The Electronic Bell

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What do you think of the "E" bell?

  • Love it!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Hate it

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  • Don't know

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it sucks. its not as good a real bell. via rail canada seams to love them as most of the f40 fleet has them as well as a few p42's. they must remove the real bell and install the fake bell.
 
We were told on our tour at last year's LA Gathering that Amtrak is also considering them, as they are much cheaper to maintain.
 
It would be cool to have them on Amtrak. I could could get use to that sound any day even when I'm sleeping. They installed one on an FEC GP40-2 or GP38-2, I'm not sure, which one was it, but it sounded pretty good on the engine.
 
amtrakwolverine said:
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
I'm sorry, but what exactly are we upset about?
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the fact that real bells are being replaced by fake bells on locomotives. i don't care if its via or amtrak i don't like them.
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And we care about this... why?

Costs less, easier to maintain, hell I'm willing to bet their audible at longer distances-- thus perhaps mildly safer?

And, incidentally, you're wrong. The dictionary definition of bell includes "a device that includes or sounds like a bell, used to give a signal or warning". So technically they aren't "fake bells" at all, a bell is any device that emits a tone to give signal or warning.

This is sophomoric-- seriously, when I was a Sophomore at high school they replaced the school's bells with a tone over the PA system. People complained about "the tone"... people are seriously up in arms when a tonal device is switched for another tonal device? Oh right, nevermind... electric guitars. Yah...
 
Amtrak is retrofitting all P42's with them, MNCR has them on BL20gh and as engineer I love them.

It sure beats not having a air bell in winter when its plugged with ice etc or in summer when it just won't work.

So far the electronic bell has worked for me every time it was needed.
 
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ALC_Rail_Writer said:
amtrakwolverine said:
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
I'm sorry, but what exactly are we upset about?
Click to expand...
the fact that real bells are being replaced by fake bells on locomotives. i don't care if its via or amtrak i don't like them.
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And we care about this... why?
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Thank you, thank you, thank you.......it took me two minutes to stop laughing......."we care about this....WHY?"

You wait, E-bells will be the downfall of the Western Civilization, Post-Modern, Military-Industrial Complex.
 
Dutchrailnut said:
Amtrak is retrofitting all P42's with them, MNCR has them on BL20gh and as engineer I love them.It sure beats not having a air bell in winter when its plugged with ice etc or in summer when it just won't work.

So far the electronic bell has worked for me every time it was needed.
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So, I sinned: I just voted in an election--ok, a poll--as an uninformed voter. When I think "locomotive bell", I think of two things:

1, "big brass thing with a clapper, and the bell and the clapper swing back and forth, like Dad has in the basement, with a big rich sound"

2, "a very mechanical-sounding, flat-toned, perfectly-evenly-paced dinging that current Amtrak engines make, which sounds almost like a bad recording of a single bell ring played over and over again"

And I was, it seems, mistakenly thinking that (2) was the "electronic bell" we were voting on (and hence voted against it, because I think it not only sounds terrible but is less audible and hence less safe too).

Is (2) instead the "air bell" Dutchrailnut mentions? How does it work? When did it start being used?

When was the "electronic bell" invented, and can someone describe its sound, comparing it to (1) and (2)? Or find a link to a simple recording?
 
The name isn't really all that important -- trains have had "whistles" that are actually air horns for decades now.

I don't know if I've heard one on a train yet, but most of the RR crossings here have been refitted with electronic bells. They're easier to hear; older bells start sounding like "clack" rather than "ding". The RR could get on fixing them up of course, but that's more effort and money on something that has moving parts that will get out of tune again.
 
wayman said:
Dutchrailnut said:
Amtrak is retrofitting all P42's with them, MNCR has them on BL20gh and as engineer I love them.It sure beats not having a air bell in winter when its plugged with ice etc or in summer when it just won't work.

