2010 and trains still have to blow horns?

[Easy180]

One of the few drawbacks to living on the east side of 35 but it just kills me that they still blow the horns thru cities in the 21st century

Surely there has to be a less annoying option that doesn't set cities back a few mil

[redrunner]

Well as long as trains still cross streets in 2010 I wouldn't see why they wouldn't blow their horn. Train horn = huge ass metal behemoth coming through, do not cross.

[skyrick]

One of the few drawbacks to living on the east side of 35 but it just kills me that they still blow the horns thru cities in the 21st century

Surely there has to be a less annoying option that doesn't set cities back a few mil

Here in Arlington TX they made all of the crossings in town "horn free". They did this by building a concrete island that extends from the rails to three car lengths behind the rails. You'd have to be pretty determined and be driving a monster truck to go around the crossing arms.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04...iet-zones.html

[PennyQuilts]

I have friends, retired just this last year, who were train people. You would not believe the stupid things people do around train tracks and trains. Dead for no good reason. It is a shame the train whistle is so loud but it is the only thing remotely able to work on the vast majority of rail crossings.

[Easy180]

Here in Arlington TX they made all of the crossings in town "horn free". They did this by building a concrete island that extends from the rails to three car lengths behind the rails. You'd have to be pretty determined and be driving a monster truck to go around the crossing arms.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04...iet-zones.html

Me likey

[old okie]

When we were living in Madison, WI, they had a "no whistle" policy--and very few crossing arms that could really prevent people from going around; however, the trains were required to go very slowly. But it is a real eye-popper to be stopped at a traffic light [not on the tracks but right at them, think of Britton Rd. & Western] and look up to see a huge train coming right toward pedestrians and on-going cross traffic and NOT blowing a whistle! Yikes.

And while on the subject of noise from whistles, how about sirens, especially in the middle of the night on deserted streches of streets? Really necessary? Madison made all emergency vehicles use some sort of reduced siren decibel levels. I don't know how they did it. Yes, it sounded strange, but at the same time, the sound carried just as well and without the eardrum-splitting, sound-sleep arousing, baby-waking, television-interrupting levels we have here. I realize it is a safety issue, but after watching plenty of people in OKC fail to yield to emergency vehicles during broad daylight when the vehicles are running lights and sirens, I don't know about the true value. The speed of the vehicle is probably the more important criterion for safety. In Madison, there didn't seem to be many collisions reported. Of course, they didn't have protected left-turn lights at most of the intersections either, so driving there was a real adventure!

[metro]

The official term is called "Quiet Zone". Also just because we have modern technology, doesn't mean people aren't stupid, if not more stupid than before. We have a lazy culture and more technology to distract us. For example, just yesterday I was driving up N. May Ave. TWO morons didn't hear a fire truck blaring it's horns or notice a couple dozen cars pulled over, one of them kept going and almost plowed head on into the fire truck, missed the truck by a few feet, the fire truck was pissed and honked at the guy in addition to the blaring loud horns when they safely passed him, what an idiot. I wish I could have gotten it on video.

[OKCisOK4me]

I once started a thread on here about the possibility of doing a Quiet Zone through downtown since there's so much more residential construction and people moving down there. But come on folks, it's America. It's a past time like baseball. How do you think this country was built? How do you think people got to the west coast? Yeah, of course they took wagon trains on the Oregon Trail but steam trains were what got them to their destination most efficiently. And now, trains provide the everyday commodities in our lives by shipping the products from the west to the east. Easy, be glad you don't live on a Transcon line. Here, all you have to worry about is one season of grain traffic going south toward Mexico and local freight traffic. Go live in Kansas City or Chicago. Also, try doing a little research on the amount of traffic deaths caused by the moronity (it's not a word, but I'm using it) of folks that try to cross the tracks even when a train is blowing its horn.

[metro]

FYI we are working on a Quiet Zone downtown. It should hopefully be wrapped up by end of 2011.

[Thunder]

The tracks was there first. The trains was there first. People crying about the horns should just move elsewhere. You can not just move in and then demand changes to be done. Live with it or just shush up.

Metro's quote, "we are working on a quiet zone downtown," implies he works for the city. Frightening. Hope that does not actually get passed. Trains should just continue to blow their horns. Its the American way.

[MustangGT]

The tracks was there first. The trains was there first. People crying about the horns should just move elsewhere. You can not just move in and then demand changes to be done. Live with it or just shush up.

Metro's quote, "we are working on a quiet zone downtown," implies he works for the city. Frightening. Hope that does not actually get passed. Trains should just continue to blow their horns. Its the American way.

I agree with Thunder 100%+. This reminds me of the dolts that move out near an airport then complain and sue about the noise. The noise was there first and you moved close to it, shut up and get over it.

