Why are horns so expensive?

[lattasnip9]

I think it would be sooooo cool to mount a train horn on your car but why are they so expensive?  And are there any laws saying you can't do that?

[J. Edgar]

most cities have noise laws prohibiting this......and does your car have an air compressor??

[spokyone]

most cities have noise laws prohibiting this.....

While in Florida last spring, there was big story in local papers about this.  When you have $80-$100K invested in a custom truck, another $4K for a locomotive horn is OK. Those guys also say a simple $400 fine is worth it if they get caught. The police do not confiscate the equipment.

[lattasnip9]

no i don't have one but its not that hard to get one

[Newyorkcentralfan]

That's why they're so expensive. To keep them out of the hands of morons who think it would be cool to put them on their cars.

I think it would be sooooo cool to mount a train horn on your car but why are they so expensive?  And are there any laws saying you can't do that?

[MopacBarrettTunnel]

True story.
I've been a professional musician {of the rock stripe} since 1987.  About 1993, my band acquired an ancient US Post Office Route-Delivery van built in 1972.  It was basically a Jeep chassis and guts {4-wheel drive},  with a shrunken "bread truck" shell on top.

With my railfan proclivities already well into overdrive, I sought out my buddy who worked in an area scrap yard that did modest traffic in used railroad parts of all kinds, and asked if he had a functioning pair of Nathan "geese" {single-note horns - the type that EMD and others first used before multi-chimes became popular}.  He did, and a modest $um later, I was the proud owner of a cool gimmick to enhance my band's reputation.

In short order, we mounted the geese in traditional front-facing {driver's side} / rear facing {passenger side, and no the van had NOT been converted from right-hand drive} manner, patched in the air compressor, and hit the road for a full fun year I'll NEVER forget!!!  We got totally carried away with our "honk-honk" obsession, and I'm sure we probably entertained half as many innocent by-standers as we did audiences, during those days.  Truckers obviously loved us, because we were "speaking their language," if you will. 

Same thing for virtually ALL railroaders we encountered, as well.  One of them actually became chummy with us, and caught a few gigs on his off-time.  He was the one who came out with a gem I still clearly remember - "If you guys would slap some hi-rail wheels on this buggy, there isn't a Company on this continent that would deny you access, provided you're up on your "Bible" {railroad Rulebook}.  Good way to avoid speeding tickets, too!!"

Much to my regret, that idea never reached fruition; but the time I spent, and the fun I had with my Nathan "Geese" are ample compensation; I actually lived a tiny slice of "the Dream,"  for a while........

[lattasnip9]

well ok, but i'm anything but a moron

[Semper Vaporo]

I have seen some really nice smaller air horns in 2, 3 & 4 trumpet configurations that, although small and not as loud as a Nathan or any other RR type locomotive horn, sound really nice.  They come with a small air compressor, horn relay and a pushbutton you mount on the dash.  Air horns don't take a large volume of air to operate so there is no need for an air tank reservoir.  The compressor is just a high speed fan to push air into the air line. 

I got a two trumpet set from J.C.Whitney (automotive parts mailorder place) but I have seen them at stores like Wal*Mart and Target, and I think I saw a set at the local hardware store once.  Mine were bright chromed metal, but I have also seen them cheaper in plastic.  Even though mine were "pretty" I put them under the hood to keep the neighborhood kids from stealing/destroying them.

But, I'd rather have a good steam chime whistle!  But they take large volumes of air to operate and so require a large reservoir (and pump to refill it).  I tried to run one off the exhaust pipe but the 4 cylindar engine made for "pulses" in the sound and it sounded terrible.

 

[Wyonate]

That's why they're so expensive. To keep them out of the hands of morons who think it would be cool to put them on their cars.

I think it would be sooooo cool to mount a train horn on your car but why are they so expensive?  And are there any laws saying you can't do that?

Hey!  I like my horn!!  It wakes up the "morons" that like to sit at green lights, and cut people off.  It got it to wake up the morons.

[rvos1979]

Saw a few train horns (new in the box yet) for sale in the Petro truckstop in Rochelle, IL off of I-39 the last time I overnighted there....

[John Liebson]

It might not be exactly an easy thing to install a locomotive air horn on a car, as they require high-pressure air compressors, air storage tanks, etc. Even the horns used on trucks need a fair amount of air at relatively high pressure: On every fire engine I ever worked on, bought, specified, etc., the air horns utilized the air-brake system as their supply source. 

