GO Transit Cab Car K5LA Horns (Updated)

Back on June 8th 2020, I uploaded the original version of this video, trying to shed light on the underrated, forgotten K5LAs of the now-gone Old GO Transit Cab Cars. The video was more successful than I thought it would be, and many people, especially someone by the name of Ray User, gave me support into updating it again into a full, definitive version, with all 51 K5LAs from all units from 200 up to 250.
Audio Credit:
- Tyfen
- Benny Plant
- JayJr2007
- 4K & HD Train Videos!!!
- RailfanDaniel
- Tyler M
- HunterBHolmes
- Transitdrum118
- Megs905
- Railfan Amber
- Joe Cowdrey
- Hamiltontrainman
- Martin Miller
- ThreeDayJay
- Phillip Lock
- hkdiva2015
- Robbie's Rail fan train videos
- GraniteSand
- LocalRailfan
Photo Credit:
- R.G. Burnet
- Rob Eull
- Dan Garcia
- Doug Little
- Keith Wilson
- Kevin Lo
- Michael Taylor
- Tom Beckett
- Chuck Zeiler
- Allen Brown
- Michael Da Costa
- David L. Brook
- Dan Dell'Unto
- Steve Young
- Allen Dicion
- Santhosh Fernandez
- MrDan
- Conor Megaffin
- W.D. Shaw
- D. DeLarge
(There may be a few others I missed, but we can come back to them)

[@rayuser22]

This is the sound I grew up with, none of the K5CA trash that GO has now. I am still shocked that there is horn audio of 223 and 224.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

HONK a LA Legend.

[@trainboy647]

Me too, I remember hearing 25+ K5LA horn blasts from my driveway whenever a train ran through town. Now ALL the horns have been PROHIBITED, so the only horns that I could hear are the K5HLs from the freight trains that go through the CP mainline 3km from my house every once in a blue moon.

[@rayuser22]

You know, I was riding GO a lot from 2013-2015, and the cab cars I would ride on most often were Hawkers. I would occasionally ride on a later UTDC. Mainly 230-241. I rarely remember riding the older UTDCs and the Bombardiers

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

@@rayuser22 If u rode 221 I want to hug u.

[@DennyThePanther]

Hey, it's Ray

[@NorthTexas_WX]

219’s gotta be my favorite just that eerie sounding tone gets me every time

[@dallasrailfanner3870]

Friend: "What music do you listen?" Me: "Uhhhh, Just some epic Cab Car K5LA's " Friend: "Bruh.."

[@ntytp]

YOOOOOOOOOO

[@BayAreaTrains-kg5ok]

5:47 the horn is amazing. It reminds me of an AEM-7 K5LA. So beautiful

[@margogoralski6294]

So many interesting horns. So cool sounding. What a nice mid-winter break I have been having, binge-watching family guy and Godzilla stuff. Also, the one at 3:23 sounds like an opera-singing chicken.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

221 sounds like heaven. :D

[@AmtrakCSXFan457]

Why is that my favorite?

[@hybrid216]

3:59 225 horn was good

[@GalaxysSouthFLRailfanning]

2:55 best horn I've heard

[@redtrainproductions]

I literally cannot stop watching this video. I started railfanning just a couple years late to hear and record these beautiful horns for myself. I also wanted to say, if I was running a commuter rail, I would 100% do whatever I can to keep the k5las, even if that means spending more money to equip every goddamn cab car with separate horns, similar to what exo does. But anyway, great video, and may 212, 215 218 221 228 and 238s horns rest in peace

[@GalaxysSouthFLRailfanning]

I came back just to hear these horns again, 218,227, 229,235, 236, and 241 really stood out to me

[@CommuterRailProductions]

“What kind of music do you listen to?” “It’s complicated”

[@Mcode11Youtube]

I remember when I was little I waved at a bbl cab car and it honked, and I remember it was a K5LA horn! I remember 234

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

3:00 I was on 218 yesterday... my lord... it was so goddamn amazing. I love the 2nd window!

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

Hey! I like 208's 2nd clip and also 204, the Graham White, K5LA and crossing all makes it the chill hearing the camera crackle as well!

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

Mind giving me what I want Baddy?

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

LINK!

