Who
does not love the sound of a train heard from a far away
distance? I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles named Encino and
from where we lived, under the right atmospheric conditions, I could
hear Southern Pacific trains from 5 miles away. Now, from my home
in Long Beach CA, I can hear Amtrak and BNSF trains from about the same
distance. I found the following display one of the most
interesting on board the display train. Train warning
systems have changed over the years from a steam whistle to a
compressed air powered horn. Some air horns sound annoying and
some are built to sound pleasing while gaining your attention that
something dangerous is heading your way. Several different
companies have manufactured air horns for Amtrak locomotives and cab
cars. If you bother to read the information on the photos, it
appears that none of the horns came off of any rail equipment but were
donated by the manufacturers for the display train. Nice.
On board the display train, one can push the red button to get an audio
sample of each horn. Speakers are rigged up above the display to
deliver the sound.
