I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE THIS INFORMATION IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD BUT AT MY AGE LOTS OF THINGS SLIP OUT. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS HOW LOUD IS A STANDARD FREIGHT LOCOMOTIVE HORN. I LIVE ABOUT TWO MILES FROM TH CLOSEST TRACKS AND I CAN BE OUTSIDE AND LISTEN AS THEY BLOW THE CROSSINGS THROUGH TOWN.
I would guess that is loud enough then, wouldn’t you.? !
Where I used to live, in the country, I could be 8 MILES from the nearest track and still hear them.
Hey, that is even louder. Louder is better, right? ! [;)]
It helps keep people from driving onto the tracks in front of the coming trains, right?
Too loud ! I love the soumd from a distance, but close up it’s too loud.
Oh sure, it also puts them right to sleep at night! I hear doctors are prescribing K5LA’s to patients who can’t sleep.
Someone is yellin too loud…
(hint: turn the caps lock off)
Adrianspeeder
Here’s a sound effect of UP 1982 (MP Heritage) at 50 mph tooting at me: www.trainweb.org/semorails/audio/UP_1982a.wav
And the Katy one UP 1988: www.pbrail.org/audio/UP_1988a.wav
Both recorded by me, one on 8-23-05 in Malden, MO, the other at Dexter on 8-27.
I fixed the links!
I got 404 errors on those links. Can you fix them?
Thanks. I really liked the second one.
Are you holding the microphone? You may want to find some way to set it down so you don’t get those clunks at the beginning.
The horn has to be a minimum of 96dB 100 ft in front of the train. Horns mounted over the cab roof beat this easily (low 100’s). Those mounted back on the long hood are pretty close to the limit.
On the early Conrail Dash 7s, it was 115dB in the toilet compartment when the horn blew! (CR moved the horns away from the vent)
CHAPTER II–FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION
PART 229_RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE SAFETY STANDARDS–Table of Contents
Subpart C_Safety Requirements
Sec. 229.129 Audible warning device.
(a) After August 31, 1980, each lead locomotive shall be provided
with an audible warning device that produces a minimum sound level of
96db(A) at 100 feet forward of the locomotive in its direction of
travel. The device shall be arranged so that it can be conveniently
operated from the engineer’s normal position in the cab.
(b) Measurement of the sound level shall be made using a sound level
meter conforming, at a minimum, to the requirements of ANSI S1.4-1971,
Type 2, and set to an A-weighted slow response. While the locomotive is
on level tangent track, the microphone shall be positioned 4 feet above
the ground at the center line of the track, and shall be oriented with
respect to the sound source in accordance with the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
(c) A 4dB(A) measurement tolerance is allowable for a given
measurement.
Effective Date Note: At 68 FR 70686, Dec. 18, 2003, Sec. 229.129
was revised, effective December 18, 2004. For the convenience of the
user the revised text is set forth as follows:
Sec. 229.129 Audible warning device.
(a) Each lead locomotive shall be provided with an audible warning
device that produces a minimum sound level of 96dB(A) and a maximum
sound level of 110 dB(A) at 100 feet forward of the locomotive in its
direction of travel. The device shall be arranged so that it can be
conveniently operated from the engineer’s usual position during
operation of the locomotive.
(b)(1) Each locomotive built on or after December 18, 2004, shall be
tested in accordance w
Yeah I have heard some pretty loud horns in my day. There was one day I got stopped by a Wisconsin central train and it was so loud that I think I jumped about 6 feet off the ground
So any one know what db level amtrak p42 are at? I can hear those far away.
Man I am going to change doctors. Hey Zach, which one do I need to see? [?] [:p] [;)]
Technical answer - I have no idea.
My answer - of 96dB at 100 ft, minimum.
You may be interested in this site about horns.