Loudest Train Horn I've Heard In A Long Time

I have to say, how loud do we need train horns?

Those are Too loud. Somewhere I had read that they were putting the horns on backwards by order of the FRA because the decibels are too high.  It seems to be All of those SD70ACe engines.

You'll just have to excuse me if I laugh at these horn model numbers being thrown around like everyone knows what the heck you are talking about. I don't think I never knew an engineer that could tell you a horn model number, how many chimes it had or even care.

That said, some horns would blow you out of the cab. Part of that was because of where they were mounted. It seems like I remember that the FRA had guidelines on horn placement because of the decibel level. However, this was to protect the hearing of the crew NOT the public.

I've had very loud horns, loud horns, normal horns and "Nighttime" horns. I never had a horn that would actually blow a vehicle off of a road crossing!

At one time crews could tell who the hogger was by the way the horn/whistle was blown. I believe some of the newer  units just  have a horn button . It's either on full blast or off.  

5 Long? anyone

A Horn Story:

For decades the town of Buchanan, Va. was a quiet zone. No whistle/horn blowing per town ordinance which was a timetable rule and a sign posted along the RoW. Then along comes the FRA and banishes "Quiet Zones". These quiet zones were set to expire at 12:01 am on a certain day. Earlier in the pm, leaving Shenandoah, I approached the first road crossing and found out that when I blew the horn, it took its good ol' time shutting off. Instead of "Blahhhhh, it was Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, starting off loud and trailing off to nothing. This made it very hard to blow two longs a short and a long. 
Well, to the unsuspecting folks in the quiet little town of Buchanan, Va., along comes my train at 12:05 am. and I'm thinking..."This is not going to go over very well with the townfolk!" In the space of 3/4 mile, there are three road crossings in town to blow and I complied with the new FRA rules. 

True to form, a few days later, in the local paper's editorial section, a lady from Buchanan was complaining about a train coming through town and blowing the horn continuously! I could only chuckle in the fact that my prediction had come true. I wasn't pleased at what had taken place a few nights before, nor, was I impervious to her peace being disturbed. The truth is that I did not blow the horn continuously, but, tried to blow the ___ ___ _ ___. The horn did the rest.

This incident, I believe, helped to fuel the town's politicos into action and long story short, the FRA had to allow previously long standing quiet zones back into existence and Buchanan is horn free again.

No such thing as too loud a horn.  There should be no Quiet Zones.  Loud horns remove one more excuse that poor drivers use to justify hitting or being hit by a train.  "I didn't hear it coming" (because of my closed windows, thumping bass, blaring speakers, and ear buds so that I can talk on my phone while driving).

palallin posted:

No such thing as too loud a horn.  There should be no Quiet Zones.  Loud horns remove one more excuse that poor drivers use to justify hitting or being hit by a train.  "I didn't hear it coming" (because of my closed windows, thumping bass, blaring speakers, and ear buds so that I can talk on my phone while driving).

I totally disagree on the quiet zones! Here in the western suburbs of Chicago, where virtually all the towns have quiet zones all the way to the end of the commute lines, you can usually tell when some idiot is about to get hit when the horn/horns start blowing. Horns or no horns, people STILL drive around the down gates & flashing warning lights.

Hot Water posted:

palallin posted:

No such thing as too loud a horn.  There should be no Quiet Zones.  Loud horns remove one more excuse that poor drivers use to justify hitting or being hit by a train.  "I didn't hear it coming" (because of my closed windows, thumping bass, blaring speakers, and ear buds so that I can talk on my phone while driving).

I totally disagree on the quiet zones! Here in the western suburbs of Chicago, where virtually all the towns have quiet zones all the way to the end of the commute lines, you can usually tell when some idiot is about to get hit when the horn/horns start blowing. Horns or no horns, people STILL drive around the down gates & flashing warning lights.

HW,
There is no sense trying to argue with people that only see things one way. Their mind is set, they have forgotten how to most importantly STOP, then use their eyes to LOOK and then LISTEN.
FWIW, the only crossing accident that I can remember in this town was when someone drove around the gates back when we did have to blow for the crossing.

I get it that they still drive around the gates and so forth, but, with the horn sounding, their lawyers cannot use the lack of a horn to punish the RRs for not taking enough precautions to warn the idiot drivers.