[@sebastianmunera5470]

@@TheBurlingtonTransitFan kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJyado2ohryBatE here is the video for the second clip of 208 it’s from HamiltonTrainMan

[@dfw_railfanner]

3:16 it’s like a better version of trwx 1006

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

5:46 awesome horn with a great progression sound of the different bells of the horn activating. Edit* just found out that this is called quilling if I am correct

[@FrozenFan765]

I want the K5LA Horns back!!!! They were awesome, the K5LA is my favorite type of Train Horn

[@AVeryRandomPerson]

Another great thing about Tri-Rail Cab Cars is that they have almost no crossings with bells always active, so they work great for my M3 with K5LA videos

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

I am SO GLAD I got to hear my BEST FRIEND with his TRUE K5LA... :D

[@billtherailfanner455]

Some Of The Best Train Horns I Ever Heard In My Opinion. The GO Transit Cab Car K5LA Horns Sound Amazing!

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

*3:39** to **3:45** was the best moment ever for me... please make sure THAT will be the ONLY clip of 221!!!*

[@rayuser22]

Well... I found another clip of 221, and it does not sound great.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

@@rayuser22 YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! 221 IS SO HAPPY! :D

[@HVACSirenTowerTrainFanFan2012]

0:45 That Blast sounds like a K5LLA to Me

[@WCE107]

7:17 as well as 249

[@isabelaandaj]

My #1 favorite cab car is GO Transit 219 because of it's K5LA.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

6:57 (245 needs the horn tuned up)

[@WCE107]

I wish we still had K5LAs...

[@lauriedear4520]

Awesome. Something to kill my anxiety during the [historic] ice storm.

[@_theorion7_]

Music to my ears 😌

[@SparemintThe93rd]

A lot of these Horns sound epic!

[@ns_railfanner7299]

1:34 my favorite one

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

Somehow 216 and 220 seem like they have K5CAs. (220 second clip) 216's 2nd clip sounds like a K5CA like 220. 221 doesn't like hearing a BLARING REALLY LOUD horn before him! 221 is a chill.

[@trainboy647]

I love this compilation!!

[@redtrainproductions]

Its strange that they all sound different and unique up until 6:24, when they all sound the same

[@slipknotfan_2008]

2:25 literally scared me

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

210 when it passed sounds cool

[@95georgie]

I like trains

[@JackGero-hd6mo]

Me too my friend me too❤

[@tornadicstorm2866]

I don’t have an exact favourite out of all of them but my favourite of the ones with hybrids is 222. 3:45

[@billtherailfanner455]

Ranking of each GO Transit cab car from 200 to 257 even though 251 to 257 horns are not in this video since this is only the cab cars that had K5LA horns: 200: Good horn, not the best but still good. 201: Amazing high pitched K5LA imo. 202: Another amazing high pitched K5LA, slightly better than 201. 203: Good horn. 204: Great horn. 205: Very good K5LA. 206: Good K5LA. 207: Unique and nice. 208: Good sounding horn. 209: Good horn. 210: Absolutely amazing! 211: Great sounding K5LA. 212: Absolutely beautiful! Better than 210 by a slight margin imo. 213: Good horn. 214: Amazing. 215. Absolutely incredible! 216: Good horn. 217: Nice! 218: Awesome! 219: Amazing and unique K5LA! 220: Nice one! 221: Great! 222: Absolutely beautiful! An spooky and unique sounding horn to imo. 223: Amazing! 224: Sweet! 225: Amazing horn! 226: Cool! 227: Amazing! 228: Amazing as well! 229: Nice horn! 230: Amazing! 231: Great horn. 232: Awesome horn. 233: Great sounding horn. 234: Good. 235: Amazing! 236: Beautiful! 237: Beautiful horn! 238: Absolutely gorgeous! 239: Awesome! 240: Nice horn. 241: Great horn! 242: Amazing! 243: Incredible! 244: Sweet horn! 245: Cool! 246: Awesome! 247: Amazing! 248: Absolutely incredible! 249: Nice! 250: Another nice sounding one! 251 to 257: Bad sounding K5CA-LS horns imo… My top 10 favorites: 10. 218 9. 236 8. 201 7. 202 6. 248 5. 210 4. 238 3. 212 2. 222 1. 215

[@transittown7891]

Wow my favourite horn was from Cab car 215 . It sounded the most beautiful to me. With all these refurbished classic cab cars, will they all have the same horns or so? I also see they been converted from one front window to two during refurbishment

[@superbaddy4]

Some of them actually are getting their cabs Reactivated, but unfortunately, all their horns have been replaced with the K5CA-LS.

