Steam & Excursion > Whistle adapter recommendation

I think this is a shop built "Frisco Hancock" whistle. The bell looks identical to a three chime Hancock, but the bowl/valve is deeper, and cast iron instead of brass. I need to have an adapter made for it. The nipple brazed onto the display base that came with it is 2.875" OD dia. 12 tpi, and tapers 3/4" in 12". Any recommendations on how to best go from that size, down to 2" NPT ?

---

---

---

Using adaptors often ends up with a "cobbled together" look; not good for display! Another concern would be the cost of an adaptor that size and configuration...I bet it would cost more than the original whistle! I would poke around a pipe fitting business looking for some scrap that is already threaded to fit my needs and re-make a base like the one you already have. It looks super simple if you have access to cutting/welding equipment.

Rick Bacon
Windsor, CO

The flange in the photo screws in perfectly for upright display, but the last whistle blow event I attended needed NPT connections to hook up, that's why I want an adapter. It was a stationary boiler fired on wood, around 140 psi, but you could still see how they sounded.

Posted from Android

Dennis,
You are correct, that is a Frisco bell and bowl. Your best bet, if there is enough meat on that fitting, might be to cut the flange off of it and take it to a shop that can machine the other end of the fitting for 2"NPT. It'll probably cost you a couple hundred but it'll be worth it. If you don't want to do that, or there is not enough meat on that fitting just have a shop machine a new adapter nipple, from bar stock.

I think the 2.875" piece is the actual size of 2-1/2" pipe. I think I'll hit a junk yard tomorrow and try to find a piece of heavy wall, schedule 80 pipe. A 3" chunk will give me the lenth I need & have threads turned on each end.

Posted from Android

LocoPilot750 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the 2.875" piece is the actual size of
> 2-1/2" pipe. I think I'll hit a junk yard tomorrow
> and try to find a piece of heavy wall, schedule 80
> pipe. A 3" chunk will give me the lenth I need &
> have threads turned on each end.
>
> Posted from Android


I think 2" NPT is 2.375

Pipe and pipe threads are confusing to me. I'm looking at a chart for 2-1/2" schedule 80 thick wall pipe. They show an actual diameter of 2.875" OD,(which is well over 2-3/4") a wall thickness of .276", with an inside diameter of 2.323". Looking further, they show the actual OD size for all pipe they sell larger in diameter than what they list it as. Not being a plumber, that is just confusing to me. The pipe portion of my flanged base in the photo is about 2.875 OD, with about 1/4" wall thickness. That should be larger than 2-3/4", but they don't sell pipe that size. It seems to go from 2-1/2" right to 3". So I'm not real sure now what size pipe that would be called. And, I wonder if this valve uses the same pipe size Hancock used, and what was that called ?

LocoPilot750 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pipe and pipe threads are confusing to me. I'm
> looking at a chart for 2-1/2" schedule 80 thick
> wall pipe. They show an actual diameter of 2.875"
> OD,(which is well over 2-3/4") a wall thickness of
> .276", with an inside diameter of 2.323". Looking
> further, they show the actual OD size for all pipe
> they sell larger in diameter than what they list
> it as. Not being a plumber, that is just confusing
> to me. The pipe portion of my flanged base in the
> photo is about 2.875 OD, with about 1/4" wall
> thickness. That should be larger than 2-3/4", but
> they don't sell pipe that size. It seems to go
> from 2-1/2" right to 3". So I'm not real sure now
> what size pipe that would be called. And, I wonder
> if this valve uses the same pipe size Hancock
> used, and what was that called ?

The 2 Hancock long bells I have are both 2" npt. If you can't find the proper size pipe, go to a machine shop / welding shop and have them custom make you what you need.

This morning I went to McMaster-Carr online, and ordered a 2-1/2" schedule 8 thick wall pipe 4" long, with NPT threads on both ends. ($20.50) I'll have the threads cut off one end, then have it threaded for the 12 tpi whistle valve. That should work. Suprised the Hancocks have NPT threads.

Posted from Android

You wont find reference to 12tpi boiler thread in any catalogs or plumbing reference. While 12tpi is pretty standard for railroad "boiler thread" (except the GN whistle I have that is 11tpi, British pipe thread) the actual diameter seems to vary from one road to the next.

After three different machine shops, two tries, and two months time, I finally got an adapter made for this whistle. I now have 2-1/2" NPT coming out to screw into to. I can reduce down to anything standard from there. (Except more "steam" threads) I used a 6" schedule 160 pipe nipple, which had enough wall thickness to reduce, then turn the 3/4" in 12" taper, and cut the 60°, threads, 12 per inch, and still have enough left for thread depth. Fit's up perfect. $120 plus $55 for the pipe, but I'm glad it's finally done. I think for the most part, machinists have forgotten how to do things with a regular lathe, they all want to use CNC's, First place I went to, after a month, decides he doesn't have anything to cut the proper thread angle. 2nd guy got it done, but his program cut the taper all wrong, so the threads didnt' seal. Third guy was the charm, one day service too.

---

---

---

I agree about the machinist forgetting how to do the old fashion way, into that all the time. I have purchased a lathe and have decided to start doing things on my own. The guy sure did a good job on your adapter!

Posted from Android