‘Pullen Whistle’ Marks End Of Work Day
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Casey Jones Railroad Museum Curator Grant Thompson (right) holds one of two brass whistles similar to the whistles used on steam locomotives. The whistles were loaned to the museum by Dr. Lee and Andrea (left) Pullen. Thompson hooked the whistle to an air compressor and blows it each day at 5 p.m.
WATER VALLEY – A new tradition that honors the city’s rich railroad history was launched at the start of the new year. A brass whistle – similar to the ones used on steam locomotives – was installed on top of the Casey Jones Railroad Museum and sounded for the first time at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Museum curator Grant Thompson reported the test run marking the new year was successful, but largely unnoticed as fireworks across the city overpowering the blasts.
“That was the maiden whistle and few heard it,” Thompson said. “I was hoping the folks at the Crappie Drop would hear it, and some did.”
Retired railroad engineer Willie Pullen opened the air valve to sound the steam whistle at 5 p.m. on Jan. 15. Three generations of his family worked on the railroad in Water Valley – Pullen’s grandfather was a boilermaker in the shops, and his father, Barney Pullen, was an engineer.
Willie Pullen’s son, Chris Pullen, works for Canadian National, continuing the family tradition.
After the inaugural sounding, Thompson or other volunteers have blown the whistle at 5 p.m. each day signaling quitting time across the city. Thompson’s notion to install a working steam whistle at the museum dates back several years, an idea he first shared with the former museum curator.
“I told Jack Gurner I would love to have a whistle,” Thompson explained. “That was two or three years ago.”
The idea transitioned to a project when Dr. Lee and Andrea Pullen loaned the museum two identical brass steam whistles. Andrea recalled when Thompson stopped by her business, BackTrack Antiques and Gifts, to pick up the whistles.
“Never in a million years did we think they would be functional,” Andrea Pullen said.
Next Thompson enlisted the help of Bobby Camp to test the whistles, hooking them up to an air compressor.
“It blew, but it wasn’t very loud because we didn’t have a big air compressor,” he said.
Thompson and Camp then went to work building a new air compressor using a donated motor and extra tank that could build pressure up to 150 PSI, along with a hookup threaded for a three-inch pipe need to connect to the whistle.
“It was so loud, I had industrial ear plugs in and it still rattled my ears. So we knew it was going to work,” Thompson added.
The response from the community has been very supportive as people started hearing the unannounced five o’clock whistle across town.
“I have received so much positive feedback. The furthest someone has heard it is eight-tenths of a mile away. Someone heard it just off of North Court Street next to the park,” Thompson said.
Thompson even has a name for it, the “Pullen Whistle,” a tribute to Dr. Lee and Andrea, who provided it to the museum, and the Pullen family’s connection to the railroad in the city that spans multiple generations.
Thompson is employed as a full-time firefighter in the City of Batesville and is not always available to pull the handle on the air valve that connects the compressor to the whistle. Volunteers have stopped by the depot at five to fill in for Thompson, and he is also enlisting the help of former trainmen in the area.
On Jan. 15, retired engineer Willie Pullen was the first former trainman to blow the whistle. Pullen gave it two long pulls, a short pull and one final long tug – a familiar sequence from his days on a diesel locomotive with an air horn.
Former railroad workers are invited to reach out to Thompson if they would like to come to the depot.
Thompson is also working on a timer that will be added to the hookup that will open the air valve at 5 p.m. if
“We are excited that Water Valley’s rich railroad history will continue for many years to come with this new tradition,” Thompson added.
