The sound of that whistle gives me goosebumps! I just watched the PJ Christmas show when the cannonball was all lit up at night with everyone singing carols. Wonderful footage that brings a tear.
As a fan of all things Lima, and the Hooterville Cannonball....AND BTTF...this video hit all of my "chimes"! Thanks for sharing your talent with us all. 👍
Glad to see the whistle is back to its originally glory. Still remember hearing it when I first saw BTTF 3 for the first time in 2010 and Its great to hear the whistle sounding 10 times better than what it sounded like the last few years. I'm hoping to head down to Railtown 1897 someday to ride behind that beautiful 10 wheeler and I'm hoping that it'll come sooner than later
The most famous whistle almost ever. The Polar Express, Back to the Future III. It would be nice if you could repair Milwaukee Road 261’s wheezy 3 chime.
New England Railfan productions 2017 That 3 chime for 261 is actually used as the whistle for the crashing Robotnik Express in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Wow!!!! , Many Thanks for such awesome memories & Many Thanks for your awesome work on #3 as I loved watching her in the original Casey Jones with Alan Hale back in the early 70's & later on into the mid 70's in Petticoat Junction & many years later in Back To The Future part 3 , I only wish that I could travel from the West Coast of Australia to where she lives now & see her for myself in real life as I have 2 of these in HO scale & now in both movie forms which I've mentioned above ; Awesome work guys!!! , you've done great.
I've first HEARD number three as the Polar Express. Ever since I swore if I ever restored a steam loco she'd need a whistle like that. Something loud, proud, and filled with pride.
Nice to see how well a whistle restoration is worth. Amazing way to preserve rail history through operation keeping the historic sounds of steam alive and original.
Congratulations on such a fine job. Who doesn't smile and have great memories of the #3? She's a National Treasure for sure and she's never looked better than in her new black paint. One Grand Lady!
Were you aware you were sent a literal piece of history?! I’m just kidding. It must’ve been pretty incredible to have worked on the same whistle used on-screen in many historic films. Great video!
So poor Sierra#3 lost her voice last year? Good thing you guys were there to fix the whistle or we may never have heard the whistle of "The Polar Express" the way it should've been
3:20 Looks like an air leak has laser cut the casting. I only assume since I do not work on whistles. I see this a lot when doing repairs to industrial vacuum cleaners. Great video!
Thank you for sharing this very fascinating and emotion-rich story with us. I'll admit that I'm not familiar with most of the machining jargon mentioned in the video, but I enjoyed the content thoroughly nonetheless. I'm glad that the whistle has been restored.
Now that I've watched this, I'm pretty sure 261's 3 Chime has a similar problem. I've also told Steve (the manager of the 261 organization) about you guys because I really want that 3 Chime to sound strong and healthy just what it was when it came out of the factory in '44.
Except they almost never have the Milwaukee Road whistle on her. They've had that Santa Fe Sixer on her since she left Pennsylvania. Sure would be nice to hear her original fixed and on her though
@@steamgent4592 You mean they rarely blow it. They still have the 3 Chime up there but on a double whistle manifold operated by a squeeze which apparently gets stuck open sometimes and they don't really like the sound of the 3 Chime compared to 2905's 6 Chime (that's the engine that the 6 Chime came off of).
Nice to see this engine back running and sounding good, congratulations to all those involved in this restoration! A massive well done indeed. However just a couple of points I'd like to make: Firstly, as nice as the whistle now sounds, I personally don't think it is quite right. To me it should be a bit deeper and throatier. It's slightly too high at the moment. Though I suppose this is what it would've sounded like when new? I think she sounded her absolute best in Back To The Future: Part III, and in general around that period. The noticeable rasp/crow in her whistle is what made her totally unique. I understand the whistle was starting to get run down at this time and that's what created the incredible whistle tone, but I would argue that sound is the one people both a) associate with No. 3, and b) want to hear. Secondly, this whistle is NOT the one used in The Polar Express. It is VERY similar I admit, but The Polar Express has a much richer and powerful sound if you listen very carefully. This makes sense as it's a much bigger engine. The whistle is more chimy and higher pitched, but not by much. Yes Robert Zemeckis made this film and added the "wanted to do that my whole life" line as a nod to his previous work, but he chose a whistle that was very similar to No.3, NOT identical. It is NOT the same, I don't care what anyone says. I have watched every single behind the scenes / making of / featurettes / etc for The Polar Express and not once does Robert Zemeckis mention using the same whistle as Back To The Future: Part III. If someone actually has a link to such footage then by all means show me, but until such time this is just a fanboy fantasy. The whistle used on The Polar Express can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/NfMcj4pd6AY/v-deo.html As I say, incredibly similar but NOT the same one!
