Why Trains Blow Their Horns So Much

Have you ever thought why trains blow their horns so often and so loudly? The truth is that they have to. And the main reason for that is safety. Locomotive engineers are required to honk every now and then, which is written down in the regulations called the "Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns."
So, as you can see from the name, all this honking business is pretty strict and obliges trains to make four blasts approximately 20 seconds before they reach a crossing. But that's not all! Trains whistles and horns are an effective method of communication! There is a whole system of locomotive horn signals, where different sound combinations mean totally different things!
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TIMESTAMPS:
A number of short whistles 1:10
One long whistle-like sound 1:26
Three short whistles 1:50
The signal you probably hear more often than others 2:20
Where train engineers aren't allowed to honk 3:38
Why trains can't just stop 4:07
Why trains have problems with going uphill 5:24
#trains #railroad #brightside
SUMMARY:
- If you hear a number of short whistles, it means that the engineer is trying to attract attention to the moving train.
- One long whistle-like sound can be heard when the train is coming to a halt, and the engineer applies the air brakes.
- Two long honks mean that the train has released the brakes and is ready to continue its journey.
- Three short whistles made by an unmoving train mean that the locomotive is about to move backward.
- One long whistle followed by a short one means that the train is nearing some equipment or people working on or near the track.
- The signal you probably hear more often than others is two long whistles followed by one short and another long whistle. Trains have to honk this way every time they approach a grade crossing, which is a place where a railroad track and a road or two railroad tracks cross at the same level.
- Florida once tried to ban locomotive horns. However, peace and quiet didn't last long. After the number of accidents at grade crossings had almost doubled, the ban was lifted.
- Any heavy object moving at high speed can actually stop pretty fast.
- The friction between the two is twice lower than the friction between a car's rubber tires and a road covered with asphalt.
- But besides being not very good at braking, trains also have big problems with going uphill!
- We, humans, can deal with super-steep inclines of around 80 degrees! But for high-speed trains, the maximum incline they can climb is only 2.5 to 4 degrees, while freight trains can't make it if the incline is more than 1.5 degrees.
- And still, some trains manage to climb not very steep hills with the help of several locomotives pulling them.
- After helping the struggling train to travel up, helper locomotives return back to the bottom of the hill to wait for the next train that needs assistance.
- On the other hand, any unfavorable conditions, such as rain, snow, or fallen leaves on the track, can prevent a train from going up a steep hill, even with the help of additional engines!
Music by Epidemic Sound
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