This post blows
January 14, 2014 11:06 PM   Subscribe

Feeling horny? Here's a visual and audio guide to diesel locomotive horns. A definitive resource. For example, most Amtrak locomotives have a Nathan Airchime KL5A installed. Ever hear a sick-sounding horn on a train? Don't miss the sections on When bad things happen to good horns (Scroll down on the KL5A page for one such section). Turn your speakers up and enjoy!
posted by pjern (16 comments total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
 
Fav'd for horn puns.
posted by Halogenhat at 11:30 PM on January 14, 2014 [1 favorite]


pjern, you are the MEFI TRAIN MAN and I love you for it.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:00 AM on January 15, 2014 [2 favorites]


Missing the honkers tag.
posted by ceribus peribus at 1:03 AM on January 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


Previously?
posted by HeroZero at 1:43 AM on January 15, 2014


For example, most Amtrak locomotives have a Nathan Airchime KL5A installed

That doesn't sound very impressive. It's practically the same horn used by the Buddy electric car - an unassuming musical instrument with a thousand household uses.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:54 AM on January 15, 2014 [3 favorites]


If you like horns, you'll love this
posted by silence at 3:23 AM on January 15, 2014 [2 favorites]


My eighteen month old son is going to LOVE this post.
posted by kyleg at 4:15 AM on January 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


I love that the dude is testing a giant lighthouse horn from his garage. His neighbors must love him. (To his credit, in the other videos, it looks like he's driving out to the middle of nowhere for his tests.)
posted by Rhomboid at 4:58 AM on January 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


Also, my life would have been a lot better not having discovered that "train horn scares" was a thing. (Seriously, in one of the clips he does it to a wedding in progress.)
posted by Rhomboid at 5:09 AM on January 15, 2014


Horns of a different sort.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:25 AM on January 15, 2014


Sometimes I think the internet was invented for train fans to promote and discuss train ephemera. On balance, I think the world would be better off if we got rid of all of the other web pages. Save the internet for the trains!
posted by Random Person at 7:12 AM on January 15, 2014 [4 favorites]




If you like horns, you'll love this
posted by silence


Mad Eponysterical
posted by pjern at 9:16 AM on January 15, 2014


Relatedly, I know MeTa is more properly the place for this, but recently somebody linked to an article explaining what the horn patterns mean (pattern X means "approaching a grade-level crossing", pattern Y means "flagman to the back of the train", that kind of thing). I'm kicking myself for not bookmarking it, since we live within earshot of the tracks.
posted by Lexica at 5:50 PM on January 15, 2014


I'm kicking myself for not bookmarking it, since we live within earshot of the tracks.

Here you go.
posted by pjern at 11:45 PM on January 15, 2014


Thanks!
posted by Lexica at 7:53 AM on January 16, 2014


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