Irish Rail Train Horn

sm3ar

Why do the trains always have to sound off their horn leaving stations? Is it really necessary late at night?

Del.Monte

sm3ar wrote: »

Why do the trains always have to sound off their horn leaving stations? Is it really necessary late at night?

They just do it for fun - it's a Casey Jones tradition. :rolleyes:

Jamie2k9

sm3ar wrote: »

Why do the trains always have to sound off their horn leaving stations? Is it really necessary late at night?

Warning anybody around that the train is about to depart and likely even more necessary at night. It should only be a tap.

vrusinov

Irish trains are very gentle compared to many around the world.

On one of work trips I've stayed ~300 meters from at-level crossing of Caltrain, which is also close to the station. They just lay on the horn, and the horn is BIG and LOUD.

Also, the start going at 5 in the morning. Not fun.

Jamie2k9

vrusinov wrote: »

Irish trains are very gentle compared to many around the world.

On one of work trips I've stayed ~300 meters from at-level crossing of Caltrain, which is also close to the station. They just lay on the horn, and the horn is BIG and LOUD.

Also, the start going at 5 in the morning. Not fun.

Irish Rail are pretty bad, you wouldn't see a high speed train blowing a horn going through a station in the UK at 125mph nor at most level crossings.

pawdee

They learn it at Train Driver School. It's one of the first things the tooter shows them (in the tootorial).

LuckyLloyd

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Irish Rail are pretty bad, you wouldn't see a high speed train blowing a horn going through a station in the UK at 125mph nor at most level crossings.

I don't know where "pretty bad" comes from? US Rail regulations are far more excessive in requirements to drivers in terms of using horns. And in practice this leads to very noisy train journeys. Don't think Ireland comes close tbh.

whisky_galore

vrusinov wrote: »

Irish trains are very gentle compared to many around the world.

The Irish ones are not very loud or annoying compared to the 2-tone horns in the uk, or chime horns in the States.

Jamie2k9

whisky_galore wrote: »

The Irish ones are not very loud or annoying compared to the 2-tone horns in the uk, or chime horns in the States.

You better hope IE don't switch the ICRs back to a two tone horn so...

tabbey

Drivers sound their warning devices when they pass whistle boards (approaching level crossings), when approaching track workers, or if they see a trespasser.
A toot when departing a terminus or complex station helps workers on or near track to take care. At other stations it is just a gentle formality, now the exception rather than the rule.

Jamie2k9

tabbey wrote: »

Drivers sound their warning devices when they pass whistle boards (approaching level crossings), when approaching track workers, or if they see a trespasser.
A toot when departing a terminus or complex station helps workers on or near track to take care. At other stations it is just a gentle formality, now the exception rather than the rule.

Come on, some of them are way way to excessive when passing stations a tap or two is grand unless there is a real danger. Needs to be less resting their finger on a button.

You could have a driver in the morning who uses it every now and again and then in the evening ever minute.

AMKC

Someone sure likes their horn lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCGX94iQM6s

XPS_Zero

On top of the reasons others have given you have to remember what world we are living in now.

Were living in a world where there is no such thing as just being a gobsh1te. It's not that I was careless, it's that IE did not have a bright yellow sign on the platform saying "dont stand on the edge of the platform duh duh duh duh duh, k?", so how could I possibly know that I might lose my balance if a train passes at speed and go out in front of it or get clipped and rammed against the far wall? Common sense? due care and attention? "LOLZ sry wuznt thkin bout them wuz likin Megen Markels new shoes on Instagram LOLZ!"

I see DART drivers giving a gentle buzz about to leave, they seem to do it in two instances.
1. In stations where someone may be running for the train to let them know it's leaving, you often see people suddenly bolt and run faster to make it
2. There is often an idiot half on half off the train talking to someone on it, or someone taking their sweet time getting on. I literally saw, one day, a guy talking to someone on the train about to depart, and bouncing with one foot on the platform and one on the train on-off on-off on-off
These kinds of tools literally need a "duh duh duh the choo choo train has to go now OTHER people exist in the world besides you duh duh duh"

I'm getting bitter in my old age, kids won't get off my lawn.

sm3ar

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I don't know where "pretty bad" comes from? US Rail regulations are far more excessive in requirements to drivers in terms of using horns. And in practice this leads to very noisy train journeys. Don't think Ireland comes close tbh.

Just because U.S is worse doesn’t mean we should just accept what happens here.

Minister

Lads, when we are sitting on a train we cannot see directly in front of us but tge driver can see what is directly in front of the train. And I imagine drivers are always concerned they might hit a trespasser who gets on to the rail line.

XPS_Zero

Minister wrote: »

Lads, when we are sitting on a train we cannot see directly in front of us but tge driver can see what is directly in front of the train. And I imagine drivers are always concerned they might hit a trespasser who gets on to the rail line.

Given the amount of times in Ireland esp the Kilbarack area trains hit people I'd say it's ever drivers biggest fear. It probably does not help that the person was either a moron running across the tracks, thus evolution doing it's thing wiping out the dumb genes, or that it was suicide and the persons choice. It's probably quite traumatizing anyway.

When I was suicidal I ruled out trains as a method right away not wanting to traumatize some poor train driver who might be re-living the moment i slammed into his windshield for the rest of his life.