Train horns. I am VERY ANGRY!

[Back2Trains]

I lived in Plymouth, MI for 57 of my 60 years and trains were and are a major factor in the life of the town. Plymouth is a crossing for CSX's major north-south and east-west routes. One of my oldest memories is listening to the trains crossing the diamond late at night. All of the train sounds are soothing, especially at night when sleep is hard to come by (which was always fairly often for me). In fact, I would often have more trouble getting to sleep when the trains weren't running!
Plymouth has what is left of a fair-sized yard including a remnant of a roundhouse. You always hear bells and whistle signals because much of the town is within the yard limits. I have always liked the sound of the whistles/horns. I can remember knowing by the sound of its whistle when the C&O Sportsman was coming into town.
I now live in southeast Florida where the nearest railroad is 10 miles away. It is very quiet and peaceful here at night, but.....something seems to be missing.
People today don't understand the significance of trains the way we did 60 years ago. Today they are just an annoyance, something to be tolerated if necessary and banished if possible. These same people also build houses a hundred feet from expressways and then demand noise walls.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

QUOTE: Originally posted by RLHainey

Any one from the Kansas City are read Monday's KC Star?? The July 18th front page had a story w/picture of a couple who were complaining about the train noise near their home. Seems as though Santa Fe built a mainline track in their back yard while they were away from home one day.

Find that construction crew, they sound like the direct descendants of Charles Crocker's track gangs on the Central Pacific[:D]

Paul

[Anonymous]

Any one from the Kansas City are read Monday's KC Star?? The July 18th front page had a story w/picture of a couple who were complaining about the train noise near their home. Seems as though Santa Fe built a mainline track in their back yard while they were away from home one day.

[chad thomas]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

Some people should just be slapped! [:0][;)]

Yes, repeatedly and several times a day, every day !!!!....And they should have to wear a bright orange hat so we could easily identify them at a distance.

And if they come out with a button on locomotives that causes a hand to come out of the front end and slap people then I definatly want one for my car too.

[Anonymous]

I just love the sound of Train Horns,Oh yes I do![:P] Come to think of it,The Pushers that just shoved a Westbound over the Hill this moning at Blair had an NS 9838 as the 3rd Motor WITH Flashing Ditch lights on her. It was sooo cool. I was flipping out. I tell you,The Horn on her was awsome. I just had to get a Photo too. Oh by the way. It was a C40-9W.

[rvos1979]

QUOTE: Originally posted by smalling_60626

The Parsons, Kansas and Ames, Iowa solutions sound ideal. I wonder if it cost the towns a lot of planning (and/or $$$) to get the enhanced crossing gates??

Mundelein, IL did the same thing, in 2000-01 they installed electronic horns at about a dozen crossings in town as a pilot project. At night it looks interesting to say the least, all the crossings have orange 'X's flashing. One engineer claimed it looked like a pinball game.

Those horns do get peoples attention at crossings, after they were installed, there were several rear-enders and near rear-enders for a few months as people got accustomed to the horns. I sat at one of these crossings one night, and the stationary horns are louder, due to them being pointed at traffic. First time I heard them, I nearly had to knock the dent out of my roof caused by my jumping and hitting my head on the headliner in the cab.

As a side note, all the crossings have gates, some have median strips, and all have the new LED lights.

Randy

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

CSX worked with various suburbs and the City of Chicago in establishing a quiet zone on its line north out of Blue Island which roughly parallels Western Avenue. The additional safety devices are an eye-opener. The advance warning grade crossing signs on the streets have an additional sign which states "NO TRAIN HORN". Some crossings (such as 115th Street) are equipped with four crossing gates, others (such as 119th Street) have dividers on the centerline of the street which extend about 100+ feet from the tracks. Hopefully, this will work and there won't be a real problem with grade crossing accidents on this line. If the railroad and municipality are willing to work together instead of fighting each other, workable solutions such as this one can be devised.

Unfortunately, neither the city nor the railroad has been able to come up with a method of dealing with the egomaniacs who will figure out a way to run the crossing even when the gates have gone down so they can save a little time while risking their lives.

