Although I wouldn't mind if they stopped the horns, I live a block away and I never even notice them unless I'm specifically listening for them. My brain has clearly decided not to listen. Have you tried ear plugs at night?

If certain noises bother a person so much, then they shouldn't live near the source of those noises. In most cases the noise sources (whether trains, planes, highways, etc.) have been there long before people moved there.

If trains really bother you, then (a) foam ear plugs and (b) doc permitting, a non habitual sleep inducer. I hear Valeria root works wonders for some folk. I take it from time to time myself, but not due to trains. Trains and T-storms have been a part of my life for half a century. I think I'd go a bit nutso without them. Of course, there are those who would swear I've possibly been train and t-storm deprived for some time and just don't realize it.

I couldn't agree more with Sally: "Train horns are super loud and violent. It seems barbaric and is Antiquated! "
Nowhere in the rest of the developed (or even underdeveloped) world trains are forced to make that quantity of noise.
This noise is imposed by bureaucrats in Washington where trains are already long time gone.
They just want to annoy and pollute the rest of the USA with permanent train honking noise rules. (4 times for every obscure railroad crossing)

These Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) bureaucrats should be forced to train in a 2 weeks boot camp nearby a busy railroad.
After that they might be glad that their useless administration is suspended for useless spoiling of public money. The only thing they do is creating noise pollution and keeping hard working people out of their sleep and disturbing their work.

To Bluedogok:

The FRA rule to force trains to honk 4 times before every crossing was implemented recently (less than a year ago).
I don't discuss the noise generated by planes, or by the the train diesel engines ... this is unavoidable.

But the least thing we could expect from a Public administration (FRA) is that they try to reduce (not increase) the noice.

It still comes down to if you know a noise source is nearby that bothers you (not just "you" in particular, a "you" in general) then don't live near it. In most cases the noise source existed in that location long before residences were in the area. Just because a house is cheaper near tracks or under a runway doesn't mean it is a good deal if the noise bothers you.

I live two blocks away from the main N/S line through South Austin near a grade level crossing where they use the horns and they don't bother me or my wife so it isn't an issue for us. If it was an issue for us we would have moved a long time ago, if it was issue for my wife she wouldn't have bought the house before I moved down here. The tracks were here at least fifty years before houses were.

I still think we should not accept new (recent and additional) noise created by the FRA by forcing trains to honk 4 times for every railroad crossing (even the smallest - in the middle of nowhere).
There must be other and more cvilized ways to improve the safety of our railroads! Just look around in the rest of the world.

I agree and accept also the existing noise made by train engines, but there is no need to add this loud and aggressive (recently introduced) honking.

Would you accept that tomorrow some government agency forces all cars to honk 3 times before crossing all road crossings? (for safety reasons of course...)

We had the spur line that ran up to Big L lumber on NW 39th Street run behind our house, there was a train up/back everyday and I remember them honking at every grade crossing, which was at NW 10th, NW 16th, NW 19th, NW 23rd, NW 26th, NW 29th, NW 31st, NW 32nd, NW 34th, N Windsor Ave and NW 36th Street, they honked at every crossing and that was 35+ years ago until they got rid of the spur line in the late 80's or early 90's. All I am saying is that I don't see how this is all something new and created in recent years by some government agency. I have always heard train horns at grade crossings for as long as I can remember and I am 47 years old.

The problem is we seem to have many more self absorbed and clueless idiots looking to be protected from everything else around them. To me there is absolutely no reason why a car or pedestrian should ever be hit by a train but there are many every year who get hit by them.

The incessant..24/7..loud..screeching..train horns cannot be good for our health. I have lived one block from a railroad track for nearly a year now and have not had a good night's sleep since. I am in the process of inquiring what health concerns continuous disrupted sleep may have. Not just interrupted sleep, though, like being awakened by your partner or pet occasionally. The train horns are super loud and violent. It seems barbaric to me. Antiquated! And, how many people are wondering about railroad tracks that need the horn? I really want to know>


Did they put the tracks in after you moved there? :doh:

Trains used to honk in emergency situations only (same as car honking) nobody can be against this occasional noise.
There was never an obligation for trains to honk at every crossing until the recent FRA rules now imposing 4 times honking for every train approaching every railroad crossing, day and night.
You correctly state that we have "self absorbed and clueless idiots not respecting the rules and there is absolutely be no reason why a car or pedestrian should ever be hit by a train".
I sincerely believe that these idiots should be put in jail (or in hell if we are too late to put them in jail).

So the FRA should police the railroad crossings to catch these idiots.
Currently the FRA has a police force to make sure that every train engineer makes enough noise to disturb a large part of the population.

