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From time to time people make observations or ask
questions about 6167's condition during and after her time in excursion service,
and as we dig deeper into 6167, we uncover the truth behind some of these
stories. I will use this page to explain some of these myths and legends.
One comment I've heard numerous times over the years is
that 6167's whistle did not sound "right" while she was running,
especially in her final year or two of service. People seem to think this
indicates that the locomotive was having trouble steaming etc. 6167's whistle
can be operated in two ways, the first is by hand by means of the pull cord
above the engineers head, the second is by a device called the Viloco
Whistle Operator, which is a small pneumatic piston applied to the side of
the whistle. The two methods produce two distinct sounds; the pull chord allows
the engineer to quill the whistle, while the Viloco Whistle Operator opens the
whistle all the way almost instantaneously, minimizing any quill on the whistle.
When one of our volunteers took the Viloco Whistle
Operator apart, he discovered that the nut on the end of the piston rod which
pushes on the whistle valve was very badly worn, ("half gone"). I
think this worn nut provides a reasonable explanation for the weak sound of
6167's whistle during her final years, as due to this wear, the Whistle Operator
was unable to open the whistle valve all the way, which then produced the sound
captured on various recordings.
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