What are the proper horn sounds for Canadian Pacific locomotives?

[hon30critter]

I was recently told by a fellow modeller, whom I respect, that my horns sounds were wrong for Canadian Pacific locomotives. He suggested that Canadian railways had adopted higher frequency horn sounds because the moose were not bothered by the lower frequency sounds normally supplied by the manufacturers and wouldn't get out of the way. Is he correct? If so, what specific horn sounds should I be using on my Canadian Pacific FP7s and 9s, Geeps and my 1950s switchers?

Thanks,

Dave

[cv_acr]

IIRC most Canadian railroads had standardized on the "M3" horn.

[BATMAN]

Hi Dave, I bet there is a good chance you will find what you are looking for here.

http://www.cptracks.ca/?fbclid=IwAR054J3kUoiqdCfLNt-ntmSIwV4hx30Zf5JfiENA0WYm-9sF475AofWWUEs 

 

 

[wjstix]

I believe in the 1950's or 1960's Canada passed a law or regulation that all common carrier railroad engines had to use the same 3-chime airhorn. The idea was that if all engines had the same sounding horn, people would always recognize it as a railroad horn, so you wouldn't have someone living along the CP not stopping at a CN crossing in another town because they didn't recognize the CN's horn as a railroad horn, as they were used to the CP horn's sound.

I hadn't heard the moose story before, I have heard that it was done during the early days of diesel engines because the early single-chime "blat" airhorns sounded too much like a standard truck horn.

[selector]

I think it's more likely the bull meeses were attending to the blat because it sounded like a cow moose in season.  A multiple tone horn will be heard by a wider range of animals and humans, and it is less likely to offer promises to an ardent bull moose that it can't keep.

[Track fiddler]

You know.... this horny moose thing's a new one on me.  Personally, I would ask the cow in the back seat of herrinchokers 66 Mustang..... she would probably know  Sorry,  I just couldn't resist that one.

TF

[cv_acr]

wjstix

I hadn't heard the moose story before, I have heard that it was done during because the early single-chime "blat" airhorns sounded too much like a standard truck horn.

 

I *have* heard a similar story before, but I don't know if it's actually true or just one of those things that's been repeated so often for fifty years that everyone just "knows" it...

[wjstix]

Always iffy quoting Wikipedia, but....

"In 1954, the K5H/K3H made their debut, using a D-sharp minor chord (D-sharp, F-sharp, A-sharp) because of Canadian regulations. "H" stood for "high-pitched" because none of the low-pitched bells available were used."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Manufacturing

[BRAKIE]

If I may add this? Here in the States motorists confused the eary single  chime horn (he so called fog/truck horn) for truck horns. Railroads started to turn to various types of chime horns for improve grade crossing protection. I am not sure if this was mandated by the Feds.

[hon30critter]

BATMAN

Hi Dave, I bet there is a good chance you will find what you are looking for here. http://www.cptracks.ca/?fbclid=IwAR054J3kUoiqdCfLNt-ntmSIwV4hx30Zf5JfiENA0WYm-9sF475AofWWUEs 

Hi Brent,

I read the index pretty much line by line but I couldn't find anything specific to horn types. I will go back and search by locomotive to see if the individual listings specify the type of horn used.

Dave

[wjstix]

BRAKIE

If I may add this? Here in the States motorists confused the eary single  chime horn (he so called fog/truck horn) for truck horns. Railroads started to turn to various types of chime horns for improve grade crossing protection. I am not sure if this was mandated by the Feds.

 

With Canada, I'm not sure if a specific type of horn is required, or if it's just that it has to be 3 (or perhaps more) horns forming a musical chord. It would make sense that was done to make it not sound like a truck horn.

 

I know in the US, the Soo Line used single-chime horns at least into the 1980's, but I think they were a much louder version than the rather weak early horns from the 1930's. It was quite a difference when the Soo took over the railroad running across the street from my old house, as the MN&S had used Hancock air whistles on their engines, which sounded like steam engine whistles and didn't have the volume of airhorns.