I talked with Doyle McCormick in Tacoma last month regarding whistle use vs. air horn use on Espee steam locomotives. He said the air horn was easier to operate on 4449, as it is just a button within close reach of the engineer, as opposed to reaching up & out of the seat for the whistle cord. Don't know if other Espee steam classes were similarly set - up. Of course, Doyle also stated that everyone expects a steam locomotive to whistle, not honk. A friend has video of 4449 arriving Bakersfield on the way to New Orleans in 1984; Doyle used the horn @ Baker St. crossing.