[@ntytp]

Makes me wanna tune my k5la

[@AmtrakCSXFan457]

I think all the older Swanson-K5s were replaced by K5CAS according to a video I saw of #200 leading a train with a K5CA.

[@superbaddy4]

Only some of them were replaced.

[@StudioSA15]

Go transit cab 206 100% tri rail cabcar horn at 1:22 the on after 215 at 2:40 1000000% tri rail and maybe even is now a tri rail cabcar

[@PRG902]

3:45 go 222 sounds like a rs3l

[@braydenschanneladultsandki5618]

254s still in service

[@superbaddy4]

But it doesn't have a K5LA horn.

[@AirchimeLTDproductions174]

Hey man I'm curious were you found that audio of #215s Doubletag. It may possibly be my favorite UDTC cabcar on GOT. Also do you have video sources of 215 I could watch?

[@superbaddy4]

I don't really keep track of all the links I used for this. Try looking up "GO Transit 215" and "GO Stouffville Line Part 2" and you can find some of them.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

My birthday was on the 27th of March Baddy! :D

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

7:42 time to go to Florida and new Mexico

[@NJT6050]

The 238 sounds like the old K5LA from the Coaster 2303

[@redtrainproductions]

We’re 242 through 250 built with different tuned horns? They all sound the same, and different from 200-241

[@superbaddy4]

They're a different model of K5LA, but with similar tuning to the ones on the older units.

[@redtrainproductions]

Ah ok

[@GalaxysSouthFLRailfanning]

I take back what I said about 2:55 , 4:37 has a awsome k5la

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

LOL! 221 I hope is here!

[@thomasstudioanimate4646]

NSR CLASS CAB 455 HAD THOSE K5LA HORN BUT IN BIRISTH HORN.

[@pokechimp88]

May I use the horn samples of some of these K5LAs? (202, 212, 219,221,222,and 244 most likely, whichever of these are less distorted/less background noise) I'm trying to make an addon for Garry's Mod that adds these train horns

[@superbaddy4]

These aren't mine.

[@pokechimp88]

@superbaddy4 well idk then, i guess i'll use them anyway because I can't find those original horn samples anywhere else online

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

3:00 and 1:07 both sound kind of like Amtrak k5la horns

[@sebastianmunera5470]

I found another picture about the repainted cab car 214

[@superbaddy4]

That photo surfaced months ago.

[@sebastianmunera5470]

@@superbaddy4 so that means 214 is almost completed or possibly being returned to go transit

[@superbaddy4]

214 might likely be the next one to return.

[@IlanTheSouthwesternRailfan]

Can you by chance show us what frontrunner Cab car 105’s horn sounds like

[@superbaddy4]

I believe there are very scarce videos of it on the web sounding its horn.

[@ntytp]

1:06 i actually like 204

[@sebastianmunera5470]

What go transit cab car is good for quilting 219, 221 or 245?

[@superbaddy4]

All of them.

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

6:24 kinda sounds like a k5ca-ls and k5la mixed together

[@thefloridianman]

I have a question: What Go Transit Cab Car in this vid sounds the closest to a Tri-Rail Bombardier/UTDC Cab Car

[@superbaddy4]

Probably 215.

[@F59PHI]

I find it interesting that some of the older cab cars don’t even have ditch lights

[@devvydoesstuff]

now I can’t Unsee it

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

What do you mean they don't have ditch lights?

[@StudioSA15]

@@Alexbenjamin0627he means there not on in some photos

[@williejrailfan7323]

I love Go Transit 219 horn 3:21 can you show me clips that you found of the horn along with 221 3:39, 222 3:46 and 216 2:45 please?

[@superbaddy4]

You can probably find them out there by looking up GO Trains from the day. All those units you mention have Hybrid K5LAs, which is why they sound unique.

[@williejrailfan7323]

@@superbaddy4 oh ok thanks

[@welcometowilloshouseregula7171]

Sounds like Tri-Rail

[@redtrainproductions]

Where did you find the audio for 224? You didn’t mention it in the video on 223 and 224

[@superbaddy4]

It's from one of Martin Miller's videos from 2005. However, now, there's another known clip of 224 from when it was on GO where its K5LA can be heard.

