I’ve been kinda curious what form of electronic whistle control was out there before Rothenbuhler came into the scene. Do any of you guys know ?
Maybe A whistle punk but most of them weren't electric. Bob
It was a cord run through the woods to the steam whistle valve was it not? (Or air)
thanks guys I appreciate it . im more so looking for the early electric radio signal system. ive heard of a radio worn like a belt that had a button you pressed for whistle signals .just curious if there is any info on this type of stuff.
We went straight from a 16ga cord with what might be called a "clacker" with electric contacts. generally referred to as a bug. It operated an electric solenoid on an air line to the whistle. When it was steam, it was a wire stretched tight to a spring valve on the steam line going to the whistle. Talkie Tooters caame out in the early 60's. Weyerhaeuser Snoqualmie still had bugs and bug wire hanging on the side of several yarders because of various issues (Maintenance I can only assume) with the talkie tooter. talkie tooter was and is in my opinion not only foolproof but logger proof. So I can only assume the issues were bad maintenance.
Thanks for that. Very cool, I especially like the logger proof part
There was a system used by Simpson that was a box worn on the belt as you describe. Dave Massingham still has a set.
Electro-bug, I still have a set. I don't know if they predated the talkie tooter. They were pretty poor setup, always in the shop.
Have a set,with chargers,air chime.One still works,one is dead internally.Just a display piece in my basement logging museum.The antenna went through the belt( wire pic),the screw off cap is the charger,the two black buttons held at the same time send the signal.Related to topic here,but not the original answer,just a different version. pic)
I remember Talky Tooters from my choker setting days.There was always a few coils of whistle wire around just in case,but i never saw it used . The last i saw of the whistle wire was being used on some haywire electrical stuff ,wiring trucks and machines ect .Before that was the Jerkwire as the old timers from the steam days called it .It was an art for the whistlepunk to string it out tight on branches and over logs to keep it tight enough to work the steam whistle.
W We use to call these "Banana Belts " . Horrible things to wear when you had a fall they would drive into your side and hip bone. They were also very unreliable many times I blew stop and nothing would happen not good when getting near the block at the backend. One place I was pulling rigging we used a bunch of extension cords that ran from the tower out into the bush with bare wires at the bush end touch the wires together to blow whistle. It was interesting to say least. Good times were had by all lol .
For a time in 1963 they had talkie tooters in Hard hats. That unit also had a microphone and you could talk to the engineer.
Anybody remember the old Challenger radio systems?
There were two different types of signal before talkie tooters. The steam whistles used a line with small pulley "fairleeds strung thru the bush and the "whistle punk pulled on the wire to blow the whistle. This was known as a "jerk wire". Then when electric whistles began use they used what was called a "bug" I show you a bug. You squeeze it together to make the electrical connection. Now I have a question. In 1963 I was a rigging slinger in Mahatta River they came out with yellow hard hats that had a talkie tooter in them. They were not around for long. I've been trying to find a picture of one.
Yes that was called a "jerk wire". Then came the electric ones.