This week, Chris Rizzoli of Rizzoli Locomotive Works has provided a guest blog post describing how he came to design custom steam whistles for the V&T Railroad. He also talks about growing his business. Please check out his excellent videos below. These videos are selected from his UP3368 YouTube channel. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments section, thanks!
Rizzoli Locomotive Works
BUILDERS OF CUSTOM STEAM WHISTLES
History With the V&T
A trip to South Lake Tahoe in 2012 started our relationship with the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. While on a short vacation in South Shore, we ventured over the hill to see the Nevada State Railroad Museum. While visiting the wonderful collection they have there, we were informed that the V&T was running and we could see it come into the station.
We headed up to the Eastgate Depot and waited to hear the lonesome moan of the engine as it came into the depot. To our surprise, what we heard was later described by Ed Gallegos as a “ruptured duck”. A squealing, over blowing mess of sounds came out of the stately engine as it descended into the station.
My wife Heather was able to get us an invitation into the cab to meet the Engineer and the Fireman for a few brief moments. We climbed into the McCloud River #18, I asked the Fireman, Ed Gallegos, if the whistle was an MD Whistles casting. He said yes and then proceeded to tell me in great detail what it sounded like in service.
Before I could respond to his colorful description of the sound, my wife Heather said “he can help you with that, Chris and his Dad build whistles”. Heather did not understand that our business, Rizzoli Locomotive Works (RLW), was founded for the smaller scale whistles (live steam up to amusement park size) and not the full size market.
I love a challenge, so I asked Ed to put me in contact with Thomas Gray so I could talk about building them a new whistle for the #18.
Tom was delightful to work with and brought the #18’s whistle down to our shop once the season was over. We took measurements from the whistle and then set to work fabricating a new whistle for the locomotive.
We actually built two whistles to try on the engine and we let Tom pick the one he liked best.
The following year (because of a request from Ed) we built a Southern Pacific 6 chime for the engine that remains on her today. Once we had completed the Southern Pacific 6 chime, I asked Tom what he thought of RLW purchasing MD Whistles out of West Virginia (the original manufacturer of the “ruptured duck”). He not only encouraged the purchase, he graciously offered the use of his locomotive to test our products.
In October, 2014, the Rizzoli Locomotive Works purchased MD Whistles and is now manufacturing locomotive whistles for full size operations all over the world.
Thomas Gray has been so supportive of our work in this area and so gracious in allowing us to test our products on his locomotive. We could never thank him and his wonderful (and colorful) crew, for all they have done for us over the years!
Videos
Since most of our work in building and restoring locomotive whistles is not something you would ordinarily see on “How it’s made”, I like sharing some of our more interesting projects with people that would not normally have access to the information.
The work for the Virginia & Truckee Railroad is always interesting and challenging. From the Power Reverse Gear to the Hancock 4735 air whistle, every project gives us an opportunity to explore the steam age and give something back to the railroad that we are so proud to be associated with.
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