Locomotive Air Horns - Re-visited

[DennyDay]

Got a Truckers catalog in the mail 'other day, and on page 14 were two different set of air horns.

Check here -- www.iowa80.com

Denny

 

[EMDDIESEL]

If you want the real deal, let me know

 

[cbconway]

I want to know what the Real Deal is!??

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Evan Beck and I were looking at some sets in a RR museum here in Pasco. There was a 5-trumpet set and man those a huge! I don't know how you'd install a compressor and tank to supply the air pressure and VOLUME those horns would require.



As cool as locomotive air horns sound, they don't compare to the sound quality of a good steam locomotive's horns, such as those on the Southern Pacific 4449



Vaughn

 

[EMDDIESEL]

The real deal is REAL train horns. I am a distributor for the only 2 companies who make them for US railroads. You can get single chime or up to 5 chime like Amtrak and few other railroads. They have a 1/2" air inlet and will blow off a BBQ style propane tank for about 5 seconds at full volume. The 5 chimers run about $780. 00. They are all made out of cast aluminum. They are on Ebay alot too, but i have seen them go there used for more then they cost new. If anyone is interested, let me know. I have a 5 chime set that i will take a picture of tommorow on top of the Ram to get a size comparison. Stay tuned

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Ok, here is a set of 5 Chimers on my Ram. Sorry for the pic quality, the sun is so bright it is really hard to take pics, i put the plywood behind them to cut out the glare. This will give you an idea of size. #ad

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Here is a side profile. They could obviously be mounted further back on the roof, but i have my antenna in the way. #ad

 

[EMDDIESEL]

And the rear view. They would look pretty cool i think, especailly if i brought them to a body shop and had then painted to match the truck. Maybe one day ill do it. I would have to drill 5 holes in the roof, plus run the 1/2" air line. Would take some thinking to do niceley#ad

 

[TomGolden]

Gorgeous!!!

EMD,



Judging by your comments in the "rear" view picture above, it sounds like you don't have them hooked up to an air supply yet?? I was going to ask what type of air supply would be needed for, say a single or 3 chime (if there is such a setup) version of those beautiful horns?



Now for the really stupid question..... are those horns really as ear shattering as the ones on actual locomotives?? I ask, not trying to be a smart @$$ (or a dumb one either), but because I have always wanted a set of real honest to God freight train horns on a truck, but always thought they were just so LOUD that they would have to be illegal for street use.



I grew up in Los Angeles, and man, you could hear those freight train horns easily a 1/2 mile away, even over the general noise of the city!



Thanks,

Tom

 

[EMDDIESEL]

The horns in the pic are just sitting on the roof of my truck. They are off an Amtrak Engine that was scrapped. 3 chime horns are the most common and they are around, brand new i can get them for about $500. 00 (Maybe less) ill have to check with the manufacturer. The more Chimes the horn has, the more air Volume it will require, so yes, a 3 chime horn will be easier to adapt to your truck then a 5 chime.

They are all realy equally as loud, more chimes does not mean a louder horn, its just a different sound. They all use the same 140psi 1/2" inlet. You can blow them at almost the same volume you hear on a locomotive with anything over 110psi. I carried a 2 chime set i have with a BBQ propane tank and i could blow them a few times before the sound really dropped.

The ideal setup to put them in a Ram is to buy an air tank like they have on those shop air compressors you see at home Depot (Not the huge gas staion versions). Grainger and Mc Master Carr carry them. Then mount it in the bed and have A schrader valve to fill it and then run a line with a 1/2" solenoid valve to operate them. Whenever it gets low, just go to a gas station and fill the tank again. There compressors will fill them fast.

As for legality, yes, i am sure they are illegal to blow while driving on public streets, they will deafen you at close range. I dont see how they could give you a ticket just having them on your truck though. I am going to look into putting them on my truck, i am really likeing the idea. I pitty the little Jap car that cuts me off with these on my truck.

 

[Thomas]

Tom,



Here you go, straight from the California Vehicle Code:



27000. (a) Every motor vehicle, when operated upon a highway, shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet, but no horn shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with, and use in conjunction with the siren on that vehicle, an air horn which emits sounds that do not comply with the requirements of this section.



Although the test for "an unreasonably loud or harsh sound" is subjective, I haven't run into a California judge that would side with you.

 

[RHARVEY]

I would love to have one that would peal the paint on the car in front of you. With horns this loud there would not be any danger of them stopping front of you because the sound waves would push them off the road. Horns like this would come in handy when dip sticks pull in front of you when you have the trailer in tow. .



Rick

 

[troutlips]

HORNS!!

Had a guy running with his dogs last weekend in one of the canyons here. (two lane road).

His dogs were almost to the center line of the road on leash. He got blasted and gave me @#$@#%$#@#$, so I blasted him again as I passed and then again. I felt good and he got a lesson. Bikers get the same if two or three abreast. Love it.