[Anonymous]

Well boys and girls there is a new rule in the GCOR about when to blow the whistle. Instead of starting at the whistle board there is a delay of 16 seconds at 25 m.p.h. and so on all the way up to 45 m.p.h. were there is no delay.

[DaveBr]

OK,Gentlemen,Who is dumber ?Or more stupid then that lady? No not me. There is a city named Glendale,California.I just read about a 12 story building to be built along with a 75 unit condo building.. Right across the street from the main line here in Glendale.On San Fernando Road.How can I donate one of the loud horns to the Engineer for Christmas?They must have something up their sleeve in order to build right there.Just thought I would let you know how some people are trying to ruin our enviorment. Dave Br

[zardoz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

Some people should just be slapped! [:0][;)]

AT LEAST!!

And when these spoiled, bratty, whiney people go out together, they should be required to wear shirts saying:
[#wstupid]

[vsmith]

Some people should just be slapped! [:0][;)]

Thanks Dan[:D]

[dharmon]

Here's an exchange that occurred in the San Diego Union Tribune several years ago regarding noise from Marine helicopters....I couldn't find the links but he's the verbage.

(San Diego Union Newspaper)

"4 Feb 1999
Letter to the Editor
Dear Sir,
Is harassment of residents the role of the military? My quiet neighborhood of Del Mar Terrance near Torrey Pines Reserve is a haven for families, retirees, single people, young couples and a variety of citizens who share appreciation for nature and peaceful, quiet living. On Jan. 27, there was an invasion of our beach and coastal area.
More that 100 flights to and from the ocean, and up and down the coast, took place on this day alone. There were easily 50 helicopters in the air; the noise was deafening. It was a strange, almost science fiction war scene enacted by Marines in the sky.
This area is our home. Its a residential corridor, not a battle zone. We are not ar war. Is the invading enemy the very military force that has protected and served out nation over the years? What is the role of the military in our country?
Certainly not the harassment of our residential neighborhoods and disturbance of our scenic view corridors. Helicopters have no right to take over the skies of residential North County. Is this Apocalypse Now, San Diego?
Maura Harvey
Del Mar


Response to the above letter:

San Diego Union Tribune
8 Feb 1999

Re: "is harassment of resident the role of the military?"
Responding to Maura Harvey's letter wondering if Marine helicopter training flights that passed above her Del Mar home were simply to harass residents, I can say that, yes, our mission is to harass residents, specifically Mrs. Harvey.
We do not train 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide freedom and security to all residents of the United States. We exist only to annoy the very people we are sworn to protect, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We spend months and years overseas, away from our families and loved ones, in some cases making less that minimum wage, choosing to live a life in which many qualify for food stamps, just to have the chance, one day, to annoy people like Mrs. Harvey. There is no more sought after position in the military than the Maura Harvey Annoyance Task Force.
As a matter of a fact, the Marines who spent Christmas dug into fighting positions in northern Kuwait and their brothers in the sky, braving anti-aircraft missiles and artillery, were just training to come back to the States and fly missions over Mrs. Harvey's house. It has nothing to do with security of the nation. It has no impact on our ability to carry out missions in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and it has no bearing on Mrs. Harvey's ability to enjoy "nature and peaceful, quiet living."
The "strange, almost science fiction war scene" she described was put on solely to make noise and to destroy her "scenic view corridors" in Del Mar Terrace. It certainly was not valuable and necessary training to help sustain the lives of those who ensure this nation's freedom, should they never be sent into harm's way to do just that.
Next time, Mrs. Harvey may want to look upon those loud machines and think about the men and women, who fly, ride in, and maintain them. Ponder the sacrifices that make in providing this nation with the warm blanket of freedom we all enjoy. Maybe she might even imagine how much more disturbing it would if she were not sure what country the helicopters were from, or whether they were going to attack her beautiful neighbor hood. But she shouldn't worry too much about that, because we will not let it happen.