Idiots showing suicidal behavior will not stop for the loudest honking train ... they didn't stop for the flashing red lights and the bells and the lowered arms at the crossings neither.

Trains used to honk in emergency situations only (same as car honking) nobody can be against this occasional noise.
There was never an obligation for trains to honk at every crossing until the recent FRA rules now imposing 4 times honking for every train approaching every railroad crossing, day and night.
You correctly state that we have "self absorbed and clueless idiots not respecting the rules and there is absolutely be no reason why a car or pedestrian should ever be hit by a train".
I sincerely believe that these idiots should be put in jail (or in hell if we are too late to put them in jail).

So the FRA should police the railroad crossings to catch these idiots.
Currently the FRA has a police force to make sure that every train engineer makes enough noise to disturb a large part of the population.

Idiots showing suicidal behavior will not stop for the loudest honking train ... they didn't stop for the flashing red lights and the bells and the lowered arms at the crossings neither.

Define 'recent' rules. I worked for the railroad back in the early 80's and they were required to honk at intersection back then. Plus idiots who don't like train's blowing their horns shouldn't move close to a train track.... jus saying.

The incessant..24/7..loud..screeching..train horns cannot be good for our health. I have lived one block from a railroad track for nearly a year now and have not had a good night's sleep since. I am in the process of inquiring what health concerns continuous disrupted sleep may have. Not just interrupted sleep, though, like being awakened by your partner or pet occasionally. The train horns are super loud and violent. It seems barbaric to me. Antiquated! And, how many people are wondering about railroad tracks that need the horn? I really want to know>

Torea??? Is that you? You didn't have to create a false identity to make us believe there are actually others fighting your battle. You're a funny guy...

Nope, OKCisOK4me, Sally Forman is just another reasonable person not Antiquated and Barbaric as you!

Maybe you could go and live together with Roadhawg in an Indian Teepee nearby a railroad. (you both must be completely deaf since you were working for railroads).

Hollywood's moviemakers will bee soon there to make a documentary about your remarkable accomplishments: The last crusaders promoting noise in the modern 2011 world!

Nope, OKCisOK4me, Sally Forman is just another reasonable person not Antiquated and Barbaric as you!

Maybe you could go and live together with Roadhawg in an Indian Teepee nearby a railroad. (you both must be completely deaf since you were working for railroads).

Hollywood's moviemakers will bee soon there to make a documentary about your remarkable accomplishments: The last crusaders promoting noise in the modern 2011 world!

This is funny.

This teaches everyone to never accuse people of having multiple accounts.

I dont have a problem with train horns but i dont think they should be allowed to cross major metro area crossings in morning rush or evening rush traffic.

Nope, OKCisOK4me, Sally Forman is just another reasonable person not Antiquated and Barbaric as you!

Maybe you could go and live together with Roadhawg in an Indian Teepee nearby a railroad. (you both must be completely deaf since you were working for railroads).

Hollywood's moviemakers will bee soon there to make a documentary about your remarkable accomplishments: The last crusaders promoting noise in the modern 2011 world!

Never worked for a railroad, but nice try, LOL. I'd like to meet you at an OKCTalk meet up sometime...oh yeah, that's right, you'll never make one cause you live in Kansas City, yet fight for tracks that have traffic on them that are nowhere near you.

Better yet, make a documentary reguarding your plight.

I strongly disagree with eliminating them so add me to OKCisOK4me and Roadhawgs Teepee. I know some people get frusterated and annoyed to death by them but BNSF and Norfolk Southern, to name a few, are gonna be more concerned with lives then they are a few peoples feelings, hence the reason for Operation Lifesaver not Operation Quiet. And call me old fashioned or hard of hearing but I'm nowhere near the age to be considered either so neither is the case.

I strongly disagree with eliminating them so add me to OKCisOK4me and Roadhawgs Teepee. I know some people get frusterated and annoyed to death by them but BNSF and Norfolk Southern, to name a few, are gonna be more concerned with lives then they are a few peoples feelings, hence the reason for Operation Lifesaver not Operation Quiet. And call me old fashioned or hard of hearing but I'm nowhere near the age to be considered either so neither is the case.

You know sign language?

No, but a good chunk of my friends do so I'm considering learning some. Why?

No, but a good chunk of my friends do so I'm considering learning some. Why?

Well, since you are hard-of-hearing, it would be wise to learn some. I've know a couple of hard-of-hearing people not knowing sign language or maybe a little. They take their hearing for granted thinking they will be that way for life....then boom.....they could just lose it. Hope ya learn smoothly and have fun with it. I lost mine a few years ago....its a sad story not being able to hear the voices of members on here in a meetup.

