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FRA seeks input on locomotive warnings at grade crossings
Up until about a decade ago many engineers used to blow softer at night if the crossing was wide open and traffic light. But the lawyers, regulators, RR officers, began to get engineers fired or fined so now we have full compliance and the complaints roll in.
Meanwhile more motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians have become distracted with electronic devices that even a 105 decibel blast has trouble getting their notice.
Perhaps locomotives should be hailing on all frequencies in addition to loud audio and lights.
J. M. Zweerts retired BN, KJRY, PNWR
We can have all the horns, lights and signs available. We can have all the “quiet zones” properly protected we need. We can have all the gates we want, but the sad truth is that someone is always going to ignore these warnings and get hit by the train. We can’t even get people to obey traffic lights or stop signs.
You are spot on Mr Zweerts. We had what we called Town and Country horn valves. On the newer locomotives there is just a button that you push. We USED to be able to quill the horn, to a certain degree, make it sound nice…but not anymore. Now its LOUD and LOUD.
The other thing about this is the Feds AND the compnay can monitor, thru the onboard computer, EXACTLY how you sounded the horn at any given grade crossing accident. They know your location, the length of time you sounded…right down to the foot. Woe be unto you if you didn’t EXACTLY follow the rules.
The public has way too much control over the railroads: “quiet zones,” adverse abandonment, trail creation and prohibiting construction of infrastructure. Maybe the “public be damned” was on to something…
Quiet zones are a danger to public safety. Any proponents of them are self-absorbed. Oh, I’m sorry. That freight train interrupted your beauty sleep? THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BEAUTY SLEEP! Safety trumps vanity, and if the selfish idiots who chose to live next to an active rail line can’t deal with it, TOUGH. Railfans like myself love it, so why can’t you learn to live with it? Horns are there for safety, not disturbance.
If I was a betting person, this may be the first step in the Federal Railroad Administration requiring railroads to share the real-time grade crossing status, to GPS Satellite and Cell phone companies.
Who was there first? The Railroad or the road? Train whistles (horns) need to give proper warnings. I’m like others, for safety sake, blow the HORN!!
If you moved in after the railroad was there, you should know about the (pretty) sounds. I generally listen to one quite often just after midnight where I live - Railroad was there first.