Whistle blowing routine

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Paul CHI

Paul CHI

Service Attendant
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
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150
I rode the Wolverine 359 yesterday from Kal-Chi. At 110 mph, the --.- crossing whistle is almost nonstop. I got to wondering: is this now automated, or does the engineer actually have to activate each honk?
 
Isn't there a foot pedal they depress to activate the horn sequence? Or is it a button on the dash?
 
SarahZ said:
Isn't there a foot pedal they depress to activate the horn sequence? Or is it a button on the dash?
Click to expand...
Was a rope or chain in the steam era and was a vertical handle attached to an air pipe in the conventional diesel electric era. Or at least that's how I remember it. Never rode in any all-electric locomotives or today's electronically controlled diesels.
 
Foot pedal activates an automative sequencer - - o - that will continue until the pedal is depressed again or desktop button hit. The foot pedal will drive you crazy after a short time, the button allows some discretion by the engineer.
 
SarahZ said:
Isn't there a foot pedal they depress to activate the horn sequence? Or is it a button on the dash?
Click to expand...
Some locomotives have a Foot Pedal, IINM Acela Power Cars have them. The now old AEM-7's have a pull cord that will activate the horn when pulled. Acela and HHP's have a small lever on a console that the engineer uses. With the newer ACS-64's their is a very small button of sorts that the engineer pushes and will activate the horn. P40's and P42's have a button on I guess what you would call the dash. Their is also one on the fireman's side.

From what I have read from engineers they can't stand the foot pedals and avoid using them.
 
Acela150 said:
SarahZ said:
Isn't there a foot pedal they depress to activate the horn sequence? Or is it a button on the dash?
Click to expand...
Some locomotives have a Foot Pedal, IINM Acela Power Cars have them. The now old AEM-7's have a pull cord that will activate the horn when pulled. Acela and HHP's have a small lever on a console that the engineer uses. With the newer ACS-64's their is a very small button of sorts that the engineer pushes and will activate the horn. P40's and P42's have a button on I guess what you would call the dash. Their is also one on the fireman's side.

From what I have read from engineers they can't stand the foot pedals and avoid using them.
Click to expand...
If someone has them, pictures would be nice :)
 
I can't imagine the sequence being automated. The sequence explicity states that the final long blast occurs while the train is passing through the crossing. This would be impossible for a preprogrammed sequencer to do properly with varying speeds and where some crossings are really close to each other. Also, I can't imagine the length of the long and short toots being necessarily defined other than that they can be distinguished relative to each other.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Maybe there is an option of an automatic sequencer and doing it by hand... but I agree, in that at night on the LD trains after the lights are out (ie, less ambient noise) if one listens carefully, each crossing whistle blow is unique/slightly different.
 
gmushial said:
Acela150 said:
SarahZ said:
Isn't there a foot pedal they depress to activate the horn sequence? Or is it a button on the dash?
Click to expand...
Some locomotives have a Foot Pedal, IINM Acela Power Cars have them. The now old AEM-7's have a pull cord that will activate the horn when pulled. Acela and HHP's have a small lever on a console that the engineer uses. With the newer ACS-64's their is a very small button of sorts that the engineer pushes and will activate the horn. P40's and P42's have a button on I guess what you would call the dash. Their is also one on the fireman's side.

From what I have read from engineers they can't stand the foot pedals and avoid using them.
Click to expand...
If someone has them, pictures would be nice :)
Click to expand...
Here is a photo of an AEM-7DC unit. If one looks to the top right hand corner next to the cab signal display you'll see the cord for the horn.

http://p5b4702.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3689748

I'll do some looking for HHP and AE cab shots when I get home and have time. I'm currently at the firehouse waiting for the monthly meeting to start...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
gmushial said:
Maybe there is an option of an automatic sequencer and doing it by hand... but I agree, in that at night on the LD trains after the lights are out (ie, less ambient noise) if one listens carefully, each crossing whistle blow is unique/slightly different.
Click to expand...
Some Engineers make the Long Long Short Long sound strained and mundane while others make it into an amazing symphony that can be listened to for hours. True, much of that depends on the tuning on the K5LA but I have heard many folks say they can identify an Engineer simply by his or her Horn work.
 
FrensicPic said:
For a second, thought this was gonna be another whistle/horn noise complaint thread. Whew!
Click to expand...
I wouldn't want to disappoint you. I recently booked BC (on the IZ) which was right behind the engine. It wasn't long, long, short, long; but long, long, long, extra long, long. I'd just transferred from an overseas flight and hated paying extra for the extra noise.

It was as if the engineer had recently been a victim of a stupid motorist. If so, I'd be willing to cut him some slack.
 
