You are correct. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to run the Santa Fe simulator in Lenexa, Kansas. Everytime you used the horn, the bell came on and you had to shut it off manually.
NO! No continuous ringing! Any warning sound, whether a bell, siren, backup beeper, etc. loses its effectiveness because people begin to ignore it. How often these days does a person look when hearing a car alarm go off in a parking lot. Emergency vehicles shut off their sirens between intersections when there is nobody close. Approaching grade crossings, passing stations, and when starting to move is plenty unless there's a situation calling for it, such as people on or next to track, etc.I'm a retired railroader and I have many times chewed out my fireman (on steam) for wanting to ring the bell too much.
Skip Luke
Retired Railroader
salty4568 NO! No continuous ringing! Any warning sound, whether a bell, siren, backup beeper, etc. loses its effectiveness because people begin to ignore it. How often these days does a person look when hearing a car alarm go off in a parking lot. Emergency vehicles shut off their sirens between intersections when there is nobody close.
NO! No continuous ringing! Any warning sound, whether a bell, siren, backup beeper, etc. loses its effectiveness because people begin to ignore it. How often these days does a person look when hearing a car alarm go off in a parking lot. Emergency vehicles shut off their sirens between intersections when there is nobody close.
Trucks backing up sound continuously.
Rich
Alton Junction
There was a small boy standing in line at the Bank with His Mother. In front of them was a very large women. The boy comments to his Mother about how large the woman was. His Mother replied that it is not nice to make fun of people. Just then, the women's pager started beeping, the boy shouted, '' Look out! She's backing up''.
Frank
Along with other information you have received, the bell is used when a moving train is passing a stoped train be it on a siding or in a yard or station
salty4568 NO! No continuous ringing! Any warning sound, whether a bell, siren, backup beeper, etc. loses its effectiveness because people begin to ignore it. How often these days does a person look when hearing a car alarm go off in a parking lot. Emergency vehicles shut off their sirens between intersections when there is nobody close. Approaching grade crossings, passing stations, and when starting to move is plenty unless there's a situation calling for it, such as people on or next to track, etc.I'm a retired railroader and I have many times chewed out my fireman (on steam) for wanting to ring the bell too much. Skip Luke Retired Railroader
Reference my Mississippi Central post:
"Tell it to the Judge!"
Note that judges are seldom chosen for intelligence. How about the one who ruled that both the DRGW and Santa Fe could build through the Royal Gorge...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
My grandson and I just made another quick visit to the New Braunfels train museum. They fixed the cord on the tank engine bell and we got to ring it some, what fun for a 4 year old (and a 66 year old). I can attest that the steamers probably did not ring the bell longer than needed; it gets tiresome. I presume the diesels have an on/off button they can push.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Somehow I'd never noticed the bell in tunnel thing until just a week ago.
bobr349:
Don't pay any attention to those who love to point out that you have resurected an old thread.
So what! Its a valid question! The last thing we need on the forum is for somebody going around discouraging members from posting.
When I was first on the forum I revived an old thread just the way you did and got an earful of crap from another poster for doing so. It bothered me for a while until I realized that I hadn't done anything wrong, so I told him so! That made me feel even better!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Rich:
I respectfully suggest that your comment could be taken the wrong way. The poster has only made two posts in three years. Your response could be enough to turn him off from making further posts even though he apparently has valid information to share.
When I was first on the forum I did the same thing - I revived an old post. Somebody took me to task rather harshly. (I'm not suggesting that you were being harsh.) I wondered for a minute whether I wanted to continue to participate if I was to criticized for making a simple comment. I responded by asking what the heck I had done wrong. Apparently nothing, but it still left a taste in my mouth for a while.
I've said it before: "What Bambie's mom said".
No offense intended Rich.
WHISTLES for Moving, Bells for Stopping - - - - my point - - - - Growing up with the C&NWRR and the SOO Line, and the Milwaukee RR, the Burlington, and the B&O (all c.1952-1960) in the last days of REAL WHISTLES (aka, steam) the standard followed by those Chicago area roads were: Whistles to announce BEGINNING of motion, and warning of approaching Continuance of Motion (crossings, passing through stations, etc) BELLS were sounded when slowing to a STOP, be it in stations, or to track ends, or to switch yard locations of doing a switch back.
About sounding whistles (or anything) when approaching a SNOW TUNNEL? Yikes, guys! Living in California now and studying the CPRR and SPRR history about snow shed mishaps and avalanches, that was something nearly forbidden, lest you start any vibration that starts an avalanche.
Thank you though for the read out sof the Eastern roads rulebooks.... I never cease to be surprised and amussed by the extreme differnces between the ways of the east vs midwest, vs the Left Coast western railroads.
AL
PS, old blogs never die, they just run out of steam when somebody shuts off the fuel
tomikawaTTNote that judges are seldom chosen for intelligence. How about the one who ruled that both the DRGW and Santa Fe could build through the Royal Gorge...
AAR Rule 30 states "The bell must be on at all times when the train is entering a yard or stopping at a station and must remain on until the train has stopped or has passed a yard limit sign."
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
Ring your bell when it seems logical. I run a small narrow gauge short line and never ring the bell while in normal running.
Approaching a yard or station, slow switching in congested areas or around civilian areas, I tend to leave the bell on.
Needless to say no bell when the engine is stopped for a period.
For the me, the bell is for slow and possibly dangerous operational conditions around humans afoot.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
Most trains in Canada fall under CROR (Canadian Rail Operating Rules)
Section 13 deals with bell usage, and section 14 deals with whistle -
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/railsafety/rules-tco167-163.htm
There were regional or subdivision practices not included in these rules. For example, some CP Passenger trains would blow the horn about a mile before a flag stop.
The SIW sounds the bell when backing into or leaving a siding. The horn is also sounded twice when starting up and I use the grade crossing sequence.
May not be prototypical but since the rules vary so much I made up my own.
My locos are not sound equipped because my ISL is small so I use the MRC Symphony 77 that my wife bought me a few years back.
Joe Staten Island West
geomodelrailroader AAR Rule 30 states "The bell must be on at all times when the train is entering a yard or stopping at a station and must remain on until the train has stopped or has passed a yard limit sign."
Then along comes the railroad that modifies that rule with the operating rules because of noise pollution-its a good neighbor thing that keeps the NIMBYs happy and the engineer retains his hearing.Make no mistake that bloody bell is loud in the cab.
No engineer wants to listen to a bell ring for hours while switching nor does the switch crew or other employees.
Nor is there is any reason to sound your horn during routine switching as per the FRA and AAR rules allows that. Can you imagine all the racket when there is several yard crews switching-the NIMBYs will file suit.
Ever notice how railroads is moving horns from the cab roof to the hood roof? That's to save the engineer and conductor's hearing? This was mandated by the FRA.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
What's better than a decade-old thread?
A nine-decade old print...
I was not aware of a "Ring Sign" until I came across this drawing. Must have been important enough for the PRR to use them... I've never seen one in a photo.
See you again in nine years or so,
Regards, Ed