Thank You.
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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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.
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
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
I too hate them. I like that “STT DING! STTT DING! STT DING!” OF THE MECHANICAL BELLS!
The road to to success is always under construction. _____________________________________________________________________________ When the going gets tough, the tough use duct tape.
I just now listened to them, and they sounded much better when they were the mechanical bells!
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?
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.
www.newenglanddepot.net
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.
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!
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...
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).
had never heard an electronic bell until got to Portland, Or and heard Milwaulkee's bells. They could be heard much farther than SP's mechanical bells.
this lad's posts make me sound smarter.
i can get used to electronic crossing bells even. but i do NOT want to start seeing those stupid wayside horns on the crossings around here. they sound rancid and lack the doppler effect.
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
grow up. They are here to stay.
minipimp wrote: the electronic bells suck
the electronic bells suck
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
I like both electronic and mechanical bells. There's nothing wrong with the electronic bells, I have noticed they are much louder than the mechanical ones, which is good I think. The sound is different, but it's not a very annoying sound IMO.
People who like the mechanical bells, we have to remember that they aren't completely obsolete on any Class I yet. All of the Amtrak Genesis engines have mechanical bells, and most of the Dash 9's and SD70M/AC's do to. Heck, I think even Acela has a mechanical bell. They'll be around for a while yet.
But we also have to realize that electronic bells are the future, and it's coming whether we like it or not. People who don't like them now will have to learn to.
Fortunately, I like them both, so I don't have a problem at all.
They do sound the same...I dont see what the big deal is...A bell is a bell
No they don't! I bet you can't turn a real bell off in half a ding!
I was just in De Kalb the other day, and most of the crossings there have electronic bells, LED lights, AND wayside horns! Doesn't get much more annoying then that!
UK2007 wrote:Sorry if this is railroad basics but why do your railroads use bells on their locomotives?
Here bells are used when just starting to move (serves as warning to nearby people), when going across crossings, through stations, through tunnels, and when passing other trains or equipment (again, as a warning to those working nearby).
I know one short line that has replaced the bells on all their locomotives with the electronic ones, the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island(former E&N Railway). Parent company Southern Railway of BC is also replacing mechanical bells with the electronic ones. As zug said, the electronic bells are not nearly as prone to failure as the mechanical ones, so you'd better get used to 'em.
BTW, why is it railfans hate anything new?
Lord Atmo wrote: i dont mind the electronic locomotive bells. they dont sound too different to me.now those electronic CROSSING bells are another story. especially those damn western cullen hayes bells.and let's not forget the crossings with virtual horns. those sound HORRIBLE. ugh
i dont mind the electronic locomotive bells. they dont sound too different to me.
now those electronic CROSSING bells are another story. especially those damn western cullen hayes bells.
and let's not forget the crossings with virtual horns. those sound HORRIBLE. ugh
Electronic or not -- a bell is an important warning device.
I fire a steam engine and thus operate the bell. We have very specific rules about when the bell must be rang. Of all the places - the most important is when we are backing the engine into the engine house. A slow moving steam engine is virtually silent and when backing, rear visibility is blocked by the tender. With other normal (noisy) in the engine house (we aren't issue ear plug for nothing) that quiet engine could interrupt someone's day.
Electronic or not - the engine bell beats the sound of the back-up buzzer on the front-end loader we use for fueling.
dd
Unlike the UK, in North America railroad rights-of-way are not fenced in, grade (level) crossings are quite common and station platforms are usually at ground level. The bell provides an additional warning device.
ah yes. i forgot some shortlines use ALCOs or other older power. when i think "shortline", i think "Wisconsin Northern" cuz they're around here and they only have 2 GP15-1s and an SW1500 in PGR paint
i should find a shortline that runs ALCOs
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