The first tests in May 2008 did not result in blast levels that could easily be heard across campus. In May we only achieved 100 dB within 100 yards from the whistle and it had a low tone that at a distance was confused with traffic noise.

See video for Big Ole Test May 2008.

The whistle was originally made to adjust tone output based upon various input steam pressures and volume. The adjustment, moving the bell up or down on a large threaded shaft, had frozen over time and could not be made without replacing internal components. With Whatcom Museum approval, the whistle is on loan for them, the whistle had a new center shaft machined. On October 19th we found the optimum settings for the new location on the roof of the Western Washington University's Steam Plant. The final sustained tone selected is demonstrated in the Big Ole Test Oct 2008 video. This selected tone achieved approximately 116 dB within 100 yards of the whistle which is about 3 times louder than the May tests. The video link recorded a test in which steam was adjusted to find the optimum settings resulting in longer than typical time to reach the optimum tone. Final settings allow the tone to be reached within 10 to 15 seconds with a start to stop blast length of approximate 30 seconds.

See video for Big Ole Test Oct 2008.

The October 19 test included sending about 18,000 e-mails and 11,000 cell phone text messages to students, faculty and staff as part of its automated emergency notification system. In a real emergency, Big Ole's whistle will indicate a campus emergency and will act as a signal for students, faculty and staff to check e-mail and cell phones for emergency messages.

The whistle, affectionately known in Whatcom County as "Big Ole," was cast from aluminum-bronze by the Bellingham Bay Iron Works in 1899. The 2,000-pound, five foot whistle operated at the local lumber mill on the waterfront at the foot of Cornwall Avenue until 1942 when that mill closed. In May 2002 the whistle was recovered from the Bloedel, Stewart-Welch's Division at Port Alberni, B.C. which operated it until 1997. The steam whistle was installed at the Encogen NW Cogeneration Plant at Cornwall Avenue, where it was operational and blown on several special occasions, such as the Fourth of July.