Did you know?....that number 3 has a 100 per cent, brand new welded boiler, that was installed at the Sacramento Shops, x-S.P. RR., now owned by the California State RR Museum, plus featured in the PBS TV Show, ULTIMATE RESTORATIONS. HI from Green Bay, GO PACKERS!!!!!
The list of 10 most famous locomotives in the world! 1. Sierra #3 2. Big boy 4014 3. Lner 4472 flying Scotsman 4. Lner 4468 mallard 5. Union Pacific 844 6. Jnr class c62 7. Nsw 3801 8. Southern Pacific 4449 9. Grand canyon railway 4960 10. Cpr 2860
Fun fact: the Sierra 3's whistle was used for the Polar Express in the 2004 film of its namesake. Only the first time the Express' whistle is heard comes from its inspiration, the 1225
@@SierraRailway i watched several comparison videos between what it is in the movie compared to the sounds irl. Sierra #3's whistle was used throughout almost the entire movie whereas the 1225's was only used at the beginning
Quoted from the wiki: The Polar Express's whistle is from Sierra Railway No. 3, which was featured in Back to the Future Part III, another film directed by Robert Zemeckis
10:12 just imagine if her whistle had been freshly restored when she was shooting back to the future part 3, it would have been this crisp sharp sound instead of that obnoxious bellow.
Still it needs a few retouches,in my opinion... It still sounds a pitch or two higher than what i remember her to. How could you increase or decrease the tone in this kind of whistle? Because, as far as i know, one note whistles, like the General, could be modified by raising or descending the brass bell that forms the whistle through the screw that holds it in place. If that makes any kind of sense :p
The potch sounds fine. I think the bigger issue is the hiss. There's too much steam and the chimes aren't as rich as they should be. Perhaps if they find a way to lower the amount of steam and up the pressure it'll sound perfect.
Bear in mind, that sound was when the whistle had taken its toll, if it was installed back in '48 or thereabouts, it is very likely it sounded just like it sounds after the restoration. It just went from a high pitch to a low pitch, the latter made her extremely popular due to, mostly, BTTF, Petticoat Junction, Polar Express...
@@carljohnson621 i am pretty sure all of us wanted to hear the low pitch, though. I don't know why... but it kinds of makes me think of a blues singer. Deep, delicated voice... but made of steam and metal.
@@IlikeTitanic it could have been achieved if the center support piece hadn't broken free, see how it sounded after they first installed it, when it was drowning in steam ?? Just a few notches and it would've sounded just like the low pitched one, but the wielding that was supporting the piece was about to give way, which it finally did. Hadn't it broken free, the whistle may have sounded just like before it lost its sound. But like I said, it was about to fail, and it would've required another restoration in, probably, less than a week
@@carljohnson621 i wonder... is there anything that can be done at this point to get her voice back? i am just curious, because i honestly am ignorant about the technical requirements to make a whistle sound in a certain way. But i am sure that some other people, just like me, will be interested in learning about it =o
I wonder why they did that to the langwod plate instead of just using a gate way valve under the whistle to lower thr pressure so it does not over blow 🤔
This sure most of been tough for them to do. Also if up3368 is reading this I hope they don't me mind saying this but on a scale of 1 to 10 how hard was it to repair this whistle my guess is definitely a 10.
What I want to know is this. Is the whistle the engine’s original whistle or was it added later as a replacement? Because if it had this whistle since new in 1895, how was it fitted with a Lima made whistle when it was built by Rogers?
