(posted by PS, 21 June 2017)
"What year was the new cast P5 introduced?"
(comments)
DO: "1978 I'm pretty sure. It was about the same time the K horn sales surged, and Nathan subcontracted out the P horn production. The mold patterns changed, and evidently not for the best on the musical spectrum."
MF: "DO is correct, it was never introduced as a new product, that's just when the mold patterns for the P horns changed."
PS: "That's what I'd thought. So if that's the case, how were Southern GP38-2s ordered with new cast P5s? Some of those were built in 1972."
MF: "They were not ordered with the new cast P5 or old cast P5, they were ordered with the P5. At that time, 1972, they would have been old cast yes. However, as things wore out and got cycle through the shops probably most of them got replaced with new cast."
BM: "Remember that the Amtrak E60s were delivered around 74 with old cast bells. I'd say the changeover happened right before K horn production went full swing in 77. You would probably see mixed cast horns comming out around 1975-1976 as Nathan used up old stock."
MM: "It is 1976-1977 according to the late Fred Berry."
DR: "I have a ~February 1977 P5A with both new and old cast bells. Being that both P5s and P3s used the 1, 2, 4, (whereas only the P5 used the 3, 5) the old cast stock for these three bells was burned through more quickly than the other two. My P5A in question has a new 1 and 2, old 3 and 5, and the unchanged 4A."