Commonly asked questions and answers

for all discussion about horns fitted to locomotives and trains, their history, and collecting them.
HWAdmin
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Commonly asked questions and answers

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Q) What pressure should I run my (Nathan/Airchime/Leslie/Prime) horns at?
A) 100-125 psi is enough and will cause far less wear than higher pressures. On a locomotive it would normally be 120-130 psi.

Q) How much is my (Nathan/Leslie) horn worth?
A) What someone wants to pay. But factors like condition, paint, history, provenance and rarity all play a part. As a very rough guide, the value can be around 150-200 per bell (US dollars) for a diecast Nathan K horn (so 450-600 for a K3 and 800-1000 for a K5LA, for example): but other makes, models, and sandcast horns, vary much more widely.

Q) What's the difference between a bell and a horn when talking about air horns?
A) A bell is the part that looks like the trumpet, a set of bells or chimes (plus manifold) form the horn - so 5 bells forms a 5-chime horn.

Q) What's a manifold?
A) A manifold is the casting that the bells mount on to, and supplies each bell with air from a central supply source.

Q) What size tubing should I use to get my horns to sound their best?
A) A minimum of 1/2" inside diameter, with the valve as close as possible to the horn.