Honk Honk - Why Trains Have Horns

Ever wonder why trains have horns or what gives them their unique sound?
Amtrak Matt explains the history and music behind locomotive horns and why their iconic sound is important to this day. He even shows you how to play your own train horn sound on a piano! If your kids are looking for more fun train activities to do at home, check out www.amtrak.com...
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[@samueljohnson4259]

Train horns exist for a reason and yet cities everywhere enact quiet zones even though many drivers nationwide fail to yield to a train. It should be a law for crossings to have quadrant gates to allow for quiet zones.

[@liamweaver2944]

I also heard a statistic about when quiet zones were enacted in Florida, the grade crossing accident rate doubled.

[@ZazzelTheGamer]

​@@liamweaver2944 Then those idiots still blamed it on the trains and not thier Idiotic self lmao.

[@railfanjames7699]

As a local railfan I completely agree Not to mention a a distinct K5 LA on the GE P40DC

[@rebeccabermea8350]

When I went pick up my grandm a a train honked at us two times

[@richharris9489]

Love train s ❤. The horn is so bad ass !!

[@ElPasoTXRailfanner]

HELL YEAH MAN 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@derricktherailfan]

The Amtrak has lots of K5LAs like CSX and NS do! Amtrak goes fast in most places!

[@railroading]

They should have a horn sequence specially made for Railfanners

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

The crossing horn will always sound the best

[@GoalHornGeek]

Lol the LA Kings goal Horn would prolly be a good example kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHLJqKamqrBgmqs

[@kakahtukat]

shave and a haircut

[@ICrailroadprod.2007]

I'm glad Amtrak covered this considering the SDP40s had some of the prettiest horns I've ever heard. The Leslie SL4T.

[@zeeboss2762]

There's alot of train horns out there, some can even make whatever company the train's from recognizable, like for example: the Leslie S3K and RS3K. The Original Pre-BNSF Merger Burlington Northern "Greens" had very awesome S3Ks/RS3Ks so if you hear an RS3K, it might be one of them! Another one is the Nathan P3 from Southern Pacific.

[@thomasshebat2351]

Facts 💯

[@RoseSupreme]

I wish old train horns returned. Truck horns don't sound like that anymore. :(

[@darwinkim2919]

Reason one: crossing grades without gates. Especially if it's a family late for church! Almost every crossing-grade accident caused by drivers: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

[@F40M07]

No

[@F40M07]

Some people are stupid and will get hit

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Yes

[@NJT7023]

Yall should add emergency horn LOL

[@kingavery7878]

some trains do have that

[@RPCXyt]

@@kingavery7878 bruh no

[@kingavery7878]

@@RPCXyt wdym

[@RPCXyt]

@@kingavery7878 bruh there is no such thing as emergency horns the closest you can bet to emergency horn is the air horn at the caboose which is used only for backing up so thats not true and if it is tell me what locomotive is it that has an emergency horn for some reason

[@kingavery7878]

@@RPCXyt then see go see emergency horn on yt video ya big fat switcher locomotive

[@moaigaming8418]

up still has a active steam locomotive

[@piedmontrailfan81]

I guess the big boy still is cleaner than a new Volkswagen

[@rivertownproductions]

There are tons of steam engines still active out there, mostly for tourism/excursion service

[@moaigaming8418]

@@rivertownproductions wow how cool would it be to see a steam engine hauling 13 miles of freight

[@rivertownproductions]

@@moaigaming8418 it would indeed be awesome. I don’t think any diesel has came close to being able to hauling a train the size of big boy

[@moaigaming8418]

@@rivertownproductions hopefully up will think about it

[@Starvaze]

Train: *honk honk* Signal box UP LN: *ding ding* Signal box DN LN : *ding ding* (Sets dial "train online")

[@TECR-gavin]

2:35 Who else agrees?

