Back in the Olde West, when the Lone Ranger wondered whether a train was coming, Tonto put his ear to the rail to listen. And if he wasn't sure, Silver, having bigger ears, could confirm it. That never worked for me, probably because the sound couldn't transit the gaps in the stick rail.
So the question is could it work now with CWR? Maybe with a stethoscope? I'm guessing it would work but not before the train was in sight and likely within earshot anyway.
Any thoughts?
It works.
I don't recommend "ear to the rail" unless you have a long clear view in each direction.
I can frequently hear a train out of sight around a curve from the "singing" of the rails before the sound of the locomotive is audible.
You can often hear coupler slack opening and closing on an empty train before rail or locomotive noise (or anything else).
Peter
I can usually tell when a trian is coming becasue I somehow can *feel* the really low pitch of throbbing motors before I can hear them. (Is that the opposite of what a dog can hear but humans can't? Maybe I'm a cat?)
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
I've never tried it, but I wonder if the ambient noise that constantly surrounds us might be a factor. We don't think about it, but if we find ourselves in a truly silent environment, it can be a bit disconcerting. Tonto and the Lone Ranger out on the lone prairie would probably have been more sensitive to the sound than we are today.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Not sure I'd want to put my ear on a rail around Cadiz or Siberia (or maybe especially) Frink about now, at least not in the afternoon!
Putting your ear to the rail can cause brain damage
CSSHEGEWISCH Putting your ear to the rail can cause brain damage.
Putting your ear to the rail can cause brain damage.
You might be confusing cause and effect there?
Is that how Johnny Cash heard that train a-comin'
Watched "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" last night - you could see the smoke around the bend.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I've tried in on both stick and welded rail. I could see it before I heard it. YMMV, as I did not have a quiet location.
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