QE2 Whistles

[Twynkle]

Thought that as QM2 has a section about her Funnel we definitely need one for The QE2's great funnel - and I've added the Whistle too, as I am finding it difficult to believe we may not ever hear this in real life - ever again...
BTW Thank you Rob for relaying the Whistle to the Crystal Bar!

'Fraid I can't separate the photo from the other clutter on this link!
(& hope that I won't get into trouble for not putting pic in the Gallery...)


http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2983239860063228069rJGOZM

[Rob Lightbody]

Can someone tell me - for definite with references - whether QE2's whistle was steam, and if so was it always steam?

I think the answer is yes, and yes, but would like to be able to say it for absolute definite.

[Andrew Collier]

Rob, I believe otherwise, never seen a picture of steam, comming out the whistles.

The only reference I can find to back me up so far is 'From the Bridge - QE2 Cunards Flagship' by Peter Moxom, Malcolm Finister & Allen Burnley which just happened to be to hand, on page 57 there is a photo of the mast and the description underneath describes the items on the mast, it reads: ''The Mainmast, showing from bottom to top: the DF areial loops, the 3cm radar scanner, the 10cm radar scanner and the electric and air-controlled whistle horns.''

Page 32 of the same book refers to one of the whistles as a 'Tyfon Air Whistle' and refers to the Master asking permission of the Harbour Pilot to sound it three blasts upon departure from Southampton.

Haven't time now, but later will research further, many other books to go! Look forward to hearing what others find!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

This is what was written in the QE2 Daily Programme on 14 September 2008 -- and is quoted with a sound sample here (and on the following video too) :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/2943190804/

Typhon Whistles : Queen Elizabeth 2 has three whistles, audible for ranges of up to 2 miles. On the mast there is one air whistle and one electric whistle, used for making sounds when the ship is manoeuvring. There is also one on the foredeck for use when the ship is in restricted visibility (this whistle being sounded every 2 minutes, by an automatic timer). All whistles are tested at noon each sea day.

There is an entry about Tyfon whistles here in Wikipedia :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle

Quote :
Ship's whistles must be very loud for safety on the seas. Modern ship's whistles can be electrically or steam driven. RMS Queen Mary was originally equipped with three electric Tyfon whistles in 1932. They could be heard at least ten miles away and were tuned to 55 Hz, a low bass A note that was chosen for maximum passenger comfort despite the high sound pressure level. One of the three whistles was taken back to Kockum Sonics in Malmö, Sweden, where it was refurbished for a new life of service aboard the RMS Queen Mary 2. Modern IMO regulations specify ships' whistle frequencies to be in the range 70-200 Hz for vessels that are over 200 meters in length. Traditionally, the lower the frequency, the larger the ship. The Queen Mary 2, being 345 meters long, was given the lowest possible frequency (70 Hz) for her regulation whistles which means she carries both 70 Hz modern whistles and a single vintage 55 Hz whistle.

[Rob Lightbody]

This is what was written in the QE2 Daily Programme on 14 September 2008 -- and is quoted with a sound sample here (and on the following video too) :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/2943190804/

Typhon Whistles : Queen Elizabeth 2 has three whistles, audible for ranges of up to 2 miles. On the mast there is one air whistle and one electric whistle, used for making sounds when the ship is manoeuvring.

So - the 2 big 'horns' that we've all seen on the front of the mast, only one of them is the QE2's booming voice that we know so well???  Wow!

Also amazed to read that QM1's horns weren't steam either!! So the person who once told me that the reason QM2 will never sound like QM1 because they're not steam was talking nonsense!

QM2's vintage whistle, at 50khz, isn't regulation - but does she use it? have we heard it?  or have we only heard the re-tuned "legal" one?  Confusing!

[Andy F]

I've always understood them to be electric/air operated also.

[Twynkle]

Rob - although I haven't a copy of the whole video (possibly on YouTube?), I believe there was a comment made (not sure by who) about both Whistles during the Final Tandem Crossing - when both QE2 and QM2 were whistling to each other during the day before reaching So'ton.  Then it seemed that the QM2 Whistle was sounding distincly higher and thinner than the deep dark tone of the QE2's Whistle!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

There's a lovely one from just before their departure from Southampton for their final tandem crossing, made by Hythe Eye :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hythe-eye/2931041373/

And here's another great one, taken from on board QE2 by Nick Herber :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickherber/3023289285/

The contrast between the two is amazing...