I've watched Petticoat Junction, and I've seen the new versions of some TV shows such as Hawaii Five O and Magnum, and in my mind if a new version of Petticoat Junction was made, I would imagine it that the Hooterville Cannonball has a 1920 Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive #63, the engine I had in my mind would be perfect for it would be Huckleberry Railroad's 1920 Baldwin 4-6-0 #152
I have to admit, I cried once I heard her at the run by. You never forget such an iconic sound getting restored.
Do You Mean The Whistle?
@@thefishwhistleofnotredome9239 yeah dummy (im not calling you dumb)
10:12 THATS how a whistle should sound like. Well done
And yet this locomotive is still an icon along with its whistle. It's a very beautiful steam locomotive.
man when i heard that whistle i nearly jumped out of my seat and shouted YAHOOO thanks for bringing back a piece of my childhood
#3's Whistle probably hasn't sounded that good in decades!! Well done!!
Sounded fine until somebody replaced the poppet valve and broke the center support in 2016.
@@SierraRailway I knew they replaced the poppet valve, had no idea they broke the center support, that definitely didn't help.
Im Sure Hyce would be proud 😊
good to hear #3 has her voice back she sounds like the way she did when Back to the Future came out.
No not really
The whistle was already pretty thrashed in BTTF.
The sound of that whistle gives me goosebumps! I just watched the PJ Christmas show when the cannonball was all lit up at night with everyone singing carols. Wonderful footage that brings a tear.
This sounds better than it did in Back to the Future 3! Great job!
As a fan of all things Lima, and the Hooterville Cannonball....AND BTTF...this video hit all of my "chimes"! Thanks for sharing your talent with us all. 👍
If a machine and it's whistle can put a happy wet spot in my eye, this is the one! Thank you for your work!!!
Glad to see the whistle is back to its originally glory. Still remember hearing it when I first saw BTTF 3 for the first time in 2010 and Its great to hear the whistle sounding 10 times better than what it sounded like the last few years. I'm hoping to head down to Railtown 1897 someday to ride behind that beautiful 10 wheeler and I'm hoping that it'll come sooner than later
Imove
The most famous whistle almost ever. The Polar Express, Back to the Future III. It would be nice if you could repair Milwaukee Road 261’s wheezy 3 chime.
Alex Paumen 261’s 3 chime is made that way I believe and yes, #3 is the real voice of the polar express!
New England Railfan productions 2017 That 3 chime for 261 is actually used as the whistle for the crashing Robotnik Express in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
That’s a different whistle. It’s a 3 Chime yes but it’s not 261’s whistle.
ua-cam.com/video/e-koMkfAD20/v-deo.html It is 261’s 3 chime, just pitched up as the locomotive was approaching Watch and see what I mean
Actually the polar express has a Baldwin roundtop 3 chime
That whistle needed a good tune up it sounded like It was sick. you cured the whistle like a doctor curing a patient. You guys are awesome!
WOW ! Talk about turning a piece of S*&T and turning it into a Diamond !
ur right lmao
Yessir
Wow, amazing, how intricate it gets to create a certain wistle sound.
What a great story
It's sounds beautiful.
10:12 sounds beautiful
Like your Hancock three chime isn’t any better?
Wow!!!! , Many Thanks for such awesome memories & Many Thanks for your awesome work on #3 as I loved watching her in the original Casey Jones with Alan Hale back in the early 70's & later on into the mid 70's in Petticoat Junction & many years later in Back To The Future part 3 , I only wish that I could travel from the West Coast of Australia to where she lives now & see her for myself in real life as I have 2 of these in HO scale & now in both movie forms which I've mentioned above ; Awesome work guys!!! , you've done great.
I've first HEARD number three as the Polar Express. Ever since I swore if I ever restored a steam loco she'd need a whistle like that. Something loud, proud, and filled with pride.