Wow I'm so sorry Thunder, I'm sorta new here so all I knew about you was that you were an entertaining individual. I hope you the best Thunder and I will never take any hearing I have for granted and thanks for the best wishes on me learning sign language, I'll take it to heart and try my best just for you.

Wow I'm so sorry Thunder, I'm sorta new here so all I knew about you was that you were an entertaining individual. I hope you the best Thunder and I will never take any hearing I have for granted and thanks for the best wishes on me learning sign language, I'll take it to heart and try my best just for you.

Trust me, you will have lots of fun learning with your buddies. If your school has a class for it, take it. Also, take some courses at a college, too. Its real fun. The more you do, the easier it gets. :-)

Trust me, you will have lots of fun learning with your buddies. If your school has a class for it, take it. Also, take some courses at a college, too. Its real fun. The more you do, the easier it gets. :-)

Thanks, I'll try it with my friends for sure and I'll look into my school and a college. And I hope it's more fun than difficult, Thunder. ;-)

I used to be an assistant with my interpreter at college when she was teaching ASL 1 and ASL 2. It was a lot of fun. Also used to be an assistant at the interpreter's church where she led the deaf ministry and the choir that performed in ASL to songs. It was a lot of fun. Heck, I even did solo and with the group at various church events and concerts (some was traveled to other places). I remember the times when she wasn't able to teach her classes at college, I had fun being the replacement. lol

I work at a flea market and I am wanting to teach some vendors some sign language in either an action performance or to a song or two. Hope it works out, because it requires chosen vendors to show up during the week to learn and practice. *crosses fingers* Now, we all want to see the yellow goose (duck costume lol) to sign. LOL

I used to be an assistant with my interpreter at college when she was teaching ASL 1 and ASL 2. It was a lot of fun. Also used to be an assistant at the interpreter's church where she led the deaf ministry and the choir that performed in ASL to songs. It was a lot of fun. Heck, I even did solo and with the group at various church events and concerts (some was traveled to other places). I remember the times when she wasn't able to teach her classes at college, I had fun being the replacement. lol

I work at a flea market and I am wanting to teach some vendors some sign language in either an action performance or to a song or two. Hope it works out, because it requires chosen vendors to show up during the week to learn and practice. *crosses fingers* Now, we all want to see the yellow goose (duck costume lol) to sign. LOL

Haha well I'll take your word for it since you have experience, which that's quite a resume you have there I might add.

And good luck with the vendors and teaching them sign language. :-) (and the yellow goose) lol

Haha well I'll take your word for it since you have experience, which that's quite a resume you have there I might add.

And good luck with the vendors and teaching them sign language. :-) (and the yellow goose) lol

If they don't do as I say, I'll throw them onto an oncoming train. :-)

Haha don't do that, the train driver might blow the horn. ;-)

Haha don't do that, the train driver might blow the horn. ;-)

Oh, the horn! The horn! http://dundundun.net/

oh, the horn! The horn! http://dundundun.net/

Oh no!!!

I think we've derailed this thread enough, Thunder. Lol

I think we've derailed this thread enough, Thunder. Lol

Nah. We cleverly simmered down the feud. :-)

Nah. We cleverly simmered down the feud. :-)

Well we did do that for sure. Haha

Well we did do that for sure. Haha

Life is just grand. *enjoys iced cold tea with mini umbrella*

Life is just grand. *enjoys iced cold tea with mini umbrella*

And grand it is. *leans back in chair with sunglasses on and hands behind head*

A gift to you my dear Torea:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=wf-gaqHutTM

Watch what happen to a baby...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNlm7DEC9Sk

Excellent find there Thunder!

If you do not like the sound then do not move next to a RR track. If the RR track is there and you move close then SHUT UP about the sound. Love the video and all the dumb asses crossing the track. They deserve the impact they get.

The horns on the SD70Ace would drive Torea to a mental hospital.

Spot on Mustang. I know I"m gonna go to hell for saying this, but I almost wish all of those idiots who went around the gates THAT WERE ALREADY DOWN would have got hit in the back of their car to where it spun around so that it didn't kill them but scared them enough that they get sick everytime they cross a railroad track.

I will go to hell for posting this but I wish that ALL of thsoe who get hit by a train are a fatality. They are stupid and need to be removed from the gene pool. Think Darwin Awards.

*evil laugh*

For what it's worth, will BNSF be the only freight mainline through Oklahoma City or will they create another one? And I know Union Pacific has a short line, but I'm talking about a rail with heavy train traffic like BNSF's.

