NellsChoo I was going to ask the question, "why are new locomotives equipped with fake bells?", then found this thread. I myself feel the fake bells are too quiet, both on locomotives AND at crossings. They just don't have the "punch" of the real thing. Too wimpy. These days, with all the distractions in cars and iPods, you need to make some noise to catch people's attention. Real bells seem to pack that needed "punch". What I'd like to know is WHY were these things even invented? I'm not being snide, I just want to know. Was it to make anything easier for the crew? JD
I was going to ask the question, "why are new locomotives equipped with fake bells?", then found this thread.
I myself feel the fake bells are too quiet, both on locomotives AND at crossings. They just don't have the "punch" of the real thing. Too wimpy. These days, with all the distractions in cars and iPods, you need to make some noise to catch people's attention. Real bells seem to pack that needed "punch".
What I'd like to know is WHY were these things even invented? I'm not being snide, I just want to know. Was it to make anything easier for the crew?
JD
Locomotives and crossings use different types of E-bells. Neither are quiet. The crossing bells are directed toward the traffic, so they sound quiet if you are not right in front of them. The loco bells are more multi-directional (for lack of a better term that I can think of).
I work in a terminal that has both types of bells. The E-bells are in general, louder. Now every once in awhile you may get a mecahincal bell for whatever reason is super-loud, but there is no consistency with them. Some are loud, others reward you with a nice pssshhhh..click..click....click...DING....pssshhh...click..click....DING. If a bell doesn't make noise, it kind of defeats the purpose of it. Which is why we have Ebells. No moving parts to break, no airlines to get clogged, and the striker won't get blocked by snow. If they are hung in an ideal spot, then they can be heard from far away. One I work with is hung under a slug. The slug has everything removed between its trucks, so the bell hangs there pretty much by itself, with nothing to block the sound. That bell can be heard 12-20 cars away.
To answer your question, it makes it easier on the maintenance staff, or is supposed to, at least. Granted the locmotives lose some of their character without their own "ringtone" so to speak, but they usually are more reliable (from what locos I've had).
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Hmmm... now that we are seeing more "foreign" power in this area, I'll have to try and pay more attention to the e-bells and how loud they seem. I suppose where they are mounted does make a difference. As for the e-crossing bells, I wouldn't be suprised if the ones around here have been made quieter because of NIMBYs who moved next to the railroad and then complained about the noise...
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espeefoamerThe electronic bells are horrible!" src="http://cs.trains.com/trccs/emoticons/icon_smile_shock.gif"> Thry sound like fingernails on a blackboard. they should be banned from the railroad scene.
It likes playing a far tone sexaphone!
Sounds to me that for the most part, that the raifans hate them and the railroaders like them.
Ebells are more reliable, period. I can't count the number of times that a bell (and no folks, for the most part, they aren't brass any more, so they sounded lousy anyway) on a given locomotive failed en route, or would ring only once out of three or four tries or would only ring on a left or right hand curve at speed. Air leaks were a major culprit, as was dirt, debris and oh yes, those moving parts.
I worked for the SP, where the SD7, SD9 and covered wagon bells were so begrimed with mud, oily dirt and debris that you were lucky to get a "dink, dink,dink" out of them.
Ebells may not sound good to railfans, but for engineers and the public at large, they are heaven sent.
Sorry folks, they are here to stay, as are quiet zones, stationary crossing whistles and ebells at crossings. Nostalgia is wonderful, but a lot of it has (and will) go the way of the do-do.
They could have at least sampled a real bell when they made the recording! ;-)
Now, riddle me this, do the e-bells differ in sound from road to road, or from EMD to GM?
NellsChoo They could have at least sampled a real bell when they made the recording! ;-) Now, riddle me this, do the e-bells differ in sound from road to road, or from EMD to GM?
I thought they sounded about the same, I can't usually tell unless I hear the clicking of the clapper. I really like them, (un godly expensive to buy), and I hate the fact that they are run through the computer, but they are louder and much much more relaible. A GE psudo bell will plug right into an GM and vise-versa.
I just now listened to them, and they sounded much better when they were the mechanical bells!
I too hate them. I like that “STT DING! STTT DING! STT DING!” OF THE MECHANICAL BELLS!
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bubbajustin I too hate them. I like that “STT DING! STTT DING! STT DING!” OF THE MECHANICAL BELLS!
Too bad railroads favor reliability over railfans' wishes.
zugmann bubbajustin I too hate them. I like that “STT DING! STTT DING! STT DING!” OF THE MECHANICAL BELLS! Too bad railroads favor reliability over railfans' wishes.
This railfan favours the ebells---simply because they are clearer sounding around these parts----so there---HHAAARRRRRUUUUMMMPPH!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
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I could care less which bell a loco has. I hate 'em both. What I and everyone I work with really can't stand, are those NS SD70's with the automatic bell that can't be turned off! Talk about annoying!!!
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Thank You.
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