Sorry; I’ve been kind of absent these past 10 months Now that things have settled down and my layout, all be it incomplete, is actually operational now, I will get on here more often to just chat and get to know you better! I had a question on DCC wye operation last March so I posted it and the next morning, had 3 replies getting me all straightened out. AWESOME!!
This time, it’s just a simple question on locomotive bells. I understand that the engineer would ring the bell when starting and stopping movement forward or reverse. Is that correct? How long does the bell continue to ring? What else might you be able to add to improve my realism?
many years ago, i worked with an engineer who evidently had some sort of bell fetish. he would turn the air powered ringer on and go all over the yard with the bell ringing. he even turned it on when we went into the yard office for a coffee break. i started calling him “hunchback” and “quasimodo” but he was too stupid to make the connection.
in reality, the bell was a warning device to call attention to a moving locomotive and was used any time such a warning was appropriate. the exact rule concerning it’s use varied from road to road and can be found in most rule books.
as i recall, there was a small outfit in Mississippi that lost a court case over not giving sufficient warning with the locomotive bell so they equipped all their engines with an extra bell near the front of the boiler and required to be be rung continuously. old hunchback would have loved working for that railroad!!
While there are rules covering the use of the bell some railroads have set forth their “use of bell” rules.
Bells are to be sounded as a warning and used while around stations,before moving etc.
However,a bell not be sound constantly while switching or should the whistle direction be used while switching.Its a good neighbor thing when there are surrounding neighborhoods.
Some of the older members of this forum may remember the Morris County Central Railroad, a steam powered heritage operation running from Newfoundland to Stockholm, New Jersey, on track that is now used by the New York Susquehanna and Western.
Excessive use of the locomotive bells has been cited as one of the factors that alienated the residents of the area around the Newfoundland Station. The situation really got ugly and someone believed to have been living nearby cut a train air line.
The station at Newfoundland was used as a location in the film, The Station Agent,
Uniform Code of Operating Rules 1968 (MoPac and others)
Ringing bell. Except where the momentary stop and start, forward or backward are part of continuous switching movement, the engine bell must be rung when an engine is about to move, and while approaching and passing public crossings at grade, stations and through tunnels.
Consolidated Code of Operating Rules 1959 (M&StL and others)
Ringing bell. Except where the momentary stop and start, forward or backward are part of a switching movement, the engine bell must be rung when an engine is about to move; while passing through stations, tunnels and snowsheds; while approaching and passing public crossings at grade, beginning sufficiently in advance to afford ample warning, but not less than one-fourth mile before reaching such crossing, and continuing until the engine has passed over the crossing; and where required by special instructions. The unecessary use of the bell is prohibited.
I think Dave Husman has the right idea in referring to railroad rules on bell signals. I also covered this in my article, “Locomotive sounds add fun and realism – How to correctly use the bell, whistle, and other DCC sounds,” on page 46 of the December 2010 “Model Railroader.”
That was a good article that answered a lot of my questions about the whens and whys of sounding. If you do not have that issue, it would be worth finding a copy
However and in railroading there is usually a however…
When the crossing is manually flagged by the conductor or brakeman there is no need for the bell and in some cases no horn use either.Some times all three was required.
That would be govern by the employee time table or rule book.
If you’re modelling modern day Canada the bell is optional on public crossings. Any time that you are switching somewhere you’d ring the bell before moving as well as when you are passing by equipment where there are other employees working, boarding cars, stations etc.
Now that things have settled down and my layout, all be it incomplete, is actually operational now, I will get on here more often to just chat and get to know you better! I had a question on DCC wye operation last March so I posted it and the next morning, had 3 replies getting me all straightened out. AWESOME!!