Sound of History

One thing a steam locomotive is not is subtle. Though there are times when such machines are surprisingly quiet, people generally know when an train is approaching because of the sheer amount of noise moving locomotives produce.

However, when a train is running slowly or going through an area that already has a lot of environmental noise, sometimes a steam engine needs to announce its presence so people know to get out of the way. Most famously, steam locomotives were equipped with a variety of whistles where each tone was unique depending on the locomotive and the engineer running it. While whistles have fallen out of fashion in favor of horns, bells are still used today on locomotives.

The typical bell found on a steam locomotive is made of cast brass and weighed as much as 300 pounds depending on the size of the bell! We have several locomotive bells in our collection at the South Dakota State Railroad Museum, but one of the best looking and best sounding is a bell off of a locomotive that called the Black Hills home.

The Rapid City, Black Hills, and Western, known as the "Crouch Line", ran from Rapid City up into the hills to the ghost town of Mystic where it offered a direct route for freight in the Burlington's "high line" into Rapid City. Locomotive #55, a 2-6-2 "prairie" type, was built in 1927 and operated until the little short line stopped operations in 1947. The bell managed to outlive the rest of the locomotive and found its way into the possession of the Frink family who have ties to Mystic. Russel and Pam Frink donated the bell to the museum in 2009 and it now sits proudly on display with the rest of the collection as one of the more unique pieces of Black Hills railroading's past.

Even better, visitors, especially children, are encouraged to ring the bell from #55! Not only is it a fun test of one's strength and sense of rhythm, but it also fills the exhibit hall with a nostalgic sound that once rang through Dark Canyon and up Rapid Creek in years gone by.