"No Train Horn" at RR crossings...?

[Anonymous]

Here in St. Louis there are quite a few RR crossings that have signs that read "No Train Horn". Doesnt this seem somewhat unsafe? What would be the advantage to not having a train horn at a RR crossing? Is it because this area has alot of houses around it or what? I see these signs on UP's double main into downtown and on BNSF's double main into downtown (tracks are no more than 1/4 of a mile apart).

[cnw4001]

This is a growing trend where the local residents pu***o have the sounding of the horn stopped. In some cases there are multiple crossings and multiple sounding of the horn and in other cases the residents just don't want to hear it sounded for a single crossing.

Sort of like moving near the airport and then complaining about aircraft noise.

That said, I will also concede that if you're in the car with the windows rolled up and the radio playing you may well not hear the horn anyway.

[Anonymous]

I know what you mean, because there are about 5 or 6 crossings on the line in a row that have the sign. Actually tonite I was around one and a train did sound its horn. To bad for the locals huh?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnw4001

Sort of like moving near the airport and then complaining about aircraft noise.

Same issue is facing drag strips/circle tracks everywhere. People move within a few blocks of the facility then come unhinged because of the noise [banghead] . If its called "common sense" then why is it so rare these days [?]

[Anonymous]

This is really stupid, just wait till one of the residents 5 year old gets killed, then they will blam the railroad for not using "safty devices". Dumba....

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by myclone

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnw4001

Sort of like moving near the airport and then complaining about aircraft noise.

Same issue is facing drag strips/circle tracks everywhere. People move within a few blocks of the facility then come unhinged because of the noise [banghead] . If its called "common sense" then why is it so rare these days [?]

There's a big, big difference here. race tracks and airports are built on the outskirts of cities, where-as railroads go all over the town. In some areas, the houses may be the only thing some people can afford (or low income subsidised housing), these people do not have a "let's get up and move to a bettter neighborhood" additude because, well they can't afford to move anywhere else.

In those areas that the cities have deemed "no horn" areas, they have instilled other means to make sure the point is taken a train is apporoaching. most "no horn" crossing are double gated with lights, and overhead, as well as street level flashing crossbucks.

If that's not enough to get your attention a trains coming, no amount of "honking the horn" is going to.

[Anonymous]

FRA is allowing in some situations provided the gates are full closure with audibles. That means gates blocking all traffic lanes on both sides of the crossing (approach and trailing). An idea whose time came years ago, even if you still blow the horn.

A number of cities, including the STL suburbs mentioned above, have had "hornless" crossings for years--train goes through with bell ringing. Others have required an air whistle ("city whistle") of much lower db output than the horn. SP had to do that on the switchers assigned to the incomparable Santa Monica Daylight and Santa Monica Lark that ran down Exposition Boulevard adjacent to campus in the 60's when I was at USC--scenic domeliners, of course, if the caboose had a cupola![(-D][(-D] Weird sounding things.