 

 http://www.airhornsoftexas.com/train/train.html

[lattasnip9]

just put a compressor and a tank in the trunk

[silicon212]

You will need a large compressor.  The typical K3LA horn will drain a 30-gallon tank of 90 PSI in about 30 seconds.  Keep that in mind when you decide you want to do this.

There's a guy here in town (Mesa, AZ) who has a Jeep with a K3LA in it.  It's LOUD, too - for about 4 seconds.

[spokyone]

I think it would be sooooo cool to mount a train horn on your car but why are they so expensive?  And are there any laws saying you can't do that?

Check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQpa8whzwAE

 

[Expresslane]

 Not sure who the moron was in the video. The train horns in truck stops are not real train horns. There is a big difference. The real thing take a large volume of air.

   I have a fake train whistle on my big truck and have a 1/2 " pipe to feed it air. I can only blow it for about five seconds or I will use all my air and the truck will stop. It sounds good.

 Tried to buy one from a locomotive rebuilder,the real thing that is. He would not sell me one and said it was against the law to have one on a truck. Not sure I want to spend any time looking that one up. Next I want a train bell on my truck.  Just need a little more cash. Big toys are not cheap. 

[Newyorkcentralfan]

Well maybe someday you're wind up behind someone who has a mason jar full of nuts and bolts who tosses it up and backwards through their sunroof at highway speeds directly in front of you. It works to re-educate the morons.

 

Hey!  I like my horn!!  It wakes up the "morons" that like to sit at green lights, and cut people off.  It got it to wake up the morons.

That's why they're so expensive. To keep them out of the hands of morons who think it would be cool to put them on their cars.

I think it would be sooooo cool to mount a train horn on your car but why are they so expensive?  And are there any laws saying you can't do that?

 

[Wyonate]

Well maybe someday you're wind up behind someone who has a mason jar full of nuts and bolts who tosses it up and backwards through their sunroof at highway speeds directly in front of you. It works to re-educate the morons.

 

Hey!  I like my horn!!  It wakes up the "morons" that like to sit at green lights, and cut people off.  It got it to wake up the morons.

That's why they're so expensive. To keep them out of the hands of morons who think it would be cool to put them on their cars.

I think it would be sooooo cool to mount a train horn on your car but why are they so expensive?  And are there any laws saying you can't do that?

 

Well, hopefully before this someone decides to throw this mason jar full of nuts and bolts takes a good look at the 1 ton Ford behind him and will realize that in doing that, it would be like  shooting a BB gun at a locomotive.  It wouldn't do much good.  Re-educating?  I think not.  

[bakupolo]

That's why they're so expensive. To keep them out of the hands of morons who think it would be cool to put them on their cars

 

I'd like to put one on my Escalade.

[silicon212]

Only if your Escalade has 48" rims.

 /sarcasm

[rstaller]

  Because idiots keep running into trains a rr crossings.  R Staller

[bakupolo]

A quick guess: the judgemental posters on this board are the ones that always blow their horns at other drivers.

[lattasnip9]

Haha.  Well, to tell you the truth, I don't have my lisence yet and if I were to do that with my permit in such an unecessary situation, my old man would probably kill me.

[Anonymous]

It depends on what kind of set up you get. The "fake train horns" that you put on cars from places like http://www.pbmissions.com are only a few hundred dollars, but the REAL TRAIN HORNS are usually over $1k.  The difference is the quality & materials used to build them.  Real train horns are typically Leslie or Nathan brand, which I don't believe are made any more, so they have to be refurbished before being sold.  That's probably what makes them so pricey!

[arkansasrailfan]

if you really wanted to go far, get a Big Boy whistle.....

[arkansasrailfan]

.....which goes.....

[arkansasrailfan]

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!

[Anonymous]

These horns will eventually get someone killed. You're either going to scare someone into running off the road or someone will blow you away. It's not cute and people should be slapped with fines for having one. Train horns belong on trains not on a *** truck.

[tdmidget]

Since you brouht it up lattasnip, just where on your car would you put a horn that occupies 4 cubic feet and weighs over 100 lbs?

[FranklinC55]

all this makes me want to buy one

[Wyonate]

Since you brouht it up lattasnip, just where on your car would you put a horn that occupies 4 cubic feet and weighs over 100 lbs?

Easy, on the roof.  And use some 1/8 inch strip iron to support it.