Yep rc gets this one because he is spot on.

I live dt and the trains horns have been blowing extra specialy long this morning,for over an hour now!Anyone else live dt and get woken up often by the horns?

Maybe the Locomotive Theft Alarm is messed up?

http://www.6060.org/sounds/cdtw.mp3

---the trains horns have been blowing extra specialy long this morning...
---


-_F7cASw9uY

I'd rather have one of those than a Red Rider BB Gun (with the compass in the stock and something that tells time). That would also be great for waking up dozing drivers . . . Or the ones texting on cell phones.

No kidding: That sound is like the amp that goes up to 11 in terms of sheer annoying pleasure.

I live dt and the trains horns have been blowing extra specialy long this morning,for over an hour now!Anyone else live dt and get woken up often by the horns?

I don't live dt but I live close to the railroad tracks and they've been blowing them a lot longer the past few days for some reason.

---
---
---

No kidding: That sound is like the amp that goes up to 11 in terms of sheer annoying pleasure.

"Train Tap"

Department Store Elf:
"'A Locomotive Alarm Clock'? . . . No way, Kid . . . You'll put your ears out."

(Jean Shepherd was (is) one of my all time favorites . . . Even before "A Christmas Story" was released. He had at least one great train story on his old PBS program. It was about a troop train stuck out in the desert somewhere, at night, and a neon "BEER" sign out on the horizon.)

I think we should all get together and buy one of those alarms for Torea . . .
Is it in the Sharper Image Catalog? Or that one with the wacky vaguely Germanesque name?

The train horns are blowing extra specially long these days and represent a Christmas present from the FRA to everyone in the USA.

The FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) wanted to deliver this exclusive present to everyone of us before they will be included in the budget cuts currently negotiated in Washington. Next year there will be no more FRA.

2 or 3 private consultants will finally go and look in the rest of the world to study the many silent railroad systems, shut the horns and implement a well earned silence for the Wild Wild West of our dear US of A.

Feliz Navidad, Amigo . . . Eh?

Say! Didn't Dagney Taggert have something to do with railroads?
Or was that John Galt?
(NAFTAless Shrugs)

Feliz Navidad.

Merry Christmas.

May peace and silence come back into your homes to hear the Christmas bells again (just as in the rest of the world where railroads are silent and safe).

May peace and silence come back into your homes to hear the Christmas bells again (just as in the rest of the world where railroads are silent and safe).

Torea, when I read your spew, I envision McLovin from Superbad cause you're such a nerd!

May peace and silence come back into your homes to hear the Christmas bells again
(just as in the rest of the world where railroads are silent and safe).

Amen to THAT . . . =)
4AENBnEixmE

I'm not sure, but I'll bet the Christmas Bells in India, Pakistan, China, and Saudi Arabia
approach the level of tranquility you seek. (Can't hear them . . . Get it?)

y Prospero Ano (with the squiggle over the n).

You mention a whole lot of different people and cultures, RadicalModerate!

I was rather thinking about countries in Europe (where trains were invented).

Have you ever visited these countries (yous ancestors) or any other country outside the US?

I've been to Texas.
It's a like a whole 'nother country . . .
With normal train-sounding trains.

I've even been to Minnesota and California.
Not to mention Loosiana . . .

Funny you should mention Europe . . .
I've been all over the U.S. and the U.S. is about as big and diversified as Europe.
Isn't it?
Except with normal trains.

I must admit that I've never been to NYC, specifically, I think, Brooklyn where they invented "yous" . . .
But I don't think I have any ancestors or relatives residing there . . . and so it goes . . .

BTW: I rather think that trains were not invented in Europe.
However, the train horn was perfected in the US of A.

@RadicalModerate:

I meant of course "your ancestors" probably came from Europe. - sorry for this typo.

And before the Europeans came to emigrate to the US, trains were already in use by your ancestors! (I believe the "Iron horse" was invented in the UK):
http://www.whoinventedit.net/who-invented-the-train.html

That is probably the reason why trains are 10 times more used in Europe by the 500 million people living there.