Only BNSF buddy. There are no other mega railroads in the area due to mergers and acquisitions. The only other line through the area is Stillwater Central which operates between Tulsa, OKC and Lawton. Their main yard is the one across from Boathouse Row on the south side of the river (formally SL&SF, then BN).

See I didn't know that about Stillwater Central. But I like BNSF best anyways, I just wanted an opinion. :-)

Ya know.... I think they should turn them pesky lights off too... they hurt my eyes when I'm trying to cross the tracks.

MDot, I am so touched by your concern for the lives of the few lunatics breaking the railroad crossing traffic laws (as shown in a heroic and spectacular way in Thunder’s YouTube clip). Your loud honking “operation lifesaver” certainly saves the life of a few of these proud, unpunished criminals!

Did you ever think about the older people needing to have a quiet night’s rest and now getting a reduced number of years to live by your (FRA’s) new 4 times honking rules?
Did you ever think about the number of truck and other drivers falling asleep during the day because they were forced to wake up 20 times by train honking during the night, and killing in these accidents numerous innocent men, woman and children? (for example: ten years after 9/11, I hear that the additional number of “indirect” victims is estimated at an additional 1,000 people killed in additional car accidents because many preferred to drive long distances since afraid to fly)
Please don’t tell me they all have to put wax in their ears or get deaf and learn sign language!

I wish you all good luck in your Teepee, smoking the peace-pipe and protecting these criminals lurking around “your” railroads.


I strongly disagree with eliminating them so add me to OKCisOK4me and Roadhawgs Teepee. I know some people get frusterated and annoyed to death by them but BNSF and Norfolk Southern, to name a few, are gonna be more concerned with lives then they are a few peoples feelings, hence the reason for Operation Lifesaver not Operation Quiet. And call me old fashioned or hard of hearing but I'm nowhere near the age to be considered either so neither is the case.

MDot, I am so touched by your concern for the lives of the few lunatics breaking the railroad crossing traffic laws (as shown in a heroic and spectacular way in Thunder’s YouTube clip). Your loud honking “operation lifesaver” certainly saves the life of a few of these proud, unpunished criminals!

Did you ever think about the older people needing to have a quiet night’s rest and now getting a reduced number of years to live by your (FRA’s) new 4 times honking rules?
Did you ever think about the number of truck and other drivers falling asleep during the day because they were forced to wake up 20 times by train honking during the night, and killing in these accidents numerous innocent men, woman and children? (for example: ten years after 9/11, I hear that the additional number of “indirect” victims is estimated at an additional 1,000 people killed in additional car accidents because many preferred to drive long distances since afraid to fly)
Please don’t tell me they all have to put wax in their ears or get deaf and learn sign language!

I wish you all good luck in your Teepee, smoking the peace-pipe and protecting these criminals lurking around “your” railroads.

Well thank you, human life is a very relevant concern for people such as myself. And I have considered the old people who need their rest but you'll be surprised how many old people are actually very hard sleepers and don't even flinch a muscle when they hear a train horn cause it's been around all their lives, and I do feel sorry for the few people that can't seem to catch on that there are houses far away from a railroad track. However, your uber conservative concern for something that comes as second nature to most people is very irrelevant and irritating to have to sit here and listen to. Moaners such as yourself who will bitch untill the sun explodes about something that isn't that big a deal to anyone except the select few who just need something to whine about to entertain their spare time, cause hopefully you understand how rediculous you sound moaping around over a damn train horn.

Ya know.... I think they should turn them pesky lights off too... they hurt my eyes when I'm trying to cross the tracks.

I have no clue where the FRA stands on this. Although I do agree to an extent cause I get migrains very easily and looking down a track and seeing a train with it's lights on can give me a headache, although I just turn my head away.

On second thought, I just gave torea a new train "concern", that being about their lights and the few people who decide to stare into them untill the train locomotive passes.

Come on guys, don't make yourself ridiculous! Nobody discusses ad nothing has changed to the flashing lights.

But the FRA did change the frequency and the noise level of the train honking recently without taking into account the newly created noise pollution. And this bothers a large part of the US population (and does not exist in the rest of he world)
Just to protect the few idiots you can see on your YouTube movie risking their lives at railroad crossings?
Please stop this defending of a huge FRA mistake and lets work together to make our world better to live in by silencing trains ALSO in the USA!

Nobody answered my question yet: How would you like a new regulation of a government agency forcing all cars to honk 3 times before passing every green light at crossings? (day and night)?


I have no clue where the FRA stands on this. Although I do agree to an extent cause I get migrains very easily and looking down a track and seeing a train with it's lights on can give me a headache, although I just turn my head away.