So far the electronic bell has worked for me every time it was needed.
Click to expand...
So, I sinned: I just voted in an election--ok, a poll--as an uninformed voter. When I think "locomotive bell", I think of two things:

1, "big brass thing with a clapper, and the bell and the clapper swing back and forth, like Dad has in the basement, with a big rich sound"

2, "a very mechanical-sounding, flat-toned, perfectly-evenly-paced dinging that current Amtrak engines make, which sounds almost like a bad recording of a single bell ring played over and over again"

And I was, it seems, mistakenly thinking that (2) was the "electronic bell" we were voting on (and hence voted against it, because I think it not only sounds terrible but is less audible and hence less safe too).

Is (2) instead the "air bell" Dutchrailnut mentions? How does it work? When did it start being used?

When was the "electronic bell" invented, and can someone describe its sound, comparing it to (1) and (2)? Or find a link to a simple recording?
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Amtrak's current bells use compressed air from the main tank that make the clapper strike the side of the bell. Almost all current locomotives use an air bell.

Personally who cares. Amtrak uses steel bells which are very monotone. If there is go to be a bell it should be bronze! It has a great sound.
 
Why even have a bell? It sounds pretty, but that's it. If I need to get out of the way of a train, it's horn will do.

Seriously, I don't think any passenger train in Japan has a bell....
 
VentureForth said:
Why even have a bell? It sounds pretty, but that's it. If I need to get out of the way of a train, it's horn will do.
Seriously, I don't think any passenger train in Japan has a bell....
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Indeed, or Switzerland or Germany etc etc.....

Although in Switzerland the bells are fitted to cows, not trains! :lol:

Moo-ding.
 
VentureForth said:
Why even have a bell? It sounds pretty, but that's it. If I need to get out of the way of a train, it's horn will do.
Seriously, I don't think any passenger train in Japan has a bell....
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However, it's an FRA requirement. So this would need to get changed at the federal level for anything to happen....
 
rnizlek said:
VentureForth said:
Why even have a bell? It sounds pretty, but that's it. If I need to get out of the way of a train, it's horn will do.
Seriously, I don't think any passenger train in Japan has a bell....
Click to expand...
However, it's an FRA requirement. So this would need to get changed at the federal level for anything to happen....
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Actually bells are NOT a FRA requirement, They are required by operating rules (company) , the FRA requires however, that any and all equipment installed on a engine will work.

As for foreign requirements , trains in Europe are not alway required to have head lights in daylight or blow for crossings.

only thing that proves is people over there are way smarter. ;-)
 
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Dutchrailnut said:
Actually bells are NOT a FRA requirement, They are required by operating rules (company) , the FRA requires however, that any and all equipment installed on a engine will work.
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I am not sure about this but isn't it also true that some states have laws requiring bells? An example of such being NJ?
 
jis said:
Dutchrailnut said:
Actually bells are NOT a FRA requirement, They are required by operating rules (company) , the FRA requires however, that any and all equipment installed on a engine will work.
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I am not sure about this but isn't it also true that some states have laws requiring bells? An example of such being NJ?
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Well LIRR cabcars and MUs don't have bells, nor do any of the MN MUs. I guess its not manditory in NY State, or hae they just been breaking the law for the last 80 years?
 
I believe NJ doesn't require a bell since the arrow iii's don't have bells. If it is a law NJT better get their act together.

Stephen

P.S. I created this poll for opinions, not arguments. I understand some people think it's a stupid poll, but please keep that in your head.
 
Acela150 said:
I believe NJ doesn't require a bell since the arrow iii's don't have bells. If it is a law NJT better get their act together.
Stephen

P.S. I created this poll for opinions, not arguments. I understand some people think it's a stupid poll, but please keep that in your head.
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HA! that's THEE BEST PART OF THIS FORUM, reading the arguments! I love the OP comments, some snide, some stupid, some condenscending, some dripping w/ sarcasm.......THIS is why I come to the forum.

(Well that, and to find out where The Traveler is going next)

BTW. "THANKS AGAIN" to The Traveler for bringing the soup to the PVD station. I think I consumed 4 or 5 myself...
 
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