Mount Washington horn a thing of the past?

StephenB · 08-02-2023, 08:11 AM

We're not around the lake nearly as much as we used to be sadly, but visited yesterday for a trip on the Mount where we noticed that the crew was using the newer whistle exclusively as they came into port, departing, and for traffic out on the route.

Have they given up on the big blaster air horn? It was always cool to hear that thing as they came into Weirs Bay. I'll admit, that thing could make you jump if you were on the top or fore deck when the captain yanked on it - sometimes with a warning, sometimes not.

Slickcraft · 08-02-2023, 08:32 AM

The air horn is still available. Recently when the Mount was between Welch and Belknap Point, 5 short blasts were issued. A slow moving barge was about 1/2 mile ahead and in line with the Mount's heading.

steve-on-mark · 08-02-2023, 09:29 AM

Oh, it still works...read my last C-Nile post!

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

upthesaukee · 08-02-2023, 09:52 AM

I still hear the horn when the Mount comes into Alton Bay on Sundays. You can hear it around 11ish and again in the afternoon on its return trip.

Dave

Slickcraft · 08-02-2023, 07:25 PM

The thing that I do miss is the clap clap of the old diesel engines smokestack. You could hear it coming from afar.

Alan

chachee52 · 08-02-2023, 07:30 PM

Went on the Mount on Sunday, they used the usual horn blasts as they were leaving each port and the whistles to say "hi" to the people waving from shore and for boats that were getting in the way as they were cruising.

Descant · 08-03-2023, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

The air horn is still available. Recently when the Mount was between Welch and Belknap Point, 5 short blasts were issued. A slow moving barge was about 1/2 mile ahead and in line with the Mount's heading.

Is it really an air horn? When Jack Miller built the mini-Mount, he had recordings of the Mount's horn and sent them to a horn manufacturer to get an exact duplicate sound. His was an electro-mechanical device, wasn't it? That's quite a pipefitters dream to run a pipe from the engine room/compressor and air storage tank to the top of the wheelhouse, although that must be what they had when the Chateguay was built, same with bell signals to the engine room, since they did not have transmissions but had to stop/start to change from forward to reverse.

StephenB · 08-03-2023, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Descant

Is it really an air horn? When Jack Miller built the mini-Mount, he had recordings of the Mount's horn and sent them to a horn manufacturer to get an exact duplicate sound. His was an electro-mechanical device, wasn't it? That's quite a pipefitters dream to run a pipe from the engine room/compressor and air storage tank to the top of the wheelhouse, although that must be what they had when the Chateguay was built, same with bell signals to the engine room, since they did not have transmissions but had to stop/start to change from forward to reverse.

What I believe to be the air horn is mounted on the top of the smoke stack rather than the wheel house.

it wouldn't be too hard to run a compressed air line up the inside of that large stack, the latter being sized so large from the Mount's steam engines that first year it hit the water. The existing pipes for the Caterpillars and what I imagine is the diesel gen set look to take up almost no room in the stack.

I'm sure someone here must know intricate details about all these mechanicals, maybe even someone from the company. Please enlighten us!

garysanfran · 08-04-2023, 09:03 AM

Leaving The Weirs this morning, the air horn was used.

08-02-2023, 08:11 AM	#1
StephenB Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33 Thanks: 9 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Mount Washington horn a thing of the past? We're not around the lake nearly as much as we used to be sadly, but visited yesterday for a trip on the Mount where we noticed that the crew was using the newer whistle exclusively as they came into port, departing, and for traffic out on the route. Have they given up on the big blaster air horn? It was always cool to hear that thing as they came into Weirs Bay. I'll admit, that thing could make you jump if you were on the top or fore deck when the captain yanked on it - sometimes with a warning, sometimes not.

08-02-2023, 09:29 AM	#3
steve-on-mark Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Epping, NH / Mark Island Posts: 1,679 Thanks: 163 Thanked 671 Times in 381 Posts	Oh, it still works...read my last C-Nile post! Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk __________________ ....keeping " urban decay " out of photos for nearly a year.

08-02-2023, 09:52 AM	#4
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,547 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,398 Thanked 1,918 Times in 1,061 Posts	Still heard in Alton Bay I still hear the horn when the Mount comes into Alton Bay on Sundays. You can hear it around 11ish and again in the afternoon on its return trip. Dave __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

08-04-2023, 09:03 AM	#9
garysanfran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco/Meredith Posts: 1,491 Thanks: 604 Thanked 631 Times in 321 Posts	Leaving The Weirs this morning, the air horn was used. __________________ Gary ~~~~_/) ~~~ ~~~~~~~~

08-02-2023, 08:32 AM	#2
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and West Alton Posts: 3,218 Thanks: 1,175 Thanked 2,002 Times in 915 Posts	The air horn is still available. Recently when the Mount was between Welch and Belknap Point, 5 short blasts were issued. A slow moving barge was about 1/2 mile ahead and in line with the Mount's heading.

The Following User Says Thank You to Slickcraft For This Useful Post:
StephenB (08-02-2023)

08-02-2023, 07:25 PM	#5
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and West Alton Posts: 3,218 Thanks: 1,175 Thanked 2,002 Times in 915 Posts	The thing that I do miss is the clap clap of the old diesel engines smokestack. You could hear it coming from afar. Alan

The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Slickcraft For This Useful Post:
ApS (08-02-2023), garysanfran (08-04-2023), Janet (08-03-2023), StephenB (08-03-2023), upthesaukee (08-02-2023)

08-02-2023, 07:30 PM	#6
chachee52 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 387 Thanks: 6 Thanked 79 Times in 62 Posts	Went on the Mount on Sunday, they used the usual horn blasts as they were leaving each port and the whistles to say "hi" to the people waving from shore and for boats that were getting in the way as they were cruising.