Replica Baldwin Locomotive Bell in C90500 bronze alloy by V&T Enterprises.
An extensive and detailed survey of the bell on the locomotive Reno confirmed an identical geometry in both size and shape appearing in Baldwin Drawing No. 20. Identical stanchions and finials also appear in the Watkins photo of the Reno in Carson City, believed to be taken during the winter of 1877-1878. The bell style specification in the original Baldwin order is Chicago & North Western, which coincides with the same (bronze) stanchion, finial, and yoke design now seen on the Reno. Aside from an apparent casting repair due to possible cracking on the top of the bell and a missing top finial, all bell components appear to be original, as built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1872. The bell crank loop shows deep wear from years of bell cord use, and there is also a casting stamp number “3” near the base, which, coincidentally, also appears in the same location on the bell crank in the Watkins photo. In the Fred Jukes 1908 photo of the Reno, the top bell finial is a replacement sphere and not the reeded acorn design originally provided by Baldwin, appearing both in Drawing No. 20 and in the same Watkins photo.
Historical note: the bell on the locomotive Inyo is golden bronze, not brass (see image here), and is believed to be the original as-built Baldwin artifact. The bell on the Genoa was stolen sometime in the 1960s, and its current bell is a brass replacement, all according to the California State Railroad Museum. Given the authenticity of the Inyo's bell, we believe the original Baldwin locomotive bells on all three V&T 4-4-0 engines were most likely made of bronze, not brass.
A quick local polishing on the bell stanchion and finial revealed these components shined to the same gold color and not a darker traditional bronze hue. By contrast, other components, such as the railing stanchions, their finials, and headlight base finials, all polished to yellow brass color. However, a visual analysis is only an indication and requires a more quantifiable analysis.
A non-invasive metallurgical measurement using X-ray fluorescence and electron beam analysis was done on the bell components to determine their period alloy composition. The results of the analysis showed a predominant metal alloy composition of 89.5% copper, 8.5% tin, and 1.5% zinc, which would explain why this particular copper-tin alloy appears more golden in appearance than traditional 70-30 copper-tin bronze. Also, the notable absence of elements normally appearing in alloys in the 20th century, such as silicon and aluminum, strongly supports the belief that these bell components are all of 19th-century origin. The closest ASTM that allows for these components is ASTM B-584, Alloy C90500US, an 87.5%/8.5%/1.5% Cu/Sn/Zn composition.
V&T Enterprises has fabricated an exact replica of Reno’s bell according to its original contour and metallurgical specifications. The casting pattern for the yoke was CNC machined in an amorphous epoxy-infused spun glass composite material with compensation for metal shrinkage. The yoke and bell were cast by the Bridesburg Foundry Co. in Whitehall, PA, and the stanchions and finials were CNC machined from solid bars of C90500 alloy. (The original stanchions were hollow cast and cheaper to make with an available pattern.) An acoustic analysis of the bell shows its main audible frequency is 605 Hz, almost exactly between the key of D5 (587.33 Hz) and D#5 (622.25 Hz). The near-perfect grain structure of this bell is evident when the bell is rung with beautiful, harmonically rich, and long-lasting ringing (hear the bell).
For inquiries regarding this bell and style specifications for the V&T locomotive bell Reno, please contact V&T Enterprises: [email protected].
Bell yoke specifications, by V&T Enterprises
