From my office on 1st Street, I heard it at noon!
It's amazing how something so small (ha ha) can make me smile during my workday.
I haven't heard it in months! Struck me as very odd, but never asked about it before.
Anybody know why he went silent for a while? It never made my circle of news...
Glad to hear he is sounding again. I have missed Big Jim! My suburban friends just dont get it....haha
That's cool, I wondered what was up with it lately.
Great to hear he's back. The Utilities buildings across from Confederate Park have been undergoing some major changes inside. This leads me to believe it had to be disconnected from the steam line or boiler for the duration. That old whistle has sounded over Jacksonville FOREVER.
I still think it would be a super cool move to accent Big Jim with a electronic Steam Calliope. Everyday at five the whistles would play "FREEBIRD". If you've never heard it played on a Calliope check out this page and have some fun listening:
(http://www.steamboats.org/assets/images/other/doc-hawley-natchez-calliope.jpg)
http://thecreoletomato.com/entertainment/living/steamboat-natchez-calliope-plays-free-bird/
OCKLAWAHA
I had noticed he'd been missing, too, and am very glad to have him back. 7, noon, 1 and 5 are now very happily noisy times once again!
Nice to see JEA has my money to spend on something useful.
You should add this to the Steampunk thread Ock!
http://thecreoletomato.com/entertainment/living/steamboat-natchez-calliope-plays-free-bird/
The comments at the bottom of that article says they also play Stairway to Heaven... That's pretty impressive. I think it would be cool to hear Beethoven's 5th ;)
I didn't realize it was gone until I heard it sound yesterday and then I thought, hmm I haven't heard that in a while. Glad it's back. Wish they did it on weekends too.
I heard it this morning...I was not happy to hear it at 7 am while I was still sleeping.
I grew up hearing that whistle every day. This might sound stupid but the whistle would sound exactly when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would start at 5 PM. Good times...
Glad to hear Big Jim is alive and well again.
Does he still sound the way that WAPE iterates him from time to time on their radio station? Ah eeee aaaaa! Or does he sound different, like a regular mill whistle?
Heights Unknown
IMO, it sounds like a regular mill whistle....still, I like it and glad it's back