were made by Hudson
Circa 1870 Stevens ( Juke Coulson ) were iron mongers/ bridges. London Brighton and South Coast Railway
Thomas Yates Circa 1880 Lancashire and Yorkshire Co. 909
An example of what appears to be a Stevens railway whistle. Lancashire Yorkshire.
Circa 1885 Hudson lightweight escargot. Great Northern railway
Auld circa 1890 Central Railway.
The 5 piece escargot is difficult to date. It could be from the 1880s but certainly dates to the 1890s. Here is an early Callander and Oban.
Edward Bean police whistle adapted for Baltimore and Ohio railroad. Circa 1890.
Side mounted knops must have been ordered special from the manufacturer. Usually this is seen on beafort whistles, but occasionally on GSWs. Here are a few examples of side mount from the Dunk collection. Sadly Joan and Peter Dunk passed away early 2020.
The round knop London & North Western railway is circa 1900 by Hudson.
Circa 1889 to 1903 Midland Railway, Hudson made with a tube shaped body.
From the Joan Dunk Collection, some various metal whistles where one can see multiple examples of modified railway whistles.
| Modifications included: |
| 1) Removal of the old buttons and replacement with railway clothing buttons. 2) Manufactured with original whistle, the railway buttons? 3) Over labels installed on escargots, GSWs and round whistles 4) Railway buttons attached to the sides of existing whistle sidewalls. |
TWG
Posted April 5, 2021
Bibliography
https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-railroad-4059935
https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/abs/10.1680/imotp.1845.24423?journalCode=jmipi