[@Ormodius3751]

They should have transferred the horns onto the new cabs.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

219 be like: BLEAHHHHHHHHHH! BLEAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! 221 and me be like: You good? 219: Noes. 221 and me: CEM is stupid right? Baddy, 215, 221 and me be like: *NODS*

[@sebastianmunera5470]

Where did you find the 2nd clip of 201, and 1st clip of 208?

[@bryanalcaraz3041]

Amtrak: where’s my horn

[@willberestartingthischanne9984]

Awesome!

[@GTKCF2023]

Do the metrolibk ones

[@superbaddy4]

Only like 5 of those even have known K5LA audio, and even if I was just doing the P2s, there are a couple units that have no known footage at all.

[@GTKCF2023]

@@superbaddy4 do all p2's k5's and k5la's

[@GTKCF2023]

@@superbaddy4 your forgotten 215's audio: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q36ZeaOphMilrrc

[@michaelwalterselevatorsrob5009]

In my opinion 238 had the best one

[@StudioSA15]

Mine fav is 215

[@braydenschanneladultsandki5618]

213s k5la sounds like 8313s k5la 2:07

[@pokechimp88]

Do you have the original sound sample for Cab Car 200's horn?

[@HVACSirenTowerTrainFanFan2012]

1:26 Weird Hornshow

[@D.F.Dmultitracks]

Nice

[@rayuser22]

Where did you find the clip of 219 at 3:27?

[@superbaddy4]

From the K5LA Compilation from Megs905.

[@davethom9529]

Love itt

[@dfw_railfanner]

Where did you get 223

[@superbaddy4]

Martin Miller's old clips from 2005.

[@longlivechrist]

Huh, neat.

[@redtrainproductions]

212 is 👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@redtrainproductions]

also beautiful doppler on 232

[@rayuser22]

Imagine if you were GO in 1999, and you had to give away 2 cab cars to TRE, you don’t have to pick 223 and 224. Which would it be and why? For me it would be 206 and 228. They are the most boring units on the entire fleet, they do not have something special that distinguishes them from other cabs beside their numbers. 205 has a low pitched K5LA, 207 has the fouled horn. 227 has a pretty powerful horn and 229 sounds kind of fouled, especially in the 2nd clip.

[@superbaddy4]

Then say farewell to 225 and 241.

[@rayuser22]

@@superbaddy4 I understand 225, due to its fouled horn, but why 241?

[@superbaddy4]

It just has one of my Least Favorite K5LAs of them.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

For me, I would sell 200 and 220. And I would for sure freaking keep *221* and 238 bc I like BOTH of the K5LAs they have, but *221* is the power boi! :D

[@sebastianmunera5470]

@@TheBurlingtonTransitFan I would keep 207 and 219

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

Horn clip of 216 and 220? (First 220)

[@superbaddy4]

216 clips are from Tyler M and Railfan Amber. 220 from 4K and HD Train videos.

[@sebastianmunera5470]

@@superbaddy4 4K and HDs channel is now mr. train guy

[@rayuser22]

You know, there are a bunch of other clips I found that I might put in my own video. The units I found were. 200 201 202 204 208 209 210 212 214 215 216 217 218 221 222 225 226 230 232 234 237 239 241

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

DO NOT DO 221. DO MY 221 PLZZZZZ!

[@superbaddy4]

Can you link to me to the extra samples of 221, 226, and 234?

[@rayuser22]

@@superbaddy4 221: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oauZpqOVeLqaatE&ab_channel=TylerMacneill 234: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5zRen53l8mgars&ab_channel=RussianPalikhov But the clip I thought was 226 actually was 236.

[@rayuser22]

I also found 203 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4vVpZZsrpZ6fMk&ab_channel=Trainswrecker

[@superbaddy4]

What about the rest of the ones you found?

[@benjaminfamilybenjaminfami5058]

are they decommissioning 251-257?

[@superbaddy4]

They might be, but it's still up for debate if they will.

[@R262SubwayTrain]

No, 251-257 are like 10 to 12 years old too young

[@shashawoods1551]

1:36 my fav 1:43 1:46

[@rayuser22]

You know, I think we've exhausted every single GO Transit K5LA clip on KZbin, I have literally not been able to find anymore besides units we already have an abundance of (229, 232, 236). Although I am planning on purchasing the DVD with the unfouled 200 clip. The only thing I've found is images of unrebuilt 200 and 214. Are there any clips that you've found?

[@superbaddy4]

I've needed more images of Unrebuilt 214, along with 227.

