Here it is even covered in mud on the outside. All the silver paint some maintainer brushed on years ago is almost completely gone back down to the original black.
Here is a video of the "dirty bell"
Lots of dust there eh?
So after removing all pests, since it was nice and warm out but not humid, I soaped her up and power washed the heck out of the bell, with the gong removed and blasted out all the mud and loose rust.
lovely mud-wasp homes being evicted.
Here she is after a VERY good cleaning:
Now, the clapper was seized up on this one, I had to remove one of the steel inspection plates and spray some penetrating oil. After soaking it was able to free it, and then removed the pin which it pivots on and removed all the rust and lubricated all the washers with a good automotive grease using a small painters brush and oiled as needed, until there was no more rough grinding noise.
Now, I don't have the time at the moment to restore this one completely, so after it was cleaned really good, I had less than 1/2 a can of that Titanium Silver that I had used on the mini bell. I gave it a light and even coat, but when I went back squeezing what was left out of the can to hit any spots of black, I got a few drip marks. Ah well, what you think? I think it looks better than many that are up on the poles still!
Also, noticed this bell had that higher pitched tone that many of the older Teardrops with the 1917 patent date have! I was excited as that is the way I like when they sound. Did US&S make 2 different gongs perhaps? There are 2 distinctly different pitches on Teardrops and it was either the difference between older and newer ones, or perhaps different machining, or even brass vs steel? not sure.
Well here is the bell joining my collection:
And here is a video of ringing the bell, once I get it regulated to a good rhythm I will take a video at a further distance outside.
Hope you enjoy seeing this bell, it came from an old stop on the BNSF near Tulare, Ca. Not far from the spot used as the ending for the famous American novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck.
Mike