[redrunner]

Its the American way.

Yes! The Taliban will not win and silence our train horns!

[BBatesokc]

The tracks was there first. The trains was there first. People crying about the horns should just move elsewhere. You can not just move in and then demand changes to be done. Live with it or just shush up.

Yeah, too bad that didn't work for the Native Americans and the buffalo.

"The buffalo was there first. The Indians was there first. People crying about salvages should just move elsewhere. You can not just move in to Oklahoma and then demand changes to be done. Live with it or just shush up."

[diesel]

I was at the Shell station north of NW 10th and Broadway last Sunday and heard a train blow his horn consistantly from I would assume around Robert S Kerr all the way north to 23rd.. It was very loud and annoying.. I could not imagine why he had to lay on it like he did.. Also at the same time, I could not imagine living or having a business in that area next to that track.. For instance Iguana or Sara Sara being so close..

[TheTravellers]

I was at the Shell station north of NW 10th and Broadway last Sunday and heard a train blow his horn consistantly from I would assume around Robert S Kerr all the way north to 23rd.. It was very loud and annoying.. I could not imagine why he had to lay on it like he did.. Also at the same time, I could not imagine living or having a business in that area next to that track.. For instance Iguana or Sara Sara being so close..

IIRC, unless in a quiet zone, trains usually use a pattern of long-short-long-long at crossings (I lived in Chicago and Seattle suburbs for a while where there are a ridiculous amount of grade crossings, so I heard horns day and night for years), and if there are a lot of crossings, the horn might not get a rest between them, so it ends up sounding continuously. And as far as I know, trains are required by law to sound the horn at grade crossings unless super-serious safety measures have been put in place or the crossing is in a quiet zone.

[Jethrol]

I love the sound of train horns.....seriously. It's one of my favorite sounds in this godforsaken world.

[skyrick]

I love the sound of train horns.....seriously. It's one of my favorite sounds in this godforsaken world.

I'm with you. Wherever I've lived I've always been able to hear the trains. They make me want to get my travelin' shoes on.

I do remember, however, years ago a friend lived in what was then a run-down little neighborhood not far from the stadium in Norman. His duplex was literally feet from the railroad tracks. One night the revelry went on a bit long so I crashed there for the night. Trains can be really annoying if you're that close.

[metro]

It's almost 2011 and cars still have to honk horns

[bluedogok]

It's almost 2011 and cars still have to honk horns

...and some people are still idiots and can't "see" flashing lights and crossing arms.

[kevinpate]

I'm not a fan of quiet zones. Probably because I like trains and more often than not I've lived close enough to a track that the horns are simply part of life. there goes one now. then again, this is Norman, so another one or two will be along before I get out the door in a bit.

[OKCisOK4me]

Luckily, there's not enough money to make all the grade crossings everywhere a quiet zone, unless you build the roads over/under all the tracks and even then if there's a yard in a city, chances are you're going to hear the horns anyway cause they have their own grade crossings and safety concerns.

I've discussed it in many threads but what OKC has is not what LA had. LA alleviated 300+ at grade crossings by building the Alameda Corridor, which is a triple tracked race course roughly 8 miles long, 30 feet below grade, and 50 feet wide hosting several container trains per day going to and from the West Coast ports of LA. Traffic tie ups and accidents were their main concern but I'm sure horns had a bit to do with it as well. This project was paid for by BNSF, the ports, and the city of LA (which has a larger tax base than OKC as you could guess) and I'm sure federal grants were applied as well. OKC will never get anything like that so if the quiet zone does succeed, I'll be happy it's only along that stretch of track through downtown cause I like the horns too (and I'm sure you guys knew I am a fan of trains judging by my avatar).

[muzique808]

...(and I'm sure you guys knew I am a fan of trains judging by my avatar).

I thought so, it's a great shot.

I'm a fan of the train horns as well, and agree with Thunder that the trains were there first, so don't move there if you don't like the noise.

[jmarkross]

Trains are marvelous...I have touched--with my very hands...the Big Boy Locomotive in Omaha...

[torea]

Trains in the US are extremely noisy compared to the rest of the world:
Thousands of people living near railroads are kept awake during the night by extremely loud train horn blowing. And this should be justified because some rare idiots don't respect the signals at railroad crossings??

Shame on you railroad companies ... there is even no standard for the strength and for the duration of the honking so some train drivers honk in the middle of the night minutes without interruption...

Stop this noise pollution. Let the hard working people sleep at night an find another way to protect your railroad crossings!

[MikeOKC]

I'm with jethrol way upthread - I love train whistles. Though, I will admit, the night train whistle at a distance is preferred.