Are there any rules or ordinances re: blowing for grade crossings in urban or industrial areas where crossings abound? For example, if a grade crossing is located on a yard lead, would a switcher have to blow the usual 0 0 - 0 each time it entered that area or would a bell be sufficient? When I was growing up, it seems I remember that such a crossing in Hamilton, Ohio (B&O), the Lima-Hamilton switchers used then did not blow for the crossing each time.
It depends on the municipality. If a mainline goes through town, generally mainline engines will blow their horns going through to warn people off the tracks. Some cities discourage the blowing of horns, until some idiot gets run over by the train and then the same cities scream about how the crew should have been laying on the horn the whole time.
Switchers working are less likely to blow the horn every time they cross the street in switching moves, but generally there is some other protection (crossing arm, flagman) in effect and typically they’ll have the bell going the whole time.
follow-up on this: after reading a closely related thread on the Ops-Ind Yahoo-group, it should be noted that most yard switchers do not bother hitting the horn when they pass a grade crossing during switching operations.
Thanks for the information, Jetrock.
In some municipalities the time of day regulates how long, and how often the horn blows.