Western Railroad Discussion > Nathan P2 Horn (Bell) wanted

Hi all,

I have a Nathan "P" 3-chime horn. However, it has two P1 horns (bells) and a P4. I really want a P2 for that SP sound. It needs to be the older style that says: "Nathan AirChime". I have attached a picture I found of what it should look like.

Anyone have one, know where I could get one, or be willing to trade a P1 for a P2?

Thanks.

Bryce

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There are quite a few of these on Ebay right now However horns seem to go for outrageous prices these days Go to Railroadiana -hardware

Yeah, I noticed there were quite a few lately, but no one is selling just the number 2 note.

Hopefully someone will have a lead.

Bryce

God,there are tons of those on Metrolink, that's all they use, nasty little beasts.
You're lucky you don't need #3 or #5 as those are the hard ones to find, all P3's use #'s 1/2&4.

Tom

busdriver,

does your P bells have "pat pend" cast on one side near the diaphragm housing or "pat pending"

I can help you get either # 2 bell

P5r24

Thanks so much, I'll send you a PM.

Bryce

Looks like the newer style P horn = Pat Pend.
They all say Nathan Airchime

Tom

Do the old and "new" styles sound any different from each other?

Bryce

busdriver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do the old and "new" styles sound any different
> from each other?
>
> Bryce


They do.

The most obvious difference, however, is between the Old Casting P-5 and the New Casting P-5 (the NS still has a lot of the New Casting P-5s on older power, though they--thankfully--went the route of the Nathan K5LA). The Old Casting P-5 was one of the most melodious air horns ever made (though some will argue that it was the even older Nathan M-5...I like the P-5).

At any rate, the New Casting Nathan P-5 sounds like a screeching dog's breakfast compared to the Old Casting P-5, the "Standard Horn of the Rock Island" on most all of its power, and, used on the passenger power of many roads prior to Amtrak.

I do not know how Nathan managed to "screw up" the P-5 as they did--only that they did so. It was a true loss in acoustic beauty across the nation.

Oh well--they did come out with a darned nice horn with the "Amtrak Standard" Nathan K5LA, also standard to the CSX, and later, the NS and KCS.

And, we now have some variety with the Nathan K5LLAs on the EMD SD70M-2/SD70ACe line, and, the Nathan K5HL on the GE GEVOs. Both are nice, but I find the K5LLAs on the EMDs more "strident" and ever-so-slightly more pleasant, and are similar, but not identical to, the K5LAs on all Amtrak and most commute power--except for those California commute agencies that have "barf-in-a-bag" horns to please the tree huggers and "Not In My Back Yard" Types that fluorish with such abundance in that state. I hope that as the Tree-Huggers fulfill their lustful desires with the various species of indigenous hardwood available to them in their quest to commune with nature--that they can live with the Human BLOOD that is on their hands due to the barely audible horns on high-speed commuter trains that have resulted in several deaths--and I hope that the agencies that caved in to the Tree Huggers can live with their decisions, too--I couldn't...

At any rate the K5HLs on the new GEs are quite nice, too, and, have a wonderful sound from a distance, being somewhat more "mellow" than the K5LLAs on the EMDs.

What I find strange is that EMD and GE would specify different horns on their units beginning with the SD70M-2/SD70ACe and ES44DC/ES44AC line. It used to be a "railroad dependent issue", while now, for the first time in my recollection, horn selection seems to be more of a "locomotive manufacturer's" issue. But--both are Nathans--to my delight. And, aside from passenger power assigned to tree hugger-infested municipalities, the majestic Nathan K5LA continues to be the standard for new passenger locomotives. Sorry for offending the Leslie fans out there, more so than for any offense I may have given to tree huggers. ;-)