What are the general regulations or railroad policies that govern when an engineer rings the locomotive bell?
I have noticed that the horn is sounded as the train approaches any kind of grade crossing, but the bell is sounded less often. The bell seems to be used at station stops, but it is also rung at other times for which I see no apparent purpose.
Bell is always used in conjuction with the horn. Bell is also used when approaching people, items fouling the tracks, men at work near the track, M.O.W, passing railroad equipment, and just as a general warning.
[#ditto]All mentioned above including when taking a unit on a service track,such as on a service pit or roundhouse,engine house.You also must ring the bell all the way thru a tunnel.
The CSX Chicago Division timetable states as a Special Instruction that the bell must be rung at grade crossings in the quiet zone on the Blue Island Subdivision.
In Rights of Trains, rule 30 states:
The engine bell must be rung when an engine is about to move and while approaching and passing public crossing at grade and… (meaning, "Consult the rulebook of your specific railroad for additional information.)
As the result of a court order following a garde crossing accident, Mississippi Central locomotives were fitted with TWO bells. The one on the smokebox had to be rung at all times when the locomotive was in motion.
On the opposite hand (and side of the world,) Japanese steam locomotives did not have bells (except for the few that operated in the Kobe port district.)
Chuck
Paul,
What is “the quiet zone”?
A hospital.
We truckers cannot hit the airhorn in the quiet zones, have the city horn for that.
Now that I think about it, I never touched a city horn in decades. Hanging out of the window yelling “HEY MAC! WHAT THE &^%$!!!” usually does it.
I spent enough time around steam as a youth to understand that when that bell is a-ringing get out of the way!
Safety Valve,
By trucker, what do you mean? Driver of an 18-wheeler?
What’s the difference between the air horn and the city horn? Assuming you are a truck driver, is the city horn the electric horn on the steering wheel?
Sorry to seem so dense, but as you can tell, I am neither a truck driver or a railroad engineer!
The city horn is on the steering wheel. It usually emits a little beep that is not credible when activated.
Being from Jersey you probably hear the driver yelling out of his window more than the city horn. =)
Paul,
I have a follow on question: I have frequently seen along ROWs a sign (sometimes a W) indicating the whistle must be sounded, but I have never seen a sign indicating the bell to be rung. Do such bell signs, or signs indicating a quiet zone, exist? Or is the instruction for use of the bell contained only in the ETT or other document?
Most if not all railroad engineers probably know their territories so well signs aren’t required. However, federal regulations, perhaps only for certain roads or routes meeting certain conditions, and/or liability concerns may require roads to have them in place regardless.
The above about being rung with the horn is not true. Not every railroad, CN and I believe CP included do not have to ring the bell at a crossing where the horn is sounded. Canadian rules state that when the horn is sounded the bell need not be rung. So enginners use a penny or a breadclip or something to disable the bell so it doesnt ring when the horn is sounded.
Maintenance Log: Engine is missing.
Mechanic: Engine found.
As long as there is a Whistle Post, you just start ringing your bell there.
Also, QUIET ZONES, also known as whistle bans, are area’s where the train horn cannot be used in the normal _ _ 0 _ but only at the engineers discretion. The bell usually has to be rung at all times through these area’s.
The quiet zone I mentioned on the CSX Blue Island subdivision is described in the CSX Chicago Division timetable, with the quiet zone limits, grade crossings involved, and operating procedure explained in the Special Instructions. It covers the grade crossings on that line from 95th Street to 123rd Street.
From what I can see from a street map, that subdivision is in a highly urbanized area. Are any of those quiet zones time dependent, that is, don’t sound the horn between 11 pm - 6 am, for example, but at other times use of the horn is permitted?
That still isn’t true in all cases. As I said in my previous post … on CN (in Canada anyways) and most likely CP, the bell DOES NOT have to be sounded at a crossing where you blow the horn. Most engineers disable the bell so it doesn’t ring when the come to a crossing.
If you take the time to read the whole discussion, you would see I was reffering to the Whistle Ban Zones.
Ok, it just doesn’t read like that to me.
ah i remember when i read something like that on snakebites:
Problem: engine missing
Solution: engine found after brief search in engine compartment
Well if they follow USOR then it would apply to America as well…Yet they ring the bell here. And CP uses GCOR.