Capt. John F. Peterson, USMC
Pacific Beach "

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

VSmith: How many city blocks will fit in the blimp/zeppelin hanger(s)?[(-D][(-D][(-D]

(laid steel and ties through there in the late eighties and the Orange County loonies were well on their way then....Especially between Eckhof and 17th Streets in Santa Ana.

Ahh, Tustin airbase! Now thats another story all together! The hangers Muddy C refers to were built to house the US airships Macon and Ackron back in the 30's.

Seams they cant just knock the hangers down and build their ticky-tacky houses as the structures are on the historic registry of places here in CA. and they cannot figure out just what to do with them. [;)]

Indoor hang-gliding I say! [:p]

FYI did you know that Steven Speilburg filmed "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind" inside one of these hangers when he couldnt get a large enough sound stage at the studios?[8D]

I'm currently leasing one to house my ego......and the other one is storing my wife's shoes......

[Mookie]

I have a simple log - just by #'s, so I will be sure and put this information on it.

I am just getting the 8's 9's and 70's down and now they go and throw this at me....

My eyes are crossed!

Thanx for info, Allan. It is definitely something I can use!

Mookie

[Anonymous]

Now Mookie do not forget that the BNSF has also the ES44AC units too. There numbered just after the 5600's and the 5700's into the 5800's "But" Some of the GEVO's have the AC4400CW instead of ES44AC! Keep log.
All of the 5600's on up are the AC4400CW's and the ES44AC units.
All of the 7600's on up are the ES44DC's.
Allan.

[Anonymous]

The Parsons, Kansas and Ames, Iowa solutions sound ideal. I wonder if it cost the towns a lot of planning (and/or $$$) to get the enhanced crossing gates??

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

VSmith: How many city blocks will fit in the blimp/zeppelin hanger(s)?[(-D][(-D][(-D]

(laid steel and ties through there in the late eighties and the Orange County loonies were well on their way then....Especially between Eckhof and 17th Streets in Santa Ana.

Ahh, Tustin airbase! Now thats another story all together! The hangers Muddy C refers to were built to house the US airships Macon and Ackron back in the 30's.

Seams they cant just knock the hangers down and build their ticky-tacky houses as the structures are on the historic registry of places here in CA. and they cannot figure out just what to do with them. [;)]

Indoor hang-gliding I say! [:p]

FYI did you know that Steven Speilburg filmed "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind" inside one of these hangers when he couldnt get a large enough sound stage at the studios?[8D]

[mudchicken]

VSmith: How many city blocks will fit in the blimp/zeppelin hanger(s)?[(-D][(-D][(-D]

(laid steel and ties through there in the late eighties and the Orange County loonies were well on their way then....Especially between Eckhof and 17th Streets in Santa Ana.

[Mookie]

Thank you - will take this home and study it!

Moo

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Two observations.

1 - so many of the people going around the gates - with the engineeers blowing the whistle at them - have children in the car....

2 - the new GEVO - has a lower pitched whistle. At least the one we heard did. It doesn't seem quite as shrill - still loud - but not so high pitched. Anyone else notice?

Yes I have Mookie. All of the UP's ES45AC CTE's have the low pitch horn blow tone. As for the SD70ACe's,Well that's another thing[:D]. Those suckers are LOUD!
Allan.

I am "learning again" - so need to ask......

Have seen BNSF 7680, 7682, 7687, 7719 and 7749. Are these GEVO's and what is their actual "name" - see all Allan's #'s above.

[%-)]

The BNSF 7680 and the others in question are all called ES44DC by the BNSF.

BNSF 7680 ES44DC WHL 02-19-2005 42.50 EVT. REC. PS ETD E
MILES - MAY 9234
Minor OH: 0 Major OH: 0 Date Now: 2125 RS 0

Model :ES44DC Wght/Lght :0420 73 HP Rating/Avl :4400 4400
Axles/Speed :6 DynBrk Rng/Sys:E F Remote/Trnspndr:
Fuel Capacity:5000 Ditch Lights :Y EPA Tier Level :2
Sentinel Code: Toilet Type :B

[Anonymous]

LR,
Ames, Iowa has that system too.


mike

[Anonymous]

WHAT ONE COMMUNITY DID ABOUT LOUD TRAIN HORNS.

