I was watching three trains departing a yard and noticed the first train left after two short toots of the horn, the second left after two long blasts from the horn and the third left not blowing the horn at all. Which of the three is correct for a departing train? The UP web site says two long blasts are correct.
its up to the indivisual engineer, the correct way is 2 blast on the horn telling others your about to pull, or you can turn the bell on. and start pulling. both are accepted practice. or you can just start pulling. if you dont get cought its ok.
Thank you for your information. I like the part about “if you don’t get cought”
There also are places with ordinances against blowing the horn at certain times or never, but usually if the engineer doesn’t it’s because he forgot, or felt it would be too annoying to those around. If departing from a yard where there would not be any non-employees around they usually just ring the bell.
I have heard about the ordinances and I understand that is a “hot Potato”. Thanks for your thoughts and input to my question.
Even in areas where blowing the horn is “illegal” it still comes down to the engineer’s discretion, if he/she feels that the horn needs to be blown, they blow it. My communnity has such a law, and I feel it comprimises saftey (I like it when the steam train comes through town and barley lets of the whistle just to defy the law).
Ted Harrison
Burnaby, BC, Canada
It’s wistle signals, guys, not horn signals!!
well greg this is true they are whistle signals but when im running im blowing the horn. and to be real truthful there isnt many of the old signals used anymore. we have no flagman so that isnt used torpedos are used in dark territory for rules compliance. track warrents provide protection from flaging. and as far as direction signal with radio you dont need to whistle off . in otherwords if you use the radio you dont need the signals.