Nice to see how well a whistle restoration is worth. Amazing way to preserve rail history through operation keeping the historic sounds of steam alive and original.
dam that whistle sounds so good now its fixed and working as it should and tbh i think that has to be my favorite whistle ive heard so far
Congratulations on such a fine job. Who doesn't smile and have great memories of the #3? She's a National Treasure for sure and she's never looked better than in her new black paint. One Grand Lady!
Man y’all did an amazing Job with that whistle
Great work! Glad it is working as it should.
I am doing research on Sierra No. 3 because I am building a Lego model of the Hooterville Cannonball. This was very informative!
It's amazing I found this video so near the Christmas holiday as that is my most iconic movie staring the whistle from this locomotive.
Beautiful tone!! So clean and crisp sound!!
Wow you fixed the Hooterville!! 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 great job!! Looked frustrating but worked out in the end!!
That whistle sounds like a million dollars!!!! Great Job Rizzoli!!!!!
Beautiful. Nice work.
Great job, Chris!
Were you aware you were sent a literal piece of history?! I’m just kidding. It must’ve been pretty incredible to have worked on the same whistle used on-screen in many historic films. Great video!
Love to see 28’s cannonball whistle be fixed as well.
There's nothing wrong with it, it's just been in storage for a long time.
@@SierraRailway interesting. Hope to hear it sooner than later
@@nicholasmedovich8691 It's on the locomotive right now, we've been tuning it to get it back to its old voice that we're all familiar with.
@@SierraRailway hope to see video of that soon. I’m stoked
Awesome job Chris! Can't wait for this pandemic to blow over so I can go back to Jamestown and here the full voice again!
Thank you for the use of your footage!
That earlier footage is basically what the Polar Express in the movie would sound like if it lost its voice. Thank goodness they fixed that whistle.
Beautiful mate, I also like your brothers COE truck as well cheers dennis
Sounds fantastic!
Love to see a video of 28’s cannonball whistle being restored exactly the same way as 3s whistle
I love that whistle!
10:11 I love it that the whistlr
It’s damn beautiful...
So poor Sierra#3 lost her voice last year? Good thing you guys were there to fix the whistle or we may never have heard the whistle of "The Polar Express" the way it should've been
I have to say it
The Polar Express and Back To The Future made the whistle more iconic
It sure did, same with the locomotive itself.
3:20 Looks like an air leak has laser cut the casting. I only assume since I do not work on whistles. I see this a lot when doing repairs to industrial vacuum cleaners. Great video!
Thank you for sharing this very fascinating and emotion-rich story with us. I'll admit that I'm not familiar with most of the machining jargon mentioned in the video, but I enjoyed the content thoroughly nonetheless. I'm glad that the whistle has been restored.
I wish I was you and someday I might see the number 3!
She lost her voice. Thank you for fixing her beautiful whistle.
I like how its called Lima 5 chime
in my language "Lima" means five
How many decibels does that kick out ?
Now that I've watched this, I'm pretty sure 261's 3 Chime has a similar problem. I've also told Steve (the manager of the 261 organization) about you guys because I really want that 3 Chime to sound strong and healthy just what it was when it came out of the factory in '44.
Except they almost never have the Milwaukee Road whistle on her. They've had that Santa Fe Sixer on her since she left Pennsylvania. Sure would be nice to hear her original fixed and on her though
@@steamgent4592 You mean they rarely blow it. They still have the 3 Chime up there but on a double whistle manifold operated by a squeeze which apparently gets stuck open sometimes and they don't really like the sound of the 3 Chime compared to 2905's 6 Chime (that's the engine that the 6 Chime came off of).
Nice to see this engine back running and sounding good, congratulations to all those involved in this restoration! A massive well done indeed.
However just a couple of points I'd like to make:
Firstly, as nice as the whistle now sounds, I personally don't think it is quite right. To me it should be a bit deeper and throatier. It's slightly too high at the moment. Though I suppose this is what it would've sounded like when new? I think she sounded her absolute best in Back To The Future: Part III, and in general around that period. The noticeable rasp/crow in her whistle is what made her totally unique. I understand the whistle was starting to get run down at this time and that's what created the incredible whistle tone, but I would argue that sound is the one people both a) associate with No. 3, and b) want to hear.
