Why Whistles on the Water?
During the 19th century, steamships ruled the
Great Lakes. Often a ship was identified by the
uniqueness of its steam whistle. Ship captains
would tune their steam whistle to create a unique
sound so that their ship could be identified
before it could be seen. While this custom seems
quaint to us today, it was very helpful to captains
of the Great Lakes in identifying nearby ships in
the fog and letting people on shore know which
ship was passing by.
When the Great Lakes shipping fleet switched
from steam to diesel engines, this unique characteristic of the Great Lakes disappeared.
Whistles on the Water recreates the time when
steamships were the “Royalty” of the Great Lakes.
Whistle Nomenclature
(Parts of a Steam Whistle)
Finial Nut
Lid
A Steam Whistle Event
September 26
2015
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Center Bar
Palmer Park, St. Clair, Michigan
Bell
On the banks of
the St. Clair River and
the United States/Canada border
Languid Plate
Bowl
Neck
Base Nut
Inlet
Drawing by Dave Michelson
For more information, please visit:
http://stclairontheriver.com/
whistles-on-the-water-2
How a Whistle Works
(The Theory)
Whistle Characteristics and
Corresponding Sound
Bell Length
Bell Diameter

Inlet supply pressure requires careful adjustment of the mouth opening.
Higher pressures require a wider opening for proper tuning, otherwise, a
whistle will “over-blow” and produce a squealing sound.
Pitch is indirectly proportional to bell length. The longer the bell, the lower
the pitch. The shorter the bell, the higher the pitch.
Volume (loudness) is directly proportional to the diameter of the bell. The
greater the diameter, the lower the whistle sound. The lower the volume, the
further the sound will travel.
Mouth
Opening
Harshness is associated with a small diameter whistle. The smaller the
diameter, the harsher the whistle sound.

Drawing by Dave Michelson


How the Whistles on the Water 160 psi Steam System Works
A LARGE STEAM WHISTLE WILL USE 287 POUNDS OF STEAM IN ONE MINUTE.
THIS EQUALS 35 GALLONS OF WATER EVAPORATED TO STEAM IN ONE MINUTE.

WHISTLES
STEAM

Drawing by
Dave Michelson
1) Steam enters the inlet at 50-250 psi.
2) The steam expands and spreads inside the bowl.
3) High velocity steam escapes at the steam slit.
4) The steam strikes the lower core of the bell
as it is split.
5) The steam is circulated inside the bell. This
creates an oscillating pressure wave.
6) The oscillating pressure wave is converted into
sound wave upon exiting the mouth.
STEAM WHISTLES MANIFOLD AT 150 PSI / 350 DEG.F
STEAM
ACCUMULATOR
STEAM AT 150 PSI
350 DEG.F
STEAM
STACK
FLUE
GASES
500 DEG.F
175 HP 200# BOILER
12 GPM OF WATER
STEAM
FEED
WATER
TANK WITH
CITY WATER
MAKE UP.
#2 FUEL OIL
TANK
WATER
BOILER TUBES
BURNER
STEAM HEATED WATER
350 DEG.F
FLAME
P
FUEL OIL PUMP RATED AT 60
GALLONS PER HOUR
ONE GALLON OF FUEL PER MINUTE
FEED WATER PUMP RATED AT 20 GALLONS PER MINUTE AT 250 PSI
P
ST. CLAIR ON THE RIVER
150# STEAM SYSTEM
9-27-13
AL JOHNSON
ERIC CAMERON
REV 4 6-27-14