I don't understand the demand for quiet zones.  But, then, I grew up underneath a runway approach for a major international airport.  Give me the sounds of trains any day.

palallin posted:

No such thing as too loud a horn.  There should be no Quiet Zones.  Loud horns remove one more excuse that poor drivers use to justify hitting or being hit by a train.  "I didn't hear it coming" (because of my closed windows, thumping bass, blaring speakers, and ear buds so that I can talk on my phone while driving).

This is a joke, but the only way people would not drive around the gates is if you had this horn on trains.

But yes, I do notice quite a few trains lately have the horns have the bells facing reverse. Also I notice a lot of trains are starting to have the air restricted to the horn as there's less PSI as what I caught below had a K3LA or K5LA and you could hardly hear it. But what I do agree with, as to add to Hot Waters comment, they should put gates on both sides of the road which would make it 4 crossing gates at a crossing. 

palallin posted:

I get it that they still drive around the gates and so forth, but, with the horn sounding, their lawyers cannot use the lack of a horn to punish the RRs for not taking enough precautions to warn the idiot drivers.

That is no longer an issue any more, what with the forward facing video camera in ever main line locomotive. Such direct evidence, once presented to the attorney preparing to "take action against the railroad", such cases rarely go to court.

I don't understand the demand for quiet zones. 

Maybe because you don't live near a two or three track main line, that also has commuter train service, with grade crossings sometimes only 50 to 100 YARDS APPART!

But, then, I grew up underneath a runway approach for a major international airport.  Give me the sounds of trains any day.

Well, "sounds of trains" is one thing, but NOT those G****ed horns!!!!!

I don't think horn loudness can be blamed for railroad related incidents.  A freeway closure has changed my route home from work and I now cross two sets of CN tracks.  I've noticed that nearly every day I can see groups of people hanging around on the tracks or walking down them.

People like that are the reason, not the railroad equipment.

Maybe I'm going deaf. Watched the video yet didn't think the horn was that loud. 

Funny thing, the next recommended video was Jimi Hendrix "Hear my train a'coming!"  

Well, what's the second thing people say when they get hit by a train (assuming they survive)?

First thing they say is "I didn't see it."

Second thing they say is "I didn't hear it."

Used to be there was just a white crossbuck at railroad crossings. "I didn't see it." Then lights. "I didn't see it." Then gates. "I didn't see it." Can't do much more to improve visibility short of preemptively dropping a grand piano on the hood of an encroaching vehicle, and there's always that odd case of a malfunctioning crossing.

You can always make horns louder.

Hot Water posted:

palallin posted:

I don't understand the demand for quiet zones. 

Maybe because you don't live near a two or three track main line, that also has commuter train service, with grade crossings sometimes only 50 to 100 YARDS APPART

 

Let me guess, you're so old you lived there before there was a railroad there. Or you're one of those people who move in next to the tracks then complain about the noise.....

steam fan posted:

Hot Water posted:

palallin posted:

I don't understand the demand for quiet zones. 

Maybe because you don't live near a two or three track main line, that also has commuter train service, with grade crossings sometimes only 50 to 100 YARDS APPART

 

Let me guess, you're so old you lived there before there was a railroad there.Or you're one of those people who move in next to the tracks then complain about the noise.....

Neither one, smart guy!!!  Apparently you are NOT aware that the East End of the famous CB&Q three track main line was a quiet zone, way back in the steam days, when the CB&Q management realized the value of good community relations, as the real-estate prices quickly increased along their main line. Very influential people lived within walking distance of the CB&Q Commute Service, including the President and various Vice=Presidents of the Burlington.

Basides all that, I've spent my entire working life in the railroad motive business, and I am simply tired of air horns! I even got tired of the constant whistle blowing on UP 3985 and 844 when I was the Fireman for the now current manager of the UP steam shop! 

Just because one like trains does not mean that trains get a blank check pass.  First of All - The FRA made that STUPID 4 honks per crossing rule.

And then they use fuzzy evidence to prove that it works.

Government in Railroading - We all know how that went with GonRail

I is my understanding that the horns are loud because the railroads are using "Clap-on" triggering of their roadside accessories.   

SPSF posted:

Just because one like trains does not mean that trains get a blank check pass.  First of All - The FRA made that STUPID 4 honks per crossing rule.

And then they use fuzzy evidence to prove that it works.

Government in Railroading - We all know how that went with GonRail

 

Uh, no:  that practice antedates the FRA by a LONG time.

I am no advocate of Gov't in much of anything, but I do believe in the need for grade crossing warning, and I don't mind the horns (sorry, Hot Water, but I have spent my time in proximity to the grade crossings--naturally, I would prefer a steam whistle, but that IS a pipedream).