Secondly, this whistle is NOT the one used in The Polar Express. It is VERY similar I admit, but The Polar Express has a much richer and powerful sound if you listen very carefully. This makes sense as it's a much bigger engine. The whistle is more chimy and higher pitched, but not by much. Yes Robert Zemeckis made this film and added the "wanted to do that my whole life" line as a nod to his previous work, but he chose a whistle that was very similar to No.3, NOT identical. It is NOT the same, I don't care what anyone says. I have watched every single behind the scenes / making of / featurettes / etc for The Polar Express and not once does Robert Zemeckis mention using the same whistle as Back To The Future: Part III. If someone actually has a link to such footage then by all means show me, but until such time this is just a fanboy fantasy.
The whistle used on The Polar Express can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/NfMcj4pd6AY/v-deo.html
As I say, incredibly similar but NOT the same one!
Yes you are right the whistle is not sierra 3 railroad then what is it???
Edit: I just realized lmao
Sounds gorgeous. What font did you use for the “Sierra Railway No.3” text at 1:35? That’s nice.
The font is from Letterhead Fonts- Desire
Chris, it's whistle is used in the polar express!
Did you know?....that number 3 has a 100 per cent, brand new welded boiler, that was installed at the Sacramento Shops, x-S.P. RR., now owned by the California State RR Museum, plus featured in the PBS TV Show, ULTIMATE RESTORATIONS. HI from Green Bay, GO PACKERS!!!!!
The list of 10 most famous locomotives in the world!
1. Sierra #3
2. Big boy 4014
3. Lner 4472 flying Scotsman
4. Lner 4468 mallard
5. Union Pacific 844
6. Jnr class c62
7. Nsw 3801
8. Southern Pacific 4449
9. Grand canyon railway 4960
10. Cpr 2860
I'm sorry where is the New York Central Hudson?
@@gojigoodra that too.
March 26th, 1891 Locomotive 3 rolls out of the shops of Rogers Locomotive Works in Patterson, New Jersey.
Fun fact: the Sierra 3's whistle was used for the Polar Express in the 2004 film of its namesake. Only the first time the Express' whistle is heard comes from its inspiration, the 1225
It's not a fact if you can't verify it, it's just hearsay.
@@SierraRailway i watched several comparison videos between what it is in the movie compared to the sounds irl. Sierra #3's whistle was used throughout almost the entire movie whereas the 1225's was only used at the beginning
@@SierraRailway trust me, the 1225 does not have a gorgeous whistle like the Sierra 3
@@SierraRailway even the official Polar Express wiki says it uses the Sierra 3 whistle
Quoted from the wiki:
The Polar Express's whistle is from Sierra Railway No. 3, which was featured in Back to the Future Part III, another film directed by Robert Zemeckis
I Love this Locomotive
“I’ve wanted to do that all my life”
wow like new ;-)- just saw it on tv- a-team and little house...
She was Central Pacific Number 131 in Back to the Future III.
It's about time they fixed up the 5 chime, that whistle has been out of tune since 2013
Actually it started to go South in 2016. Sounded great until then.
@@SierraRailway not so sure about that! I was there the day the 3 went back into service and the whistle sounded TERRIBLE then!
@@kevin2472 I was there and I remember very well. It was repaired over the Winter that year.
What notes make up the whistle?
Love this train
Sounds great still, heard it today…
Interesting note: the locomotive that was in the remake of 3:10 to Yuma has the same whistle and bell as number 3!
Back to the future locomotive
She had 34 movies in her appearance
10:12 just imagine if her whistle had been freshly restored when she was shooting back to the future part 3, it would have been this crisp sharp sound instead of that obnoxious bellow.
3:24 Bad Whistle
5:52 Badder Whistle
7:13 Gross Whistle
10:12 & 10:38 Polar Express/Back to the Future Part Three Whistle
Rogers also made the state locomotive of Kentucky, L&N's Pacific class #152 :)
I believe she got her Lima 5 chime back in 1941, I don't know if this is true.