In Parsons, Kansas the Union Pacific installed horn devices on their signal poles for the motorist to be warned of an on coming train. The engineer on the engine does not have to sound his horn. The horn on the street pole will sound when the crossing lights start flashing. A cross arm guard also comes down. The horn makes a different sound that is somewhat of a dull sounding train horn. The pole horn (for a lack of a better term and keeps is it simple) does not penetrate the surrounding neighborhoods like a regular horn on an engine. A strobe light on the pole will fla***o alert the engineer that the horn on the pole signal is functioning properly. If the strobe does not fla***he engineer can use his train horn.

The streets in Parsons that use the pole horns are the Crawford Street and Appleton Street grade crossings. Appleton is about four tenths of a mile south of Crawford. The Crawford and Appleton crossings also have cross arms to block traffic. The Union Pacific line (formerly the Katy) dissects the middle of Parsons in a north-south line. The downtown area is just to the east of the tracks. http://www.parsonsks.com/

The change came about in the early 1990’s when a city commissioner was standing in his yard talking to a neighbor and was interrupted several times by a train horn. He lived about two blocks from the railroad tracks.

The commissioner investigated and found there were other devices to warn motorist of on coming trains. In an agreement with the city and the railroad with both sharing the cost and the railroad installed the less offensive horns.

One note to this though is the fact the Union Pacific has slow moving trains going through Parsons as it is a crew change point. The north side of Crawford Street is where the crew change point exists. The railroad also does a lot of switching in Parsons going back and forth across the Crawford Street crossing many times during the day and night. The railroad recently built another set of parallel tracks to its mainline for switching purposes so the mainline could be freed up more.

Coal trains cross Crawford about 75 yards to the east of the mainline and then merges with the mainline. They have their own separate crossing signals.

[coborn35]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Two observations.

1 - so many of the people going around the gates - with the engineeers blowing the whistle at them - have children in the car....

2 - the new GEVO - has a lower pitched whistle. At least the one we heard did. It doesn't seem quite as shrill - still loud - but not so high pitched. Anyone else notice?

Yes I have Mookie. All of the UP's ES45AC CTE's have the low pitch horn blow tone. As for the SD70ACe's,Well that's another thing[:D]. Those suckers are LOUD!
Allan.

The GP30's had some of the loudest horns I have heard. Kind of like a high pitched whine and BAM! Man those are loud!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mehrlich

but the train keeps moving on, and with the house closed up and the air conditioner going, it's almost unnoticeable.
mike

Good point you bring up Mike. EVERYTHING is relative... A person too poor to be able to afford airconditioning, is likely to have to keep their windows open, and be bitter over that to begin with. Just like those who cannot afford tennis lessons with the buffster.

So, what do they do? Why the American pass time of course. "EXTERNALIZE"...make an association between the actual origin of their angst and something completely beyond their control, and claim to be a 'victim' because clearly the CLAIMED cause is beyond their control.

glad you btought this up [}:)]

[Anonymous]

I never thought much about loud train horns till this thread. I live about a block and a half from the Sunset Line here in Texas, so I thought I'd try to listen for myself and see how loud and offensive the horns could be. And I haven't really noticed it that much! Sure, it's loud for a few seconds, but the train keeps moving on, and with the house closed up and the air conditioner going, it's almost unnoticeable. I have noticed when I'm downtown and the sound is bouncing off the buildings it gets kinda loud, but like I said, it goes away in a couple of seconds. I doubt anyone, especially with a silly petition like BNSF mentioned, is going to get much done to get trains to stop blowing their horns. Really, it's kinda comical that she tried!

mike

[vsmith]

Its a sad truth that the vast majority of People are idiots, plain and clear.

Need proof that no one pays attention to their surroundings?

