AirChime Hexatone H6
Designed using Ancient Chinese musical theory, Robert E Swanson developed the H6 Hexatone in the year 1948 to 1949. That time they only made four pieces of this type of horn. The first H6 that was produced was called Serial #1. It was made of cast iron though it was scrapped a bit sooner. It was replaced by three horns made from aluminum that had survived until now.
The Serial #1 that was used to replace the old version made from cast iron has been missing since the 1980s. Serial #2 can be found stored inside a British museum for transportation while Serial #3 can still be found at AirChime company in British Columbia.
The horn H6 has an immense height. The bells are placed in a hexangular pattern having the largest of the bells at the lowermost center. The bells are irreversible and are welded together. It has a tube made of copper running to each bell from the manifold. The orifice of each bell is also different which results in a balance of the high and low tones. The diaphragm housing of the bells is adjustable. By screwing it clockwise or counter-clockwise, you can change the length of the bell, changing the pitch of the bell higher or lower.
The H6 Hexatone was supposed to sound the keys C, D#, F#, A, C and D#. Different musical notes can be made just by adjusting the heads of the horn. The SP/Nathan long-bell 6-chime steam whistle was one of those.
The H6 horns were impractical to use. It is due to the fact that they stood almost two feet in height and weighed over 50 pounds. This is not to mention that they can be snagged easily by items that are hanging over the tracks. The first H6 that was made of cast iron was never used in service. The three other horns were used for less than a year only on slow running short lines. The aluminum Serial #1 was known to be used in Washington State as a trial run on the Simpson Timber Railroad.
It is also to be noted that the H6 horns were manufactured in the year 1949, which is before the inception of AirChime and before the start of Nathan's horn business. The H6 was a creation of Robert Swanson and should not be associated with AirChime and Nathan.