Probably also why trains have been made silent and safe without honking.

The US has a diversified origin but is currently limited to 1 official language (thanks God) and 2 political parties (God forbid!)
Please take some time to visit or read about Europe and (re)discover the current diversity of your ancestors.

No need to apologize for typos.
Only for unfounded assumptions and stereotypes.
(and the voluntary use of an inappropriate @)

My ancestors invented flint knives and pennywhistles.
And had a fondness for stacking up rocks for no apparent reason.
And figuring out how to make really loud and annoying sound devices from ram's horns.

Oh! And pillaging the coasts of more evolved societies.
Without warning.

Then they got on boats and proceeded to rape the North American Continent.

Naturally . . . The end result of all of that could only be my fondness for railroads.
Normal, American, railroads. But Canada ain't no slouch here neither.
Thankfully, they, the Canadians, haven't completely abandoned the Train Horn. Eh?

So . . . Just for the fun of it, let me guess:
Swiss? Right?
There is no European Culture more full of holes than The Swiss.
(Heck . . . Even I get tired of that Ricola commercial with the horn and so forth.)

Edited to Add:
And even now
a train "whistle" sounds
From two miles away
To remind me
Of the Joy
Of an eagle in flight.
Except for it's a train. =)

^^^lmao^^^

beep beep =)

Very romantic indeed! As you state: a train horn honking "from 2 miles away".

All the other people living nearby the railroads have to move ... just like the native Indians when the Europeans came to the US.

The cow bells in Switzerland are extremely romantic also ... as long as the cows are far away in the mountains.

The average income of the Swiss is just as their mountains: top of the world. Maybe they have cheese with holes and noisy cows with bells but no more honking trains.....

beep beep =)

You drive a jeep? So does Roadhawg. LOL

Very romantic indeed! As you state: a train horn honking "from 2 miles away".

All the other people living nearby the railroads have to move ... just like the native Indians when the Europeans came to the US.

The cow bells in Switzerland are extremely romantic also ... as long as the cows are far away in the mountains.

The average income of the Swiss is just as their mountains: top of the world. Maybe they have cheese with holes and noisy cows with bells but no more honking trains.....

So I was right? (Swiss? =)
Cash in those stolen Nazi paintings--except for the ones featuring trains--and buy some earplugs fer cryin' out loud.
And stop calling your counties "Cantons" or whatever.
That grates on my nerves almost as much as actual trains grate on yours.

S-hit . . . Just turn up the volume on that friggin' Julie Andrews "Sound of Music" CD . . .

=)

All the other people living nearby the railroads have to move ... just like the native Indians when the Europeans came to the US.


You do realize that Native American ancestors were basically forced to move because they were coerced into signing treaties to basically advert being trampled over time by the white pasty settlers consuming and trashing their traditional values, right? I don't think that has anything to do with trains coming through and building across the US blowing their steam whistles...

And, in addition to that, they, that is the they with the lower case t, rather than the official They, mythologized onrushing technology and in so doing mananage to create The Iron Horse (myth) to provide a bridge that would explain why it was that the Great Spirit only gave them Water Rights and Casinos and Smoke Shops as long as the Rivers Flow and The Grasses Grow and the Train Whistles Blow.

But you knew that, right?

LOL,

No Sir ...
I was born in Belgium, small like Switzerland but I appreciate the good life here and became a citizen of the US.

Belgium was many times destroyed by the French, the Spanish, the Germans (several times including by the Nazi's)

And in Belgium people are still thankful for the American liberators in WWI and WWII ... hence Americans and the Nato headquarters are welcome in Belgium.

But if you go there you will find good beer, chocolates, excellent restaurants (better than the French) ... but no nostalgic train honking creating an incredible noise pollution. Sorry

I am starting to understand you but yet prefer you to move to another city board and profess to them your hatred for twain wistles. You are making about as much of a dent here as a water droplet on concrete.

Not sure if I understand you well, OKCisNOK4me: do you write now about your Mark Twain wistles?

