Last night, I was just drifting off to a sound asleep and starting the nicest dream --when
it happened again!
A train whistle off in the distance woke me up from my slumber, and not for the first
time, I must say!
So, do trains absolutely have to blow their horns so often and so loudly?
The truth is that yes, they do, 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!
How about I tell you about the most common train signals so that you can understand what's
happening out there, on the railroad tracks, every time a train honks?
So, if you hear a number of short whistles, it means that the engineer is trying to attract
attention to the moving train.
For example, it may sound when a person or animal gets on the track.
Just one short whistle indicates that the train is about to stop.
One long whistle-like sound can be heard when the train is coming to a halt, and the engineer
applies the air brakes.
The pressure inside them gets equalized, and you can hear a loud shrill sound.
Also, the train gives one long signal when it's approaching a station.
At the same time, 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.
Also, train engineers often have to show that they've acknowledged hand signs or radio signals
by tooting the horns.
But if the train sounds four short whistles, it means that the engineer hasn't understood
the signal and asks for it to be repeated.
However, 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.
And this signal, in particular, is no laughing matter.
The thing is that nowadays trains have an extremely tight schedule.
As a result, several trains often follow one another with a very little break in between.
But pedestrians and drivers who are waiting to cross the railway track don't always realize
that there might be more than one train approaching.
Hurry makes people dart across the track as soon as one of the trains has passed.
And if there is low visibility, or the next train is nearing the crossing without making
much noise, these attempts to save time usually end very, very badly.
It's no wonder that lots of people, especially those who live not far from railroad tracks,
have repeatedly been complaining about the shrill sounds disrupting their peaceful lives.
That's why 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.
On the other hand, there exist so-called "quiet zones."
These are the areas where train engineers aren't allowed to honk.
But in this case, every single public crossing in that area must be equipped with either
heavy, four-quadrant gates designed specifically to prevent cars and people from straying onto
the track or a pedestrian overpass.
So, do you hear a lot of train honking in the area where you live?
Tell me about this in the comment section below!
By the way, I've been forever wondering why trains can't just stop as soon as a train
engineer sees something or somebody on the railroad track?
I mean, why all these precautions, honking, and railroad signal?
It turns out that any heavy object moving at high speed can actually stop pretty fast.
And since every wheel of a train has its own brake, they're supposed to be able to reduce
the train's speed in no time, right?
Well, it might work this way -- only if trains moved on concrete roads!
But a train's steel wheels move over steel tracks.
That's why the friction between the two is twice lower than the friction between a car's
rubber tires and a road covered with asphalt.
Besides, engineers mustn't brake too harshly because, in this case, the train's wheels
are likely to lock.
Besides, it tends to damage heavily not only the train's steel wheels but also the track
itself.
Plus, the braking system on trains is very different from that on cars or buses.
That's why if an engineer tries to bring the train to a sharp stop, it may lead to the
rail cars toppling or derailing.
It means that during braking, the pressure must be released slowly and steadily, and
the longer a train is, the more slowly its engineer has to brake.
But besides being not very good at braking, trains also have big problems with going uphill!
See for yourself: a 30-degree incline doesn't present any difficulties for a car.
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.
If they absolutely have to conquer a bit steeper incline, there must be one more additional
locomotive in the back, which helps to push the train from behind.
The short answer which can shed light on this mystery is that trains are (and I mean it)
heavy.
Plus, their steel wheels don't have such a great grip on the steel track underneath.
Add gravity pulling the train down to the lack of friction and slipperiness, and it
gets clear why trains avoid going uphill.
In fact, it works in both directions, and a heavy train going downhill can end up in
a crash.
And still, some trains manage to climb not very steep hills with the help of several
locomotives pulling them.
There are even some "helper districts" located near particularly steep inclines!
That's where helper locomotives, which bring the train over to the top of the hill, are
based.
They can be coupled to the rear, the front, or even the middle of the train.
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.
Another way out for a heavy train that has to go uphill is to "double the hill."
This term means that the train leaves one part of itself at the bottom while taking
the rest of the cars to the top.
After that, the locomotive returns to pick up the part which was left behind and pulls
it to the top as well.
Then the two parts get coupled again, and the train continues with its journey.
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!
So there you have it: Some great information about trains to keep you on the right track!
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