[@AmtrakFan6905]

Me

[@Fullerton_Railfan7706]

Hey Amtrak, how come you guys repainted P42DC #184 to phase 5 and not keep it phase 4? (Also I never saw so I’m sad😕)

[@ElPasoTXRailfanner]

Yeah But WOW That Is So Miss Up But There's 164 That Has The Same Scheme That Amtrak 184 Had

[@CharlesDonkey-go2ue]

Yes it's called secret communication 😅

[@CharlesDonkey-go2ue]

It hurts my brain so much 😭 thanks it's so soothing

[@jadenamoako5731]

I rode on a Amtrak Aleca express

[@TheFakeTripleDentGum]

Acela*

[@jadenamoako5731]

Ok

[@jadenamoako5731]

It was in Connecticut

[@THE_flushingtoilet]

I remember riding an Amtrak in California when I was younger

[@F59PHI]

a l e c a

[@deew_knird_reeb_ekomS]

Train horns exist because they're fuckin cool (I know that's not the actual reason don't worry)

[@rattleeye7350]

Put a classic K5LA one of those new Chargers, we all know it’s possible 😭

[@EA-18G_Sky_Eye]

0:01 amtrak sd40-2

[@mariodykstra6555]

Why not after the invention of the multi-chime horn, it should be called a whistle, because, it’s to distinguish from a truck horn?

[@JBF-GST-Tanda]

Probably because the physics behind a horn and a whistle is different? Horns have diaphragms while whistles have resonation chambers.

[@ElPasoTXRailfanner]

Wait This Video Use To Be Made For Kids But Now Who's Talking Great Video Amtrak You Guys Work So Hard To Make Videos Like This The K5LAs Sound Bad A** Sorry To Say This But Dude There Awesome I Actually Railfan In El Paso Texas And Born There Have A Good Day

[@mtz3843]

train horns dont need to be blown in cities at all, none, there are guards and lights warning ppl, an if someone is on tracks its because they dont want to be here anymore a horn will not stop them, we would like to get some sleep, the horns need to be banned in cities period.

[@RAtheGoodRailfanner_888]

Yeah except for horn salutes! I just wish train horns were used for horn taps! I wish also we had more friendly engineer!

[@cat9083]

I guess out of all the videos this one lol

[@ArchiezAviation]

American rail would be cooler if high low horns were in America just imagine a train doing a hi lo horn shos

[@sayilu]

it should be elevated train track to speed up train and avoid noise pollution - too much infra debt.

[@GoldenOne131]

Huh now I know

[@nilirma6219]

My mom doesn’t want to ride the Amtrak just the SNCF tgv :(

[@wherespie428]

Amtrak is a crappy American train service anyway. They could improve a lot to attract more passengers.

[@ashleyhoward8926]

Why do British trains have dim sidelights instead of headlights? Because ever since railways were invented there, every inch of railway was fenced off & still is, so no one is on the track. It's the only country in thre world to do so.

[@eclipz4129]

Sure wish these new chargers would get old school sounding K5LA's instead of the nonstop Raised Letter rubbish.

[@lebronechilds3512]

I actually have a liking to the raised letter K5LAs. It sounds newer and more modern. However, nothing defeats that classic K5LA😌

[@eclipz4129]

@@lebronechilds3512 I used to not mind the Raised letters back in the early 2000's, but today's years they're played out now there are too many of them now and it got old real fast... To me they sound plain and boring now, I'm also not a fan of the tune it plays it's sort of unpleasant.

[@SimpleAviation55]

Hmm I wonder why trains have horns? Hmmmmmmm I don't know... Maybe because they can crush a car.... Hmm... Just a thought... (Btw this is called sarcasm)

[@joshseal2000]

This all makes sense, but someone should invent a way for train horns to be highly directional in the path they are moving, so it achieves the safety goals without waking up everyone in a 1 mile radius.

[@F59PHI]

Then you would miss awesome BNSF GEVO horns from miles away. Also, something like that exists on surfliner cars

[@PouLS]

They already exist in civilised countries.

[@ashleyhoward8926]

One concurs, wholeheartedly.@@PouLS

[@lipeng21cn]

I hate train's horns, as I just awakened from them, it's 3:30 AM. I don't agree with your so-called, some drivers are making horns on purpose and by crazy ways! Here is Meriden, Connecticut!

[@sepa2401]

This makes me want to set up some train horns outside your house and open the valve for a solid 20 seconds until the tank drains.

[@GTFilms3636]

Get use it I don’t care if the train horn wakes you up from your sleep hopefully it does. If you don’t like train horn why you live by the railroad tracks in the first place just MOVE.

[@voidjavelin23]

Skill issue just get used to it

[@interfuze9470]

I hate the new Amtrak Acela horns. Bruh the train looks cheap with that horn.

[@gamingmamba2584]

I like them. It's different.

[@illinois_missouri_fanatic]

@@gamingmamba2584 me too lol

[@crazy-little-kitty]

What's the dope background song called?