Myself, I do not mind so much the bleating of the train whistles
as le dripping incessant of the criticism of the device safetee.
That and being accused of being French.
http://agathachristiereader.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/poirot.jpg

I still haven't figured out why somebody from a different city would be on here complaining about train whistles. Can you hear the ones here all the way to where your at?

And THAT, mon ami, is only the tip of the iceberg mysterious.
http://agathachristiereader.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/poirot.jpg
Poiroit suspects that someone may be the transportation consultant private.
How you say . . . Le Lobbyist? N'est-ce pas?

(Netflix: Gotta love it. Especially those documentaries and traveloges about trains.
The ones with normal train "whistles" . . .)

Please stop romancing and talking about your nostalgic "train whistles".

The whole USA is disturbed and polluted by these old fashioned loud honking train blowing horns.
Not 2 loud train honking noises are the same in tone, length and intensity ... Railroads really continued to live in the spirit of the (romantic?) Wild Wild West.
Railroad companies use shamelessly the help of the useless and bureaucratic FRA to allow them to keep half of the US population awake at night and continuously disturbed everyone during the day.

By the way, maybe the moderator should change the title of this Blog into "2012 and trains still have to blow horns?"

Soon we will have high speed trains (finaly) transporting passengers also in the USA. Can you imagine these trains at 200 mph honking 4 times for every crossing? They might as well have a continuous honk and blow the horns all the time!

Probably also why trains have been made silent and safe without honking.


In 2 months of riding passenger trains in Philly I have heard the horn blow exactly one time - and that one time was to scare a deer which was on the tracks.

You must live and work in the civilized East and in a big city like Philly.

The FRA calls this "safe zones" or makes exceptions (like earmarks)... Please come and have a look (listen) at the countryside or in the Midwest cities like Oklahoma, Kansas etc ...

You must live and work in the civilized East and in a big city like Philly.

The FRA calls this "safe zones" or makes exceptions (like earmarks)... Please come and have a look (listen) at the countryside or in the Midwest cities like Oklahoma, Kansas etc ...

But...but...but... Oklahoma is in the Southern Plains...

Good poin, Thunder ... you are included just as the countryside!

You must live and work in the civilized East and in a big city like Philly.

The FRA calls this "safe zones" or makes exceptions (like earmarks)... Please come and have a look (listen) at the countryside or in the Midwest cities like Oklahoma, Kansas etc ...

I travel a lot of the US and I agree that the South, Southwest, and Plain States love their train horns. I don't think it is a coincidence either. There is something about a train horn that says "the 19th century has arrived". That was actually a big deal in the 19th century and old habits die hard. It is akin to the first people in rural America getting hooked up to electricity and leaving their porch light on all night so neighbors for miles could see it. People in rural America STILL leave their porch lights on, except now as a sign that they can afford their electricity bill.

Philly's 30th St Station gets over 500 trains a day (Amtrak, SEPTA, and freight) and not a single one of them blows a single horn.

I agree with almost everything you write, except that ... we live in the 21th century.

Trains also make disturbing horn blowing noise in your "civilized" East and even in the West or anywhere outside the "earmarked" safe zones/cities.

I agree with almost everything you write, except that ... we live in the 21th century.

Trains also make disturbing horn blowing noise in your "civilized" East and even in the West or anywhere outside the "earmarked" safe zones/cities.

You are using that "we" pronoun a little loosely aren't you? I contend a fair portion of people still live in the 19th century - have horn, will blow it. And yes, here on the East Coast trains still blow their horns in the rural countryside (where they are also still waiting for the 21st century to arrive).

Well, here we don't agree: Even here in the "19th century" Midwest we have plenty of places selling your greasy phillyburgers.

And many people even try to live in the 21th century - just as you.

So no reason to keep these trains blowing their horns .... just keep your phillyburgers coming and we will make you a good BBQ dish!

So no reason to keep these trains blowing their horns .... just keep your phillyburgers coming and we will make you a good BBQ dish!

3 days a week I live in the South. Had BBQ pork for lunch today, but thanks for the offer.