Close, it was put on the engine in 1948 after a rebuild.
Floyd, How much pressure we Rubin’?
I don’t know, Charlie. The needle’s up where there ain’t no numbers.
I for some reason liked the sounds of the failed ones
SERIOUSLY, IT’S BEEN WORN OUT SINCE 1975!
Still it needs a few retouches,in my opinion... It still sounds a pitch or two higher than what i remember her to. How could you increase or decrease the tone in this kind of whistle? Because, as far as i know, one note whistles, like the General, could be modified by raising or descending the brass bell that forms the whistle through the screw that holds it in place. If that makes any kind of sense :p
The potch sounds fine. I think the bigger issue is the hiss. There's too much steam and the chimes aren't as rich as they should be. Perhaps if they find a way to lower the amount of steam and up the pressure it'll sound perfect.
Bear in mind, that sound was when the whistle had taken its toll, if it was installed back in '48 or thereabouts, it is very likely it sounded just like it sounds after the restoration. It just went from a high pitch to a low pitch, the latter made her extremely popular due to, mostly, BTTF, Petticoat Junction, Polar Express...
@@carljohnson621 i am pretty sure all of us wanted to hear the low pitch, though. I don't know why... but it kinds of makes me think of a blues singer. Deep, delicated voice... but made of steam and metal.
@@IlikeTitanic it could have been achieved if the center support piece hadn't broken free, see how it sounded after they first installed it, when it was drowning in steam ?? Just a few notches and it would've sounded just like the low pitched one, but the wielding that was supporting the piece was about to give way, which it finally did. Hadn't it broken free, the whistle may have sounded just like before it lost its sound. But like I said, it was about to fail, and it would've required another restoration in, probably, less than a week
@@carljohnson621 i wonder... is there anything that can be done at this point to get her voice back? i am just curious, because i honestly am ignorant about the technical requirements to make a whistle sound in a certain way. But i am sure that some other people, just like me, will be interested in learning about it =o
What if we gave Sierra Railway 3 different whistles from the films it appeared or whistle used in?
Now that whistle was "a" singin'!!!!
10:13 now thats a whistle there
I wonder why they did that to the langwod plate instead of just using a gate way valve under the whistle to lower thr pressure so it does not over blow 🤔
watching this makes you think about the people who made steam whistles for a living
I'm from Arizona!
This sure most of been tough for them to do. Also if up3368 is reading this I hope they don't me mind saying this but on a scale of 1 to 10 how hard was it to repair this whistle my guess is definitely a 10.
Rip the origin of the polar express whistle
10:38 this whistle is from Global Rails: Revolution
What type of whistle the No.3 Locomotive have?
Lima 5 Chime
10:11 Sierra: (on radio) This is Sierra Railway #3 calling musician, I need a G major chord for This Little Light of Mine, over!
Wait a second, this was uploaded only a week ago???
I heard the whistle one thing popped in my head this is the train from back to the Future 3
Can you post a video of your DM&IR 3 chime?
What I want to know is this. Is the whistle the engine’s original whistle or was it added later as a replacement? Because if it had this whistle since new in 1895, how was it fitted with a Lima made whistle when it was built by Rogers?
The whistle was put on the engine in 1947 I believe.
I've watched Petticoat Junction, and I've seen the new versions of some TV shows such as Hawaii Five O and Magnum, and in my mind if a new version of Petticoat Junction was made, I would imagine it that the Hooterville Cannonball has a 1920 Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive #63, the engine I had in my mind would be perfect for it would be Huckleberry Railroad's 1920 Baldwin 4-6-0 #152
1:30
What’s the song? I’ve been looking all over and I can’t seem to find it.
Roundup on the prarie
That tree at the end got completely smoked out lol
Nice! 👍
Wish they put the diamond stack and box head light back on it makes the engine look nicer
You know what they say, third time's the charm.
Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga !
I guess her whistle finally went back to the future 🤣🤣🤣
5:52 whistle sounded like a Canadian Pacific G5 1200 class pacific.
IT should have had the whistle sound of the Cannonball installed , it is one great train .