Devil's Advocate said:
SarahZ said:
Isn't there a foot pedal they depress to activate the horn sequence? Or is it a button on the dash?
Click to expand...
Was a rope or chain in the steam era and was a vertical handle attached to an air pipe in the conventional diesel electric era. Or at least that's how I remember it. Never rode in any all-electric locomotives or today's electronically controlled diesels.
Click to expand...
On PM 1225 (and I assume many other late-model steam locomotives), the steam whistle was actuated by an air-operated squeeze handle on the engineer's side. During the restoration they retrofitted a whistle pull cord as an alternate means of sounding the whistle, although the air-operated handle is still functional...and I got to use it during the Engineer for an Hour program in July 2004....
 
Acela150 said:
gmushial said:
Acela150 said:
SarahZ said:
Isn't there a foot pedal they depress to activate the horn sequence? Or is it a button on the dash?
Click to expand...
Some locomotives have a Foot Pedal, IINM Acela Power Cars have them. The now old AEM-7's have a pull cord that will activate the horn when pulled. Acela and HHP's have a small lever on a console that the engineer uses. With the newer ACS-64's their is a very small button of sorts that the engineer pushes and will activate the horn. P40's and P42's have a button on I guess what you would call the dash. Their is also one on the fireman's side.

From what I have read from engineers they can't stand the foot pedals and avoid using them.
Click to expand...
If someone has them, pictures would be nice :)
Click to expand...
Here is a photo of an AEM-7DC unit. If one looks to the top right hand corner next to the cab signal display you'll see the cord for the horn.

http://p5b4702.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3689748

I'll do some looking for HHP and AE cab shots when I get home and have time. I'm currently at the firehouse waiting for the monthly meeting to start...
Click to expand...
First link is a P42. The Round Blue Button is the horn. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=683674

Second Link is an HHP. Train Brake is the larger handle on the left with the Independent Brake to it's right. The lever for the horn is to the left of the Cab Signal Display. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=840226

Third Link is also an HHP.. Reverser, Cruise Control, Throttle, with the Train Brake on the far left. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1177285

Fourth Link is an AE set. Same deal Reverser, Cruise Control, Throttle, Train Brake. Note that AE train sets do NOT have a Independent Brake. Horn lever is to the left of the Cab Signal Display.. Note that if one pushes up on the horn lever a lower volume of horn is sounded. Down makes a louder volume. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=111768

OlympianHiawatha said:
gmushial said:
Maybe there is an option of an automatic sequencer and doing it by hand... but I agree, in that at night on the LD trains after the lights are out (ie, less ambient noise) if one listens carefully, each crossing whistle blow is unique/slightly different.
Click to expand...
True, much of that depends on the tuning on the K5LA but I have heard many folks say they can identify an Engineer simply by his or her Horn work.
Click to expand...
This is true. Their is an Engineer who runs within the NEC who is known to go a little crazy on the horn for rail fans.
 
Very cool! Thanks for the pictures.

We had an engineer on the last leg of the SB CONO who really liked the horn. It was completely obnoxious after a point. It wasn't that he blew it too often, it was that he'd hold the tone for much longer than normal.

Instead of long, long, short, long, it was looooooooong, loooooooooong, short-as-long-as-a-normal-"long", looooooooooong. If the normal sequence takes five seconds, his sequence took 10-15.

After a point, I was like, "Really? Are you kidding me with this?" I ended up putting on headphones.

Considering I live next to the Wolverine and Blue Water tracks and hardly ever notice the horn while at home or on the train, it counts for something if I say a horn is annoying. Luckily, he wasn't our engineer during the middle of the night. ;)
 
"Best Seat in the House!" :cool:

Great video! Thanks for providing it..... :hi:
 
Outstanding, thanks for sharing!☺

Question: How do you get to do this? I'd think Amtrak could really rake in the revenue if folks like us were allowed to pay for this privilege!
 
Amtrak doesn't use whistles. It's a horn.

I say that as someone who recently took a ride on a train pulled by a steam locomotive with a real steam whistle.
 
AmtrakBlue said:
And I keep reading whistle blower.
Click to expand...
Glad I'm not the only one. :hi:

When I read the thread's title I thought this was going to be about the process that follows contacting Amtrak's IG office... :unsure:

...or that the OP is routinely reporting theft, waste and less than 'best practices' at Amtrak... :huh:

...or that the OP is the infamous Amtrak 'secretary' who is now part of the ongoing DOJ's investigation into the bribes by the DEA. :eek:

I'm kind of disappointed, actually! :p
 
I knew there had to be some engineer control since we got "Shave and a Haircut" on our foaming expedition.... really cool and I don't think that's programmed in :)
 
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