OK, here comes the devil’s advocate. I’ve got as much railfan blood in me as any of you, and I run a model train shop, so don’t think I am being antagonistic toward the railroads. But as someone who is nearing at least partial deafness in large part to train horns, let me explain the other side of the fence.
My store is located 100’ from the mainline. About 20 trains a day pass by here during business hours and most of my customers love watching the action. However we are also right next to a crossing at a point where many trains are stopped before they are allowed to proceed into the main part of Little Rock. I moved the store down here about 8 years ago.
Do I have a right to complain about train horns? You bet.
You want to argue that the railroad was there first? You want to say anything else more obvious?
I have customers and friends who are crew members, so hopefully this won’t cause any hard feelings, but I’ve always understood there is a standard practice for how long or how often to blow horns at crossings. I also understand that if I just hit someone at a crossing, which happens with alarming frequency in our state, that I would be more apt to sound the horn more than is really necessary.
But when a train that is stopped a half mile from the crossing and it is going to take you a while to reach the crossing and you reach the crossing at 10 mph, WHY start blowing the horn immediately upon movement and lay on it for that long before you even get close to the crossing?
I also understand that some friendly toots are part of railroading, but at this crossing some are constantly sounding the horn AFTER they have passed through the crossing. The next crossing is about a mile up the tracks.
And in the last 8 years, someone got the bright idea that if you make the horns as obnoxiously loud as you can, that will prevent crossing accidents. The decibel level of the horn has nothing to do with it. It’s not that people don’t hear the horns, it’s t
[2c]…dont get into a debate, shouting match, or Pee-ing contest with folks who do that sort of thing…if you feel you have to respond, just kindly invite him to do what he has to do, and go about your business. Getting into a shouting match isnt going to help other rail fans, and if a local citizen calls a local cop, guess who will get the benefit of any doubt? If you feel you have defend the public’s right to be a rail fan, and you do so vocally (and possibly obnoxiously), about 5 or 6 different things can happen, and only one of them is good…
(Besides, have you ever calmly responded to someone who really wants an argument, and watched them get madder and madder when you won’t match egos with them? [;)])
Didn’t want to take up space with Iowa Guy’s entire post, so if you need to go back and read it…[:D]
I’m sure someone with a decibel meter could show there is little difference between the stationary horns and train horns - in fact, they could actually be louder and it wouldn’t change one thing - the people influenced the railroad and got their way. The thrill of victory more than compensates for their loss of hearing…
We should consider that the sound source is now fixed at the crossing (where it it intended to be heard, regardless of the source). Before, if you lived alongside the tracks quarter mile or so on either side of the crossing, you had the horn blowing right in your back yard. Now only the people right next to the crossing get the full effect… For the motorist, there is now no excuse that the sound of the horn was blocked by buildings/plants/what-have-you. The horn is always right there at the crossing.
As much as we love those 5 chimes, this could be progress on the safety front (and some positive public relations).
We have the same situation at Sun Cityu & Surprise ,Arizona with BNSF. Retirees in those two communities are complaining about train horns. 25 years ago, this was arural area.
That is because none is needed. A train crew not only has the horn blaring in its ear, but also the sound of the engine, for up to 12 hours. It is the constant sound for that long that will damage hearing, not the short duration. Look at it this way, many small airports still board passengers on the ground without a jetway. Passengers are not required to wear hearing protection because they are exposed to the sound for a short period of time. However airline workers, who are exposed to the sound for most of their shift, are because of the duration.
When I asked why the train crews were required to wear ear protection, I was being a little too sarcastic. While what any member of the public who lives or works near a crossing is not subjected to the abuse of the horns for a “duration” I would argue that at a minimum of 47,000 trains blowing for the crossing in 8 years, something could be said for “repetition.”
If you are that worried - wear ear protection at home.
But in regard to your original post: you said you moved to the location 8 yrs ago. That was your choice. Don’t like it? Move. Sell the place to some other sucker.
The one problem I have with stationary horns is what happens if they fail? If a standard set of crossing flashers or gates fail - there’s always the horn on the locomotive to act as a warning of last resort, and that will be sounded regardless. But if the flashers and stationary horn fail, and the crew is none the wiser, the locomotive horn may not be sounded or sounded too late. Of course with the level of soundproofing in today’s automobiles, not to mention the facts that the driver is has their radio cranked up, and are checking voicemail in their cellphone, I doubt any horn (or crossing protection) would prove adequate. And that doesn’t count the people who know darned well the train is coming, but can’t be inconvenienced for 5 minutes. So maybe the whole horn issue is a moot point.
Well, we’ve already heard from the devils advocate, so lets try one from the “shyster’s advocate” side of the coin.
Isn’t it the american way to try and better ones personal situation through the means available to them?
Suppose in illustration, there is a house that would appraise for $250,000 except for the noisy railroad grade crossing half a bock away. Because of this crossing, lets say the fair value of the house is reduced to $175,000. The former owner, having limited luck selling, (because of the noise issue) ends up dumping the house for $140,000, because they had other priorities ansd had to move on with their affairs.
So, the new owner gets a real bargain.
But, if through whining, and moaning, and groaning, he can drum up a citizen’s activists committee, and they push through legislation that forces the issue and the noise problem is reduced by half…as far as the whiner is concerned, isn’t he just guilty of working the american way in his favor?
Afterall, if the end result is that his house now has a market value of $220,000…what has he really done that is so “wrong”? [wow]
Cognative disinence??? Dadgum brother, I’ve only had a community college education so I had to look that one up! First off, you didn’t spell either word correctly, but I found “cognitive dissonance” and it doesn’t have anything to do with this topic. There is no conflict with the truth.
“Why don’t I just move?” Ah, the most predictable response. So what is your position in city government?
You missed the main point. 8 years ago, the horns were not as LOUD as they are now. Granted I am no industry expert, but someone could surely enlighten us as to the theory presented a few years ago that if we only made the horns ridiculously LOUDER then we could slow down the rate of crossing fatalities.
I like the posts by The AnitGates, always a fresh perspective on things. I would say that he has a good point in our society.
Train horns haven’t changed that much. We’ve had the same horns - on UP that we did 8 years ago, with the likely reduction of the K5H, and RS5T (on some engines. The horns in use on UP are the RS3L, the P3, the K3LA, and the K5HL and K5LLA (The FRA’s new horns to REDUCE horn desible requirements or what not on the new GE’s and EMD’s respectively).
Wasting time with worthless legislation that only serves the needs and wishes of the loud minority. I consider that wrong.
Are train horns louder today than before? Beats me. I know that new horns blow at a constant all out loudness, with no ability to “feather” the sound. Chalk that up to liability.
Maybe loud horns are also due in part to the large number of new locomotives out there?
And yes, one track, you can move. You chose to move there, and unlike many people, seemed to know something about railroads. I have little sympathy for you - sorry. Actually, I have NO symapthy for you. And I am not sorry.
My suggestion is to tell the guy who told you he would call the cops if you motioned to the engineers to blow their horns for you…TELL HIM TO GO GET _ _ _ _ ED. With the new Metra station in LaFox this guy will likely be quick to get on Metra to Chicago in order to avoid the traffic (and believe me, it’s terrible these days) and to avoid paying for the $3.19 per gallon gas.
I live 2 miles from the Norfolk Southern tracks, I hear the trains all day and night. We have 2 crossings in Monticello and I love the sounds, also I have a tourist RR The Monticello Railroad Museum that runs behind my home, they honk all day on the summer weekends. I have only lived here a year and they tell me a steam train will be running here next summer!!! I can’t wait![:D]