I just happened to be browsing the forums while ago when I heard an unusual horn blast on a passing train. My home is about a mile from the fast paced BNSF mainline into Kansas City. Anyway, I just heard an engine suddenly start blasting away in a series of short, frantic honks. The engineer keep this up for almost ten seconds. It sounded like he was pulling the horn full open with each blast.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t repeated, rapid short honks an emergency signal for a problem; something on the track, derailment, “pay attention to me”, or something similar? I heard no crash and my fire department hasn’t been dispatched (I’m the fire chief), so I’m assuming no car was hit at a crossing. A near miss maybe?
I live near a set of tracks, but far enough away from grade crossings to not hear the regular crossing signals…yet occasionally hear train horns similar to your description. We always assumed it was for animals on or near the tracks. The railway is between a winter habitat for deer and elk, and the river.
when i blow the short blast its for a person or a animal not nessarily a deer maybe a dog or a cat. but near misses dont get special treatment they get the regular 2 lomgs a short and then a long if we hit i set the train in emergency get stopped then have a water, relax and wait on the officials.
I heard and saw that happening while photographing an eastbound Chicago Central & Pacific freight at Independence, IA back in the 90’s. Some a-hole kids were dancin’-around on the rails as the train approached (he was stopping anyway for an electrical fault in the consist), but he blew the short blasts as well.
Could also mean that there was some Maintenence of Way employees working near the tracks, as engineers are required to give short succesions of horn blasts to alert them of on coming movement of their train as they go by them.
I had this happen to me while I was photographing an eastbound VIA Rail train in the Corridor (P42 leading LRC’s)…I was standing fairly close to the tracks, to try and get a good picture, and one of my friends decided to run across the tracks while the engine was about 1/2 mile away (he’s not a railfan, he was just there cause he had nothing better to do)…the engineer gave us (if I counted correctly), 34 short blasts on the horn, in just under half a mile…I was impressed to say the least…and got a decent shot out of it
If you value your ability to continue taking pics, maybe you should not take this joker with you again. If this joker had tripped and fallen on the tracks, it is likely that there would not have been sufficient time to get him off the tracks - and the one that went to his rescue (you) would have been a victim of his stupidity. As some here might say - “Two more recieve the Darwin Award.” Definately two fewer Einstein Wannabe’s.
For MofW and such, the hogger would give a “Calling On Signal” (aka “whistling for the board”) which is a group of four (4) short, a pause to await a response, then repeating the signal.
“Get your self out of the way - (and stay that way”) is a repeat series of short blasts continued until the danger is past. Often you will hear someone tell the hogger to “whistle freely” at a certain location, and this signal is the one that would normally be used.
true…normally, when I go to do any photography I just go with my brother (also an avid railfan), and both pf us would never do anything that stupid…this friend of mine only ended up tagging along because we were going railfanning just down at the end of our street, he was bored…and doesn’t seem to get the whole danger (and trespassing) thing…needless to say, I try to avoid having him along if I can.
I should also clarify, that his running across the tracks was to get back to our side when he realized the train was coming (as opposed to just shoosing suddenly to run on the tracks for no apparent reason)
and I will say, the Darwin awards are not ones I’d be proud to have to my name…
