Everything you want to know about the Federal Train Horn rules:
the quickest ways are the “engineer for a day” or locomotive rental programs at some of the tourist RRs. These not only get you into the cab safely, but some training and experience working with some real nice people.
dd
Regarding a segment or section of rail leading into a rail yard (I’m thinking specifically of a place like Vernon, CA in the LA area for UP or the BNSF equivalent), aren’t any potential “whistle-free” designations null and void? I read an LA Times story once where Vernon was just about the only place in the Southland not enjoying the real-estate boom the other localities did, primarily (the writer suggested) b/c the residents were subjected to multiple horn-blowings, with large instances of “shave and a haircut, two bits” (don’t ask me how this is possible on a modern horn!) Do localities always have the final word on whether the horns get blown or not, or does RR yard safety trump local homeowners’ wishes? Also, even where there are whistle-free zones, isn’t the standard rule there that the engineer can blow the horn, say, after the first in a successive line of crossings w/in the zone, and then not again?
Riprap
I’ve lived most of my life near railroad tracks, including a couple years in the very neighborhood being discussed. I always recognized the sounds of the railroad when I was awake, and slept right through them when I was asleep! I suspect that many of the people in that neighborhood do the same…
Can someone explain to me why there are even such a things as “quiet zones”. To me they just don’t sound safe even if the crossing is equiped with quad-gates or long gates. I can’t see why a counity would want a band on horns… seems like too much of a safety hazzard.
The odds of a legal cab ride on a Class 1 are probably pretty slim, although they do happen. You’re better off with a local shortline, or perhaps a tourist line (I paid for my first cab ride via a donation to my local PBS station). Become friends with local railroaders.
As a volunteer on a tourist line, I can now catch a cab ride about any time I want one (if I’m not working on the train itself).
It can be an enlighting experience. Even the thought that the deer on the tracks ahead may not move in time makes your heart rate rise. Much moreso if it’s a car in a crossing. I was lucky enough not to be in the cab the day a pickup pulled out in front of us. He moved in time, but by then we were already in emergency…
Safety? Nobody cares about safety! Those people don’t want their sleep (or whatever) interrupted by those big bad loud trains whose only possible purpose in life is to disturb them. Especially since they only started running trains and blowing the horns AFTER they moved in! Those horrible railroads… (Tongue in cheek, and slightly beyond reality – on second thought, maybe not! – but you get the point…)
“counity”? You get that keyboard from “Misery”??? [}:)]
Personally, I think that the idea of rolling carillons was a good idea, but there are others here who scoffed when I suggested it.[{(-_-)}]
A properly protected quiet zone, especially one designed with the co-operation of the railroad and the municipality, can be safe. The best-known quiet zone in the Chicago area is on the CSX Blue Island sub between 123rd Street and 95th Street. Grade crossings are protected by quad gates and road dividers, with signs indicating “No Train Horn” under the standard circular sign for grade crossings. Engineers are to sound the bell at each crossing and are allowed to sound the horn in an emergency.
Who actually picks the tone and decible level of the horns used? The Gov’t? the RR"s themselves?, The Manufacturers?
Back in the stone age, the whistle of a steam engine had an almost enchanting affect.
The first generation diesels (F-7’s etc) with their “buzzer” sounding horns were not overbearing, either.
Even the second generation diesels, with their ‘muted trombone’ sound was not as piercing as todays modern horns.
Seems as though a lot of effort has gone into finding an intonation that is as irritating as possible, probably to make them more noticeable, but by same token more contemptible.
Just curious if the Gov’t specifies that rigidly, or if the various RR’s have their own standards.
One of the locals here on the NS has a unit with not all of it’s chimes working, the shrill, highpitched end is missing.
And while it is slightly off key as a result, it actually is a more pleasant horn to have around, sounds almost like when those old blues trumpeters would hold a bowl over their horns for that hollow sound. Easy on the ears.
I laugh to myself everytime I hear them go by.
I love the horns on CN’s locomotives they are so nice. I heard an sd40-2W coming yesterday as we were waiting in the hole and it was way out of tune … it sounded like a dying elephant.
Five seconds for each long, three on each short. The horn is to be sounded for atleast 15 seconds when approaching a crossing. This is another segment of field testing being done by company officers. Crews have been told that violation of this rule will result in a level S probation for the engr and other crew members if they are in the cab at the time.
What I’ve derived from the train horn sites I’ve visited, railroads sort of fall into two groups - those who care what their horn sounds like, and those who don’t (and therefore buy “off-the-shelf”).
The Canadians tend to the melodious. I can usually pick out a CN engine from the horn.
There are a couple down sides to the older single note horns, IMHO. One, they don’t penetrate today’s cars as well, and second, people now expect to hear a five chime, and may well ignore anything else.
Thanks, so then is it accurate to assume that there is no rigidly enforced government spec?
At least not to the extent that the RR’s have all exceeded the minimum spec to the point where compliance is not a worry?
49CFR229.129 96db (+/- 4dba )@ 100 Ft. measured per ANSI S1.4-1971 Type 2 , A-weighted for slow response…
In the interim while we check for compliance and wade thru the alphabet soup, we will place a lifesize decal of AntiGates’ real mug on each end of every locomotive in the country, thus ensuring that nobody will get within 10 miles of a moving train or engine facility.[:-^]
MC’s cite made me wonder if there was a maximum volume. There is!
nhya ah aha! So then there is a good chance that this local with the pleasant horn is in violation?
I’m surprised some meddling “goody good” hasn’t reported them to the authorities.
The very best, longest and loudest train horn is in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada, every afternoon a drag east hauling oil or some petroleum product roars through Sylvan lake, he starts his horn way outside town and continually blows it all the way in town and all the way out, my friend phoned me one day and he had to quit talking while this guy played with the horn, I would think this horn must be setting some kind of record. Actually it really is kind of neat.
Since we’re in the deregulation era and all that jazz, is there/would there be anything preventing me from getting my Humvee 8x16 equipped with a full-throttle CN special? Also, to those who can “pick out” the CN horn, are there any others you can identify? I can usually identify an ex-SP, UP, BN (pre-SF), and Amtrak horn (yes, I know I have too much time on my hands)…
Riprap
Well, it’s not like you’d be the first. Check these out.
And these. I’ve seen this truck.
You might run afoul of the law if the horn is too loud. Seems like I’ve heard of places that have outlawed train horns on highway vehicles…