(READ DESCRIPTION!) Western Cullen Hayes E-Bell "Type" Controversy

[@upking9080]

I’m gonna make some popcorn and watch the war break out in the comments section : )

[@amarillotexrails18]

😆

[@fostoriadistrictrailfan3907]

yea you might wanna do that....

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

I don't see any fights so far.

[@MobileRailSpotterRxR]

Also WCH E-Bells pitch, tone, and speed change due to temperature. When its cold WCH E-Bells so far from the ones I seen ring faster and the pitch is higher. When its hot they ring slower and the pitch lowers. Sometimes the tone would change also when its cold. A few GS E-Bells do the same thing also but mostly WCH E-Bells do it. The WCH E-Bell "Gen" system also got messed up after the new WCH E-Bells started coming out with both the pause startup and no pause startup if Gens were really even a thing.

[@natestrains1166]

The way I judge them is by the Generations. 1st gens have no coating on the circuit board, so the heat and moisture plays with the components, changing the pitch. 2nd gens have an epoxy coating on the board, so moisture and heat don't effect it. The newer ones I call 3rd gens.

[@CoastalOCRailfan]

I remember that one slow WCH e-bell on the BNSF San Bernadino Sub would change its pitch over time, sometimes having a medium like "type 2" sound, and sometimes a very low like "type 3" sound.

[@TheCentralTexasRailfan]

I have recently acquired some new WCH e-bells from 2009 in addition to my older one from 2001. The newer ones have sealed circuit boards, so I have a feeling their pitch is constant. The older ones are exposed and their pitch probably changes as the exposed sound chip could be affected by things.

[@freebrickproductions]

Ya know, I have to wonder if some of the pitch drifting is from the electronics in the bells aging? Alternatively, the "Type" designation could be used to encompass a range of pitches.

[@natestrains1166]

This happens mostly on first generation ones. They have an exposed circuit board, so moisture gets in them and messes with the components. The 2nd generation ones have an epoxy coating on the board, which prevents moisture from getting on the parts.

[@freebrickproductions]

@@natestrains1166 It's at least a cover over the board of some kind, to keep dust/water off of it. There's still some variations in the pitches of the 2nd Gen e-bells though.

[@natestrains1166]

@@freebrickproductions Many of the 1st gens in the midwest sound scratchy, or change pitch often, due to the changing weather. The second generation ones seem to still be effected by heat.

[@freebrickproductions]

@@natestrains1166 I was also kinda talking about how the pitches of the e-bells normally have varied over the years.

[@natestrains1166]

@@freebrickproductions Yeah, I've noticed that too.

[@bnsfrailfan]

0:20: That reflective tape does reflect the light, LOL

[@4funJust4you]

I must say I love the WCH type 1s, the WCH type 1.5s and the WCH type 2s. They're my favorite WCH electronic bells.

[@CoastalOCRailfan]

I've always thought the Type 1 (the one with the scratchiness) could be just the higher tone "Type 1.5". Some of them were installed on the LA Metro Gold Line, in the early 2000s. Besides, there's other WCH e-bells with other sounds that have the scratchiness in them (on the older ones at least).

[@TheRailroadCrossingChannel]

I think the scratchy sounding ones might just have their volume turned up really high. I also believe the conditions it’s exposed to has something to do with it as well. Does WCH list the model numbers of their products online? I would rather just go by model number and forget about the “types!” There’s just too many different variations. Maybe we should just call them WCH E-Bells and just forget about the “types” since they’re not official anyway.

[@freebrickproductions]

All WCH e-bells are WCH 0777 bells in their catalogue.

[@kyleb06]

Cool video, I'll never call these by type haha.

[@zachzebra56]

Here's my theory. I think the types are based on a certain pitch range. Types 1s and 1.5s take the highest pitch range. Type 2s take the medium pitch range. And type 3s take the lower pitch range. The only exception is the type 4 which is in between the type 1/1.5 and type 2 like you said. That's my theory on why it seems like there are 10 types of WCH e-bells.

[@F59PHI]

In my Claremont video, I was puzzled because there were two WCH ebells and they sounded different as I was reviewing footage

[@natestrains1166]

I always say that the ones with the type 3 pitch are second gens, as their pitch doesn't change due to moisture or heat (They have a coating on the board). The ones with changing pitches I call 1st gens. 3rd gens are the newer versions.

[@FOSK-lc9op]

0:07 Exact same sound as GS type 3 e bell

[@MrMSpike]

the one at 0:37 was pretty smooth sounding but the one after that needed a bit of tuning up (ig its circuitboards worn)

[@nicksfuntv1281]

1:13 it sounds like a safer fan type 1

[@byronlee4871]

What Western Cullen Hayes bell is this? 0:47

[@erincummins2695]

It’s hard to tell the difference because they all have the same hourglass model type. They also sound the same, just some clips have them at different ringing speeds

[@bnsf4715]

The WCH EBell at the end sounds like an ASC EBell

[@FloridaRailfanKid803]

I Love Western Cullen Hayes Electronic Bells

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

I really like those WCH bells.

[@Trackside_magpie_7535]

Be nice if each type was colour coded

[@BBT609]

You can hear the bells tone has gotten lower over the years. Still a fan!

[@RealRedWolf]

aging plays a role since i have 3 different years for type 3s

[@abecoulter8550]

there is a volume and tone/speed control under the top cover

[@upking9080]

No tone adjuster. Just speed and volume.

[@Cnw8701]

You know that you can change the speed and the pitch for some of these bells, right?

[@upking9080]

You cannot change the pitch on the WCH Electronic Bell. You can, however, change the speed and volume on the WCH Electronic Bell.

[@RailfanRXR]

Some of the bells were just dying so they sounded weird

[@OtterMan310]

I would say the type 4 is the deepest pitch of them all

[@nicoleasyowell1070]

That's a very nice video of the E bells

[@BayRail]

13-18 seconds was a type 1.

[@Amtrak90222]

type 1.5 is best

[@NashRailfan]

Nice! And interesting

[@LaSanWSRFSouth]

0:08

[@Mrcharles.]

WCH e-bell, the official bell sound of Union Pacific.

[@sgtdebones]

Actually, NEG is UP's official bell of Gen 3. WCH was their Gen 2 bell

[@DanTDMJace]

What was Gen 1?

[@sgtdebones]

@@DanTDMJace Transitional era m-bells

[@norfolkssouthernpacificrai439]

Like wch 1.5

[@AC44C4M]

MAKE WAR!

[@OnefastAZfarmtruck]

What an awful sound to the ears. RIP mechanical bells