Out here on the left coast in beautifull Orange County, galactic center of stupidity, thier were 2 airports, one commercial, one military. The commercial airport was named for some cowboy named John Wayne, Its near the ocean, more importantly, it near verrrry expensive homes near the ocean. The residents of these very expensive homes were tired of these bothersome jets taking off and just spoiling thier afternoon game of tennis with Biff and Buffy, so they complained to their local city councelman, ***ed and whinned is more appropriate term, and to their state assemblyman, and their congressman and senator, and Lo! They get new flight regulations for takeoffs that require pilots to take off at the steepest allowable angle (to get as high as possible before crossing over our dear oppressed Neighbors) and at the lowest throttle position possible (as to be as quite as possible not to disturb Buffy as she gets a facial), all so the wealthy residents of Newport can enjoy the peice and quite we all know they deserve, because they're rich, and the rich shouldnt have to put up with things like noise, even when they knowingly buy near a busy commercial airport. Un-named FAA spokesmen once commented in an article about this that it was a wonder to him no aircraft has ever stalled on takeoff due to these loony flight patterns and actually crashed into the plush nieghborhoods of Newport.

Now the Military base had been here since the 1930's , El Toro was a major airbase for the US Marines and the US Navy, and its was content with being located way out in the farmland boonies for decades, but then came the 80's with rabid housing development, and an unending appeitite for new lands with big McMansions on them. SO in the 80's the greedy developers, start inching closer towards the gates of El Toro, to the point where they were AT the gates of El Toro by the early 90's. You can see where I'm going cant you....

People start buying these homes, I'm convinced some were bought sight unseen by people who were "to busy" to be bothered with an actual visit, and these young families move in. Either some were complete Idiots or were just clueless morons who couldnt comprehend the meaning of the Phrase "theres an airbase next door" So guess what happens.....

ROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

F-18 at 120 decibles! What a great alarm clock! It 8 am folks !!! were open for business!!!! Welcome to the neighborhood!!!!

Within days, sometimes within HOURS of moving in, the complaints start, "Oh its too loud! " .."What, they actually fly planes out of that airbase" No buddy its just there to scare the Soviets, ya moron!

Well long story short, more morons oblivious to the fact that an airbase means jets, and jets mean noise, continue to poor blindly into the area around El Toro and continue to complain to their congressman, assemblyman, councilman, hair stylist...(Boy it was reallllly fun to be around there during Gulf War 1, Whooosh!) But when the 1st round of base closures came up in the late 90's, surprise! guess which base was curiously on the shortlist, El Toro was to be closed down, and before the announcement was even finished the greedy developers were lining up to carve up the base. The Navy said it would give up the base when it was dam good and ready, there was serious talk of converting it into another desperatley needed commercial air hub in south Orange County, but the NIMBY's and whinners saw to it that that would never happen ( I guess they really enjoy that 3 hr commute in traffic to LAX), Slick developers then proposed "limited" commercial development around a "Great Park" proposal, the park would rival Central Park in NY as a "gathering space for all of OC" the voters ate it up and approved it, but its been a few years now,the "Great Park" proposal is now the "Small Park", smaller than some regional parks and may get even smaller as time goes on, and the developers have the vast lions share of the base already marked out for huge housing and commercial developements, ( they still have to deal with this little thing called soil contamination) and the Voters allow it to happen without a whine!

More traffic, more congestion, more smog, and they just grin like idiots.[:(]

[FThunder11]

that lady is an idiot

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Two observations.

1 - so many of the people going around the gates - with the engineeers blowing the whistle at them - have children in the car....

2 - the new GEVO - has a lower pitched whistle. At least the one we heard did. It doesn't seem quite as shrill - still loud - but not so high pitched. Anyone else notice?

Yes I have Mookie. All of the UP's ES45AC CTE's have the low pitch horn blow tone. As for the SD70ACe's,Well that's another thing[:D]. Those suckers are LOUD!
Allan.

I am "learning again" - so need to ask......

Have seen BNSF 7680, 7682, 7687, 7719 and 7749. Are these GEVO's and what is their actual "name" - see all Allan's #'s above.

[%-)]

[Anonymous]

i live verry close to the tracks i have had times were the train horn will make me jump out of bed from a sound sleep it sounds like thay driveing right into my room . but hey i know its for safty and i really dont mind