[@rayuser22]

@@superbaddy4 Here is the unrebuilt 214, it is in black and white though. www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDMDC-TSPA_0012666F&R=DC-TSPA_0012666F And as for 227 this video has unrebuilt 227 facing left. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4iXcneNdqZ8iKs

[@superbaddy4]

The problem with that photo of 214 is that its front door is blocked by that (supposedly) black sheet.

[@rayuser22]

@@superbaddy4 I just found a clip of 224 in service, right around the 34:26 mark kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF6pq6BoabaCp6s

[@superbaddy4]

I read 226, not 224.

[@braydenschanneladultsandki5618]

221s k5la nice

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

What about the mp40s k5la horns

[@superbaddy4]

I'd have to scavenge for those.

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

@@superbaddy4 What do you mean?

[@superbaddy4]

I have to search the web for recordings of the K5LAs of every single one of 600 through 626.

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

@@superbaddy4 oof

[@rustyrails4793]

These are just standard tuned basket case round tag K5LAs (round tags are less preferable than older horns such as square tags, tagless, and big tag horns). The round tags are typically inferior to the horns mentioned above, especially these cabcar horns. Some of these weren’t bad, but not amazing/unique by any means. By the way these weren’t tuned by Swanson in any way and in fact he died before the production of these horns. Not sure why you cherish these horns but you do you I guess…

[@superbaddy4]

Swanson died in 1994, while 200 through 241 were built from 1983 to 1990, so he was alive at least for some of them.

[@rustyrails4793]

@@superbaddy4 he didn’t tune any of the horns regardless of that.

[@user-im4jr9sq9u]

What is 206 horn link at 1:21

[@danielleclement885]

4:57 1106 and 5:44 1406

[@ToyotaFanHMSFan]

Yes! They were always better than those ugly stupid 367 and 666 cab cars and will be! My favorite is GO Transit 202! 😁😁😁

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

221 is the cure. It is my medicine. Glad to hear 202 is ur medicine. Baddy's medicine is 215.

[@sebastianmunera5470]

@@TheBurlingtonTransitFan my medicine is 219

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

@@sebastianmunera5470 Medicine a la K5LA!

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

Second clip 227?

[@xiniskime2938]

song name? (I'll say thanks this time)

[@superbaddy4]

New Super Mario Bros. - World 8 Map (Unused Rendition, Sped Up)

[@xiniskime2938]

@@superbaddy4 thanks, good video btw

[@joemyers290]

What’s the music in the background?

[@superbaddy4]

New Super Mario Bros. - World 8 (Unused Rendition, Pitch/Speed slightly raised)

[@joemyers290]

@@superbaddy4 I love it. Thanks!

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

Why can't they just add an emergency horn to the k5la?

[@superbaddy4]

They actually did. You can hear it in the clip of 248 here.

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

But then if the k5la had an emergency horn then why did they change the horn to the k5ca?

[@rayuser22]

@@Alexbenjamin0627 Because the specific K5CA chord was also mandated, meaning that other train horns with different chords wouldn’t be allowed

[@Alexbenjamin0627]

@@rayuser22 Bruh that law is weird

[@R262SubwayTrain]

​@@rayuser22Canada is the type of country that forces all trains to used a Boat horn

[@zostrelling_]

What's the music

[@superbaddy4]

New Super Mario Bros. - World 8 (Unused Rendition)

[@zostrelling_]

@@superbaddy4 thanks

[@zostrelling_]

Can't find the track on youtube. Can I get a link?

[@superbaddy4]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4mnd6t8ic2CoMU It's part of this video.

[@mbtaghost2583]

Can you do mbta GP40MCs

[@superbaddy4]

Maybe one day.

[@mbtaghost2583]

It been a month

[@superbaddy4]

Yeah well, it doesn't come that easy. I have more important things to do.

[@mbtaghost2583]

Like wat?

[@superbaddy4]

Other more mandatory videos, and real life stuff. I can't do everything people want me to.

[@TheBurlingtonTransitFan]

Baddy I got an idea. Lets talk abt it on discord.

[@zostrelling_]

hello

[@AVeryRandomPerson]

Too bad the Metrolink Cab Cars have almost no K5LA audio

[@AVeryRandomPerson]

And almost half the fleet has no known horn audio at all, not even P2s.

[@AVeryRandomPerson]

@@Amtrakfan90278 I was talking about the Bombardier ones, of which 31 had P2s