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NS Horns

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  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
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NS Horns
Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, September 23, 2021 8:03 PM

     I was outside today and heard a train coming. The sound of the horn was different than usual. I told myself it was definately a NS locomotive on a grain train, which happens about once a year around here. As the train came into sight, I could see that my suspicion was correct. Do NS locomotives have different horns than what we usually would hear on BNSF locomotives?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Northern New York
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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, September 23, 2021 8:48 PM

Every railroad has their favored horn(s).  Those with a tuned ear can usually tell what railroad's locomotive is in the lead.  Some can even tell you the make and model...

Deshler sees run-through power from virtually all of the Class 1's, so it can be quite the symphony.

Never mind variations in horns due to defective bells, etc.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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  • Member since
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  • From: Sterling Heights, Michigan
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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Thursday, September 23, 2021 10:26 PM
 

NS horn of choice (CSX as well) use to be the K5LA. I think a few P5's are still out there as well.

Check out this site for more detail on horns used info http://trainweb.org/mdamtrak199/horns.html

 
 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
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  • From: Atlanta
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Posted by oltmannd on Friday, September 24, 2021 7:05 AM

SD60MAC9500
 

NS horn of choice (CSX as well) use to be the K5LA. I think a few P5's are still out there as well.

Check out this site for more detailed info http://trainweb.org/mdamtrak199/horns.html

 
 

 

A good number of Conrail Leslie 3 note honkers are still roaming around on NS and CSX.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
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  • From: S.E. South Dakota
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, September 24, 2021 4:37 PM

tree68
Those with a tuned ear
 

That disqualifies me. Another distinct horn sound, one that I hear all the time, is the Dakota & Iowa trains. Their fleet is made up of tired ex- Milwaukee Road Geeps and ex- Rio Grand SDs. They have kind of a tired, worn out sound to them.

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  • Member since
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  • From: Northern New York
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Posted by tree68 on Friday, September 24, 2021 8:28 PM

Another source of info on horns is the late Ed Kapriskey's site:  https://www.dieselairhorns.com/

 

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Sterling Heights, Michigan
  • 1,691 posts
Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Friday, September 24, 2021 10:17 PM
 

oltmannd

 

 
SD60MAC9500
 

NS horn of choice (CSX as well) use to be the K5LA. I think a few P5's are still out there as well.

Check out this site for more detailed info http://trainweb.org/mdamtrak199/horns.html

 
 

 

 

 

A good number of Conrail Leslie 3 note honkers are still roaming around on NS and CSX.

 

Yes can't forget about the Leslie S3L's. That was also Santa Fe's horn of choice. When Santa Fe's GP60M's hit the road with Nathan K3LA's it was a nice break. I believe their GE's continued with Leslie's until the merger with BN.

 

Thanks for the reminder Tree. Didn't even know Ed passed away..

 
 
 
 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!

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