Air-Powered Train Whistle Made From PVC

Air-Powered Train Whistle Made From PVC AG WORLD 28-4-22 "It looks and sounds like an old steam locomotive train whistle," says Dewey Wright, Charlotte, N.C., about the three-chime, air-powered whistle he made entirely from PVC pipe. The whistle measures 15 in. tall and 3 1/4 in. in diameter. It's designed to be powered by a low volume compressor at about 15 psi. There are three smaller 3/4-in. dia. pipes inside that are partially visible through arch cut-outs. A quick-connect ball valve screws into the bottom of the whistle, which is painted gold to look like brass. "I used PVC because it's easy to work with and cheap. If I built it from brass, it would cost at least $200 in materials alone," says Wright, who makes whistles as a hobby. "When they first see it, a lot of people are amazed that it isn't actually made out of brass. You can mount the whistle on top of your barn or on your car or truck. It's very loud and has a beautiful sound to it. I can change the whistle's tone by moving the ball valve back and forth. "I use a 150 psi compressor, but the quick disconnect ball valve fitting reduces the air pressure to about 60 psi. If you ran a 3/4-in. dia. pipe with 150 lbs. of pressure directly into a whistle it could blow up," he says. He sells his whistles on eBay as well as through the mail. "On eBay, I start the bid at $1 to give everyone a fair chance. Normally the whistles sell for $100 plus $15 S&H," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dewey Wright, 8331 Clear Meadow Lane, Charlotte, N.C. 28227 (ph 704 573-9468; email: dewey190@carolina.rr.com).

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