[Twynkle]

A sad day...

Thanks to thecallows

[Andy F]

Great find Rosie, although as I recall, all was not well that day!  I was waiting for QM2 to sail by (and suitably miffed at the fact QE2 was berthed the wrong way around), and when she did, she was blowing her whistle with all her might, trying to elicit a response from her venerable sister.  After some time had passed, QE2 eventually responded but rather than her usual baritone blast, the return was somewhat feeble unfortunately and from where I was standing, sounded like the fog horn on the fo'c'sle   

Fortunately, whatever was wrong had been fixed by the time she departed later that evening for she was certainly in fine voice then but this final meeting of the 2 sisters was something of an anti-climax it must be said!

[Twynkle]

Thanks and there are more to come, Andy!

QE2 Farewell

by samuels5731

[Kindlychap]

The operation of the whistles is controlled by a rotary switch and a button, both on a small white panel near the centre of the bridge - and the operator has the choice of either or both of the main whistles. At noon the whistles are sounded together on the stroke of noon, and then the next two blasts are one each of the two whistles separately. The foghorn (which I loved as much as the whistle - it was the highlight of the Grand Banks on a TA - listening to it every other minute..... Particularly lovely late at night, lying in bed with it clearly audible was a memory that I will hold with me to my grave. Unlike that thing on QM2, which is just strident.

If one listened carefully at noon one could hear the combination of the two, then the slightly weaker blasts following it. I think the pitch was very close together, and was probably responsible for the beat that one could hear in it.

Matthew

[Rob Lightbody]

Thanks Matthew, I didnt know that about both sounding at once - that explains her wonderful voice!

I agree about the foghorn - it sounded amazing.

[Bob C.]

This is a great discussion and the video in the above post just educated me after 39 years of knowing QE2 that there are 3 distinct whistles as we heard 3 tones from 2 different places - 2 on the mast and one forward.  The rumor I have always known was that when second set of penthouses were installed in 1977 (QM and QE Grand Suites), the whistle on the mast was deactivated and moved forward to where the fog horn is now because of the possible disturbance to the penthouse dwellers.   

My guess is that this is partially true.  There is the novelty and romance of hearing the ship's whistle when departing or entering port but to hear it every two minutes in fog that can be present for days on end when crossing the Atlantic would be tantamount to a Chinese water torture.   I think it logical to assume the foward whistle was added to keep the fog signal away from the penthouses and the original whistles were only used for less frequent soundings.

Can anyone back me up on my theory? 

I do know that when the forward whistle was first added, its STBD leg stood on the bow anchor chain run and the other two on the deck.  When the chain run was removed, the foward whistle stood on 3 equal legs. 

[Kindlychap]

My guess is that this is partially true.  There is the novelty and romance of hearing the ship's whistle when departing or entering port but to hear it every two minutes in fog that can be present for days on end when crossing the Atlantic would be tantamount to a Chinese water torture.   I think it logical to assume the foward whistle was added to keep the fog signal away from the penthouses and the original whistles were only used for less frequent soundings.

Can anyone back me up on my theory? 

I think you are wrong. And I say that because the foghorn is not annoying in the penthouses. I've certainly listened to it at night on several occasions in 8001 although I can't really recall the situation in 8081. I was always thrilled to hear it and it really wasn't that noisy. Unlike the one on QM2.

What you say sounds sensible, but is simply not borne out by experience.

Matthew

[Mauretania1907]

The sound of QMary2's horn is a definite two tone, unlike QE2 who has a solid and powerful voice. Again many thanks to those who posted these on Youtube.

[Twynkle]

This is a truly great video - I've written to it's Maker expressing very much gratitude!  
QM2 and QE2 An Atlantic Farewell

[Rob Lightbody]

The information about QM1's horns appears to be incorrect - I've received this from someone who worked on board QM1

Electric? Of course they were steam, I was there in the boiler rooms for five years. As for 1932, the Queen Mary had no funnels to install the whistles.

[Twynkle]

QE2 Whistle on 40th anniversary of launch

Thanks to Magthecoder




Following the posting of the QE2 and QM2 whistling to each other, the Maker of that video also referred to this one!  
It's his recording of the QE2's Whistle, made on her the 40th Anniversary of her launch!

'Onboard QE2 40th Birthday Whistle Salute'
Three Cheers with Captain McNaught!

[Twynkle]

June 2008.  The penultimate time that The QE2 sailed into Geiranger Fjord