Test Mule: Neato! Train Whistle Rocket

2026-03-30  Bought this toy train whistle at Tractor Supply, three years ago to this day. 

Weird right? Lets see if we can make this one whistle!

 

Took the Whistle out to the shop and drilled a 1" dia. hole x 1-3/4" deep Counter Bore in the end. That's where one of the (4) whistle bores stopped. (There's 4 holes at different lengths... that gives it a "Train Whistle" sound, a "Chord" if you will.)

Then started gluing a 3" long piece of BT-52HMF to the bored end.

Ran a couple of quick Open Rocket sims to get a feel for how big the fins need to be. I know, I know... it won't simulate correctly without a pointed nose cone. Well, this has a flow through nose on it.

It's a Test Mule, we'll swing test it and go from there.​

Plan is to glue the fins on and then swing test it. If it doesn't make noise I'll glue some shrouds where the noise exits and see how that works, assuming it's stable.​

3 years ago I tried blowing some shop air through a regular whistle, the one with a ball in it, and it didn't work unless I put my finger in front of the little slot where the noise comes out. I speculate this will have the same result.