Last night, I was just drifting off to a sound
asleep and starting the nicest dream --when it happened again! A train whistle off in the distance woke me
up from my slumber, and not for the first time, I must say! So, do trains absolutely have to blow their
horns so often and so loudly? The truth is that yes, they do, and the main
reason for that is safety. Locomotive engineers are required to honk
every now and then, which is written down in the regulations called the "Final Rule
on the Use of Locomotive Horns." So, as you can see from the name, all this
honking business is pretty strict and obliges trains to make four blasts approximately 20
seconds before they reach a crossing. But that's not all! Trains whistles and horns are an effective
method of communication! There is a whole system of locomotive horn
signals, where different sound combinations mean totally different things! How about I tell you about the most common
train signals so that you can understand what's happening out there, on the railroad tracks,
every time a train honks? So, if you hear a number of short whistles,
it means that the engineer is trying to attract attention to the moving train. For example, it may sound when a person or
animal gets on the track. Just one short whistle indicates that the
train is about to stop. One long whistle-like sound can be heard when
the train is coming to a halt, and the engineer applies the air brakes. The pressure inside them gets equalized, and
you can hear a loud shrill sound. Also, the train gives one long signal when
it's approaching a station. At the same time, two long honks mean that
the train has released the brakes and is ready to continue its journey. Three short whistles made by an unmoving train
mean that the locomotive is about to move backward. One long whistle followed by a short one means
that the train is nearing some equipment or people working on or near the track. Also, train engineers often have to show that
they've acknowledged hand signs or radio signals by tooting the horns. But if the train sounds four short whistles,
it means that the engineer hasn't understood the signal and asks for it to be repeated. However, the signal you probably hear more
often than others is two long whistles followed by one short and another long whistle. Trains have to honk this way every time they
approach a grade crossing, which is a place where a railroad track and a road or two railroad
tracks cross at the same level. And this signal, in particular, is no laughing
matter. The thing is that nowadays trains have an
extremely tight schedule. As a result, several trains often follow one
another with a very little break in between. But pedestrians and drivers who are waiting
to cross the railway track don't always realize that there might be more than one train approaching. Hurry makes people dart across the track as
soon as one of the trains has passed. And if there is low visibility, or the next
train is nearing the crossing without making much noise, these attempts to save time usually
end very, very badly. It's no wonder that lots of people, especially
those who live not far from railroad tracks, have repeatedly been complaining about the
shrill sounds disrupting their peaceful lives. That's why Florida once tried to ban locomotive
horns. However, peace and quiet didn't last long. After the number of accidents at grade crossings
had almost doubled, the ban was lifted. On the other hand, there exist so-called "quiet
zones." These are the areas where train engineers
aren't allowed to honk. But in this case, every single public crossing
in that area must be equipped with either heavy, four-quadrant gates designed specifically
to prevent cars and people from straying onto the track or a pedestrian overpass. So, do you hear a lot of train honking in
the area where you live? Tell me about this in the comment section
below! By the way, I've been forever wondering why
trains can't just stop as soon as a train engineer sees something or somebody on the
railroad track? I mean, why all these precautions, honking,
and railroad signal? It turns out that any heavy object moving
at high speed can actually stop pretty fast. And since every wheel of a train has its own
brake, they're supposed to be able to reduce the train's speed in no time, right? Well, it might work this way -- only if trains
moved on concrete roads! But a train's steel wheels move over steel
tracks. That's why the friction between the two is
twice lower than the friction between a car's rubber tires and a road covered with asphalt. Besides, engineers mustn't brake too harshly
because, in this case, the train's wheels are likely to lock. Besides, it tends to damage heavily not only
the train's steel wheels but also the track itself. Plus, the braking system on trains is very
different from that on cars or buses. That's why if an engineer tries to bring the
train to a sharp stop, it may lead to the rail cars toppling or derailing. It means that during braking, the pressure
must be released slowly and steadily, and the longer a train is, the more slowly its
engineer has to brake. But besides being not very good at braking,
trains also have big problems with going uphill! See for yourself: a 30-degree incline doesn't
present any difficulties for a car. We, humans, can deal with super-steep inclines
of around 80 degrees! But for high-speed trains, the maximum incline
they can climb is only 2.5 to 4 degrees, while freight trains can't make it if the incline
is more than 1.5 degrees. If they absolutely have to conquer a bit steeper
incline, there must be one more additional locomotive in the back, which helps to push
the train from behind. The short answer which can shed light on this
mystery is that trains are (and I mean it) heavy. Plus, their steel wheels don't have such a
great grip on the steel track underneath. Add gravity pulling the train down to the
lack of friction and slipperiness, and it gets clear why trains avoid going uphill. In fact, it works in both directions, and
a heavy train going downhill can end up in a crash. And still, some trains manage to climb not
very steep hills with the help of several locomotives pulling them. There are even some "helper districts" located
near particularly steep inclines! That's where helper locomotives, which bring
the train over to the top of the hill, are based. They can be coupled to the rear, the front,
or even the middle of the train. After helping the struggling train to travel
up, helper locomotives return back to the bottom of the hill to wait for the next train
that needs assistance. Another way out for a heavy train that has
to go uphill is to "double the hill." This term means that the train leaves one
part of itself at the bottom while taking the rest of the cars to the top. After that, the locomotive returns to pick
up the part which was left behind and pulls it to the top as well. Then the two parts get coupled again, and
the train continues with its journey. On the other hand, any unfavorable conditions,
such as rain, snow, or fallen leaves on the track, can prevent a train from going up a
steep hill, even with the help of additional engines! So there you have it: Some great information
about trains to keep you on the right track! Hey, if you learned something new today, then
give the video a like and share it with a friend! And here are some other videos I think you'll
enjoy. Just click to the left or right, and stay
on the Bright Side of life!
