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Locomotives often have their air horns on the cab roof (Although not as common these days as it once was, with the explosion in the number of antennas for PTC and such that have popped up on cab roofs).

So I would think it wouldn't be much of an issue on a laker that surely is better insulated than the cab of something like a SD40-2.

It was a whistle! It was referred to as a "pop whistle" & was used to warn pleasure craft who were in danger from the approaching vessel. YFA, Mike

Just a little too much noise? It would be like having your head under the hood of a Dodge when someone blew the horn! I could just see a Captain going beserk.

hugh3 wrote:

could it be a loudspeaker?

Now that makes sense...I would not want to be in the pilot house that had a whistle on the top of the top of the brain box. Just a little too noise.

Most of the vessels converted to self unloaders, have horns on the pilothouse. Example, the 3 GLF AAAs, Jackson, Oberstar, Kaye Barker etc

could it be a loudspeaker?

Now that makes sense...I would not want to be in the pilot house that had a whistle on the top of the top of the brain box. Just a little too noise.

If not a horn, could it be a loudspeaker?

If you have a look in Eric Hirsimaki's book, "The Lakers: 1950-1959" on page 94, there is a much better view of the object above the pilothouse window. It does appear to be a horn.

- Brian

Interesting, I've never noticed that before. Attached is a picture of the Thompson's pilothouse on shore at Escanaba, and from this angle it sure looks like the object is an air horn protruding from the pilothouse. A closer picture of better quality could be used to identify the model, though something by Leslie or Kahlenberg is most likely. I'll see what I can dig up.

Note the round object above the pilothouse windows? Could this be an air horn of some kind.