On second thought, I just gave torea a new train "concern", that being about their lights and the few people who decide to stare into them untill the train locomotive passes.

torea how bout this, stop the horns and lights. When you cross the tracks and get smashed you and all your passengers have NO RIGHT to sue for damages since you accepted the risk and lost??? By the way many crossing accidents tend to be fatalaties, hmmm population control.

MustangGT, You are perfectly suited to join the Teepee team and help them protect he "Iron Horse".
Just be carefull since population control has been executed already for the old Teepee tribes!


torea how bout this, stop the horns and lights. When you cross the tracks and get smashed you and all your passengers have NO RIGHT to sue for damages since you accepted the risk and lost??? By the way many crossing accidents tend to be fatalaties, hmmm population control.

Hey, donkey...I mean Torea, do us all a favor and move nearby KCI Airport. Go whine about that for a bit. Your argument is plain stupid here... what is it you think we can do for you??! If its trying to get us to agree with you, obviously you've failed so go pedal your nonsense elsewhere. Try city-data.com. There's plenty of other cities there for you to bolster a crowd!

Hey, donkey...I mean Torea, do us all a favor and move nearby KCI Airport. Go whine about that for a bit. Your argument is plain stupid here... what is it you think we can do for you??! If its trying to get us to agree with you, obviously you've failed so go pedal your nonsense elsewhere. Try city-data.com. There's plenty of other cities there for you to bolster a crowd!

Thanks. torea is probably and under the bridge deviant troll.

Torea, I'll give you your "car" arguement, but your comparing a car to a train? That's a VERY bad comparison considering how powerful trains are and how long it takes them to stop, compared to a little car that will slide a few feet before coming to a complete stop. Trains are no normal vehicle that are given more safety regulations for a reason. They are beasts that will hit that huge 18-wheeler your driving by, and wrap it around the front of the locomotive like it was a noodle on a fork.

Excellent analogy MDot. If anybody want to know how fast a one mile long 10,000 ton train takes to stop. Drive down the street at any speed you choose. Shift into neutral and let your vehicle coast to a stop. The train will take at least 5 times farther to stop.

236 Posts. About Train Horns at Railroad Crossings.
I think this may be a record.

Make that 237.

Thank you MDot, your answer is intelligent summary, technical and to the point. (contrary to others above who only can bark insults...)

What you said should be an additional reason NOT to deliver additional noise to a large part of the US population but rather make violators respect the uncontrollable power of an approaching train. (Every measure to make these law breaking idiots aware of this deadly risk is ok: jail time, pay for all expenses in case of accidents, no lawsuits, etc...

In my humble opinion this is what our FRA (paid by the taxpayers) Federal Railroad Administration should do and police.

Today the FRA finances a police force to punish train engineers (drivers) because they don't execute the recently declared and enforced 4 times loud honking rules at each and every railroad crossing - day and night. This is probably much easier than prosecuting the railroad crossing violators..

I do not agree with this introduction of additional noise pollution.
I want to make our country better to live in.

I will continue to express my opinion against this huge amount of additional noise pollution imposed by the FRA.
The only FRA goal seems to be to help and satisfy their Monopolistic Railroad company friends and "partners".
This is not the purpose of our taxpayer's money!


Torea, I'll give you your "car" arguement, but your comparing a car to a train? That's a VERY bad comparison considering how powerful trains are and how long it takes them to stop, compared to a little car that will slide a few feet before coming to a complete stop. Trains are no normal vehicle that are given more safety regulations for a reason. They are beasts that will hit that huge 18-wheeler your driving by, and wrap it around the front of the locomotive like it was a noodle on a fork.

Today the FRA finances a police force to punish train engineers (drivers) because they don't execute the recently declared and enforced 4 times loud honking rules at each and every railroad crossing - day and night. This is probably much easier than prosecuting the railroad crossing violators..

You are so FULL of POOPOO. I have two railroad detectives that work for the FRA that live in the house behind me. I asked them about this and they said the post is full of crap as this is not how it works. Prove your allegation of go pound sand. You have been caught in a LIE and I cam calling you out.

Hey Mustang,

Instead of barking more insults, could you please inform us if your two friends - railroad detectives - have been hunting down the criminal guys shown on the YouTube movie?
They were having fun breaking the railroad traffic laws and risking many people's lives!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNlm7DEC9Sk&feature=player_embedded

Thanks for letting me know or else .... Good luck with your Teepee friends & Iron horse protection!


You are so FULL of POOPOO. I have two railroad detectives that work for the FRA that live in the house behind me. I asked them about this and they said the post is full of crap as this is not how it works. Prove your allegation of go pound sand. You have been caught in a LIE and I cam calling you out.