# What type of Whistle did Auckland ferries have?



## Peregrine (Aug 15, 2017)

Hi everybody Recently I have gotten intrested in train's and ship's whistles and now I am wondering what type of whistle did the Auckland ferries have?


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

Rule of thumb, steam for steam ships and air for motor ships (stones on dredgers)


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Peregrine, I travelled on the old Takapuna from Bayswater wharf to the city Ferry building 5 days a week for 4 years and I still remember every nut , bolt , smell and toot about her . She was a steam ship with a Scotch Marine 2-pass wet back boiler operating at 150 psig . When she did blow the whistle , which was not very often , there was a lot of dribble and squirt before the sound due to the condensate in the steam line . Come to think of it she didn't give three toots to go astern as she berthed because she was a double ender with the only evidence of the bow being the anchor and capstan windlass .
The converted ferrys that were fitted with deisel engines would have had an air horn or klaxon .

Bob


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## Peregrine (Aug 15, 2017)

A.D.FROST said:


> Rule of thumb, steam for steam ships and air for motor ships (stones on dredgers)


Ohhhhhh that makes sense! What types of whistles are there?



spongebob said:


> Peregrine, I travelled on the old Takapuna from Bayswater wharf to the city Ferry building 5 days a week for 4 years and I still remember every nut , bolt , smell and toot about her . She was a steam ship with a Scotch Marine 2-pass wet back boiler operating at 150 psig . When she did blow the whistle , which was not very often , there was a lot of dribble and squirt before the sound due to the condensate in the steam line . Come to think of it she didn't give three toots to go astern as she berthed because she was a double ender with the only evidence of the bow being the anchor and capstan windlass .
> The converted ferrys that were fitted with deisel engines would have had an air horn or klaxon .
> 
> Bob


Did it sound similar to this? ( 



 This is the only recording I can find of a DSFCO Ferry sounding the whistle, also Have you gone to the auckland maritime museum? they have Takapuna's wheelhouse albeit in sad condition with children climbing all over her and spitting on her (?HUH) and they have Britannia's nameboard ) Did you ever see Takapuna at saint mary's bay before her death? The ferries all deserved a better ending.


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