The Steamboating Forum

Hi everyone,

I am probably not your usual forum poster, I am very new to steamboats I'm afraid. I am a sound designer who wants to record the awesome sound of steamboats. I've spent hours watching youtube videos and I really love these sounds and want to build a library of them (some sound libraries do exist, but typically sound designers like to record their own, so that we are unique! also it is a lot of fun)

Trouble is I'm based in SE Asia and I don't think there are many in this part of the world. Does anyone know? I am willing to travel, but don't have the budget to go as far as the US or Europe unfortunately.

I am also curious to know if similar sounds can be produced from other machinery. And of course, any other information you can give me on steamboat sounds (e.g. how the engine reacts to stress, whistles, horns, anything!)

Thank you in advance!

There is one SBA member in Hong Kong who has a steamboat.

Welcome to the forum!

That sounds like a very interesting project. There are quite a few steamboats, and preserved ships, in Australia and New Zealand... Perhaps your budget would allow you to travel to those areas?

Website for the steamboat association of Australia: http://www.steamboat.com.au/

Yahoo groups has a "steam whistle" group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/steam-whistles/info - you'll need to belong to yahoo groups to join and view, but that should be no big deal. Surprised nobody in China has done something about this. China was one of the last countries to run steam locomotives (I think India was the last).

Thanks so much for the tips! Yes it is a shame that none seem to have been preserved here given the history.

I have some more questions...

Is there any other way the sound of the engine would change apart from speed? e.g. would it sound different if say a tugboat had a heavier load compared with a lighter load? Would the amount of fuel change it? Or something else? Is there an equivalent to changing gears like there is in a car?

Also when would you use a bell instead of a whistle? Are the signals the same for bells and whistles?

Thanks!

Hi

Picking up on your question, it is worth noting that in hobby steam boating where the boats and engines are small, one can get a different sound from a worn engine compared to a well maintained one. Little end bearings in some engine designs are lighter than ideal and tend to wear, leading to knocking. The design of the valve linkage may also be such that it is difficult to take up wear leading to a degree of clatter. There is also the possibility of 'not quite right' valve adjustment leading to odd noises.

I'm not sure if different boiler pressures affects the way an engine sounds. I'm sure the excellent folk on this site will tell you

Regards


Pete

to continue Pete's theme, the steam launch "Shamrock" on Windermere is almost silent, no engine noise and all that can be heard is the quiet hiss of steam up the funnel and the sound of the water passing the hull. The use of a silencer in the engine exhaust does help and the feedwater is by injectors.

Air and feed pumps on the engine always make a noise.

On steam vessels internal bells are used on engine room telegraphs. A large external bell is sounded in conditions of low viability. Whistles should be used to signal changes in direction in accordance with the international code, turning starboard one blast, port two blasts, going astern three blasts etc but are frequently used for greeting other steam boats.

American steam locos used both bells and whistles from the John Bull (at the Smithsonian) onwards.

JohnG