Nathan P3 | |
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P3 is shorthand for the designation P124. The picture illustrates a common arrangement of the horn bells, with the #1 bell reversed. In this configuration, the horn is designated a P24R1. The P3 uses the same manifold as the P5 with two of the openings blanked. In the picture, the two openings on the bottom of the manifold (opposite the #2 and 4 bells) are blanked. Other arrangements were common (click thumbnails for larger images): | |
 | Many P3's were arranged in this fashion, with the #2 and 4 bells mounted below the manifold, with the corresponding openings on top blanked. |
 | An all-bells-forward P3. Horn and photo courtesy Brent Lee. |
The P3 was first produced in 1952 as a derivative of the P5 (P bells 1, 2,
and 4 from the P5). As with the P5, the castings changed over time to produce
slight variations in sound. The P3 was the common horn for the Southern Pacific,
Northern Pacific and Illinois Central. They were also used on the Spokane Portland &
Seattle, and to a lesser extent, on many eastern railroads.
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Original factory tuning was: A Major (C#,E and A). | |
Some old casting P3's can still be found on older SP, IC, and BN units.
New casting P3's are common on former SP and IC units. Union Pacific, historically a Leslie
user and more recently a patron of the AirChime K3HA, received P3's on some of their 4000-series
SD70M's in 2000. | |
"Old castings" P3 sound samples:Southern Pacific, various locomotives:Sample 1...141kB...6 seconds Sample 2...453kB...21 seconds Sample 3...281kB...13 seconds Oakland Terminal Railway: (courtesy Michael Johannessen) Sample 4...227kB...10 seconds Sample 5...184kB...8 seconds Sample 6...194kB...9 seconds Newer P3 sound samples:EMD Leasing SD70M:Sample 1...126kB...5 seconds Southern Pacific, various locomotives Sample 1...134kB...6 seconds Sample 2...221kB...10 seconds Sample 3...505kB...23 seconds Sample 4...417kB...19 seconds Sample 5...326kB...15 seconds Sample 6...206kB...9 seconds Sample 7...223kB...10 seconds Sample 8...194kB...9 seconds Sample 9...431kB...20 seconds Sample 10...277kB...12 seconds Sample 11...141kB...6 seconds Union Pacific SD70M: Sample 1...389kB...18 seconds Green Bay & Western C-424: Sample 1...351kB...16 seconds Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Ry.: Sample 1...114kB...5 seconds CSX GP30M: Sample 1...329kB...9 seconds When bad things happen to good horns:Southern Pacific SW1500 with a squealing P3 (courtesy Mike Muha):Sample 1...253kB...11 seconds Sample 2...206kB...9 seconds | |