What is the usual protocol for using the engine horn and/or bell when switching an urban or industrial area with numerous road crossings? Was the usual – – 0 – required?
TRNJ
Just last week, I watched this MLW S-13 switching a number of industries in St. Catharines, Ontario. The track ran along one side of the street, with numerous sidings branching-off to the industries, which were on the opposite side of the street. The switchman flagged the crossings when the train was about to cross the street, and, usually, the locomotive or the boxcars blocked the street during the actual pick-up/drop-off of cars, so, as the train pulled out of each siding to return to the other side of the street, the switchman rode the last car. The loco’s bell was sounded each time that it was about to cross into another industry, and remained on as long the the crossing was blocked. No use of the horn at all while I was there.
Wayne
When I worked on the PRR I was called for several industrial branch switchers in the Columbus,Ohio area…
One thing I learned there was no fancy tooting…A short "blaaaatttt! for each crossing while the bell was ringing…Some times we would flag and other times we wouldn’t depending on traffic.
Other then that, there was no horn signals at all.
Somewhat similar here in Troy, when the local shortline is delivering a cut of cars to the interchange track for CSX they blow for one crossing near the police station, but there are two other streets immediately after that crossing, so you’ll hear the --o for the crossing with just short “blaaaattt’s” (as Brakie so eloquently put it) for the remainder, with the bell ringing the whole time.
Thanks to each who replied. Your info was very helpful–and I enjoyed the photos of the S-13!
TRNJ
I would go one long burst for every cross, but then again i love the sound of a 110dB train horn. Sometimes I annoy the roomies when a local is coming, everytime the horn is sounded I say “train” and imitate the length of the horn. Long horns sound like ‘traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain’ short ones can be ‘traain’ or just ‘train’. the wife used to think it was cute, now it just makes her annoyed. the other roomie thinks it’s funny but i think he starts to get a little annoyed too when i do. but I still refuse to stop [swg]. i have started to just do it a little now, not the entire time a train is with in hearing range. I live ina good spot though. during the times when it’s quite I can hear trains blowing their horn for crossings on the tracks heading east out of the city couple miles away and can hear the trains sounding for the road crossing coming from the west into the yard like mile and a half away, plus the ‘turn’ never meanders more than…6 blocks from the apartment so you can sit there and listen to the horn blasts the entire time the train is working. which is quite a bit. a P shaped loop with a rendering plant, one small business, a junk yard, and 2 large building supplers and 1 medium sized building supply business as customers. bing can zoom up to a 30 yard scale but to get the junk yard and 2 bigger suppliers into the screen you have to zoom out to 250 yard resolution. i like where i live [:)] sometime i want to get a peddle bike so i can follow the local around as it works.
when the crew is sorting cars in the small holding yard behind the a
Mostly it depends on any local ordinances regarding whistle usage as well as the operating practices of a given railroad. Using whistle signals while switching is pretty mucha lost art, although I will still throw in a three short for backing up now and then just to confuse my crew. 
-George Widener
CNR Fond du Lac, WI
I try not to anger the locals. But if Ihad a headhunter RFE TM or FRA guy nearby then look out. Get out your pocket watch and do the math.So when people would yell " Why are you blowing the darn horn so much?" Id just point to the aforementioned people and watch them take a butt chewing lol.
Speaking of horn blowing…This happen one night while we was switching the Grandview yard.
PRR’s Grandview Ave yard was located in Columbus’s(Oh) rich suburb of Grandview and there was certain times horns couldn’t be used especially between 10pm-7am…
One morning around 3 AM a engineer laid long and loud on the horns…Of course the Grandview cops came running and flagged the engineer at Grandview Ave crossing and demanded to know why he sounded the horns.
Now understand this engineer was quite the character and wanted to know why he was flagged and started quizzing the police about it…This went back and forth for several minutes neither one giving a inch.Finally the engineer said how do you know it was my horns since the NYC has a terminal just down the road?
The cop got red faced and said I don’t want to hear any more whistles from your locomotive tonight! and stomped off.
We all had a good laugh and went back to work.
Whistle/horn signals like two for going forward, three for backing up (normally with the bell ringing) etc. were more necessary before the advent of hand-held radios. If the conductor or brakeman at the rear of the train gave a back-up signal, the three ‘toots’ indicated that the engineer got the signal and was backing up.
thanks Brakie I needed that laugh!