MERGED TOPIC: Pratt/Steam engine New Years Eve

I've heard there's a celebration New Years Eve at Pratt. I don't know anything else about it. Can someone enlighten me?

Starts around 11-ish on campus New Years. They hook up a crazy assortment of boat and train whistles and toot-toot them at midnight.

I went to Pratt, so it was a must-see event. It ought to be a mix of students, faculty and folks from the nabe.

But, it's been a long while. Can anyone update?

I remember hearing it quite well last year, as I lived about a block away, but I hadn't heard about it in advance. It sounds like fun! Maybe I'll join in this year.

Konrad Milster, the Plant Engineer for Pratt's electrical plant is an eccentric genius. In addition to collecting obsolete factory and mechanical sounds, he collects steam whistles For years he has assembled part of his collection and blows the whistles at midnight, including a huge bass whistle from the Normandie (This one resonates so deep its like sitting by the speakers at a rock concert. you more FEEL it than hear it) There is a huge cloud of steam everywhere, lit with colored lights. After a while, the crowd gets to pull ropes and sound the the whistles too. (The horrible calliope is the worst sounding thing on earth after bagpipes.) Some years there's a bonfire of xmas trees. It's a wonderful scene. Do bring your kids, but don't bring your dogs for two reasons. 1) they have banned even leashed dogs from the Pratt Campus and 2) dogs flip out from the sound. It's extremely noisy.

It's a great way to blast the demons out of the end of the year.

Subject: Pratt Steam Engine on New Year's?

I am fairly sure I didn't hallucinate this -- I swear I read somewhere that there is some kind of steam powered calliope that goes off on New Year's Eve over at Pratt. Where can I find details (do I need tickets, etc.)?

Subject: steam enging review

i went with a couple of friends. one of the coolest things ever! you can actually go down into the steam room and see these huge machines that heat pratt. we also pulled the ropes and steam and lots of loud sounds come out. very loud but very cool. not for baby or dogs!!