Well, here we don't agree: Even here in the "19th century" Midwest we have plenty of places selling your greasy phillyburgers. So no reason to keep these trains blowing their horns .... just keep your phillyburgers coming and we will make you a good BBQ dish!

Poirot suspects that the correct spelling of the sandwich questionable
is Fillyburger . . . As served at Le Iron Horse Café in Brussels.
http://agathachristiereader.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/poirot.jpg

In 2 months of riding passenger trains in Philly I have heard the horn blow exactly one time - and that one time was to scare a deer which was on the tracks.

Well I'll be darned if I ever go to Philly, I love hearing the trains honking as they pass through town.

By the way, maybe the moderator should change the title of this Blog into "2012 and trains still have to blow horns?"

Soon we will have high speed trains (finaly) transporting passengers also in the USA. Can you imagine these trains at 200 mph honking 4 times for every crossing? They might as well have a continuous honk and blow the horns all the time!

I'm pretty sure that high-speed rail will have grade separation at crossings and will not have to blow their whistles. Assuming we get high-speed rail in our lifetimes here in the USA.

I'm pretty sure that high-speed rail will have grade separation at crossings and will not have to blow their whistles. Assuming we get high-speed rail in our lifetimes here in the USA.

I understand you loud and clear: Neither you nor your children will ever see high-speed rail in the USA. You and some other writers on this blog prefer to continue to live in the 19th century.
You consider the train horn blowing noise pollution as heavenly whistling, as beautiful music, in short: comparable to Country and Western songs.
Just wait and see in a couple of years the oil prices and we will talk again!
(By then, this blog might be called 2013 and trains still have to blow horns?)

I am convinced that most people on this blog prefer to live and work and improve life conditions in our 21th century.

Here is another link helping to reduce unnecessary train noise and to improve our living, working and sleeping conditions:

Please have a look at this link and enroll if you agree to the H.O.R.N objectives:

Halt Outrageous Railroad Noise:

http://www.nonoise.org/quietnet/horn/index.htm

I am amazed how many people still support train horns when so many silent alternatives are available. If someone listed the top 100 things everyone could agree on I would expect the elimination/reduction of train horns to be on the list. Then again, maybe there isn't even 100 things everyone could agree on.

Train Noise Bad
Nah, not really
Is so
Is Not

Train Noise Bad
Nah, not really
Is so
Is Not

LOL - you know what kills me is not the indifference to train noise; it is the outright opposition to stopping/reducing it.

And here is an article published by our friends at the East coast, the most advanced of our modern world in NY:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/realestate/17wczo.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/N/Noise

And we are catching up with the High-Speed Rail also: (If the FRA does its work!)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/business/energy-environment/06green.html?ref=federalrailroadadministration

I think train horns is what led to the sinking of Atlantis...

I think train horns is what led to the sinking of Atlantis...

Not to mention the relation to Global Warming!

Not to mention the relation to Global Warming!

Don't forget it's directly related to the Fall of Rome too.

Out of curiosity, what is the argument for the pro-horn people? Are you just trying to be funny, argumentative, or do you really see a social/economic benefit to train horns?

A reminder--or harbinger?--of Gabriel's Trumpet . . .

Last night, as I sat out on the back patio,
and heard the train horn blowing
(a couple of miles away)
I almost heard a voice saying:
"Be not be annoyed laddie,
'Tis only the ghostly, banshee wail
of all the Irish navvies who died
making train travel possible
in the first place."

Out of curiosity, what is the argument for the pro-horn people? Are you just trying to be funny, argumentative, or do you really see a social/economic benefit to train horns?

I'm sure these are the people you mentioned living still in the 19th Century: They are pro-horn because they still live in Tee-Pee's, dreaming about Iron Horses and comparing these with the gladiators in old Rome.

Out of curiosity, what is the argument for the pro-horn people? Are you just trying to be funny, argumentative, or do you really see a social/economic benefit to train horns?

You left off D: All of the above.

(Not to mention the essay question: Did torea just dis the Native Americans?)

You left off D: All of the above.

(Not to mention the essay question: Did torea just dis the Native Americans?)

What is the social/economic benefit you are try to protect?