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Last post 01-20-2007 10:36 PM by rrboomer. 8 replies.
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01-20-2007 10:04 AM
Offline Railfan1
Top 150 Contributor
Joined on 07-12-2006
The Beautiful North Georgia Mountians
Posts 2,393

Diesel horns today

How are horns in modern diesels operated, are they still the push buttons? I have heard something about them being where you can push a button or something and will do the -,-,0,- sequence?

01-20-2007 10:31 AM In reply to
Offline zapp
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Joined on 08-06-2003
weatherford,Tx
Posts 366

Re: Diesel horns today

Some of our (UP) units have buttons, some have the pull lever, and others also have the foot peddle. The foot peddle you just kick once and it blows the sequence until you kick again, then it stop.
01-20-2007 11:09 AM In reply to
Offline Railfan1
Top 150 Contributor
Joined on 07-12-2006
The Beautiful North Georgia Mountians
Posts 2,393

Re: Diesel horns today

When a railroad orders a loco from GE or EMD can they choose the type of operation they want in their locomotives or do they come standered to the type of engine?
01-20-2007 11:10 AM In reply to
Offline zapp
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Joined on 08-06-2003
weatherford,Tx
Posts 366

Re: Diesel horns today

yepper.
01-20-2007 11:52 AM In reply to
Offline Railfan1
Top 150 Contributor
Joined on 07-12-2006
The Beautiful North Georgia Mountians
Posts 2,393

Re: Diesel horns today

What railroads perfer which types?
01-20-2007 1:36 PM In reply to
Offline Datafever
Top 200 Contributor
Joined on 09-17-2006
Mt. Fuji
Posts 1,867

Re: Diesel horns today

 zapp wrote:
Some of our (UP) units have buttons, some have the pull lever, and others also have the foot peddle. The foot peddle you just kick once and it blows the sequence until you kick again, then it stop.

You say that "it blows the sequence".  That probably means the "approach of crossing" sequence. 

But aren't there other sequences that get sounded from time to time?  I know that there used to be horn signals for "back up", "stop", and a couple of other things.  Are those still used? 

01-20-2007 2:56 PM In reply to
Offline zapp
Not Ranked
Joined on 08-06-2003
weatherford,Tx
Posts 366

Re: Diesel horns today

It's like hand signals, becoming a lost art.

About the only one's you here now are "go ahead" and "stop".

01-20-2007 6:41 PM In reply to
Offline CMSTPP
Top 500 Contributor
Joined on 08-21-2005
Along the old Milwaukee Road.
Posts 1,157

Re: Diesel horns today

I have never heard about blowing the horn by foot peddle. Infact I have only seen the button and the handle. I would think that the peddle would be easier but, I don't know, wouldn't it be better to have the handle or button?

James

01-20-2007 10:36 PM In reply to
Offline rrboomer
Not Ranked
Joined on 12-26-2001
Posts 256

Re: Diesel horns today

Some Rock Island GP40's had a foot pedal for the horn as well as normal handle. Foot pedal was same as deadman pedal, which these units did not have. Thinking further I believe some of the U28B's also had a horn pedal.

They were not pre programed to blow crossing signal.

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