Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Whistle Signals
If you're traveling in a railcar close enough to the engine to hear
the whistle, you'll soon notice that there are several different
whistle patterns being used. Here's what they mean:
• Long, long, short, long: This signal is used when approaching
a grade crossing and is blown when the locomotive passes
a whistle post. (I've asked several engineers and many con-
ductors about this particular whistle pattern, and while it
is specifically included in the engineer's manual, no one can
tell me about its origin. The consensus seems to be “railroad
tradition.”)
• Short, short: The train is about to move forward.
• Short, short, short: The train is about to back up.
• Long:
This means the engineer is going to set—meaning to
test—the brakes. This is done when the train is stopped and
members of the train crew are outside to visually inspect the
application of the brakes.
• One long blast: You'll hear this at a station where the train
has been stopped for several minutes and passengers are wan-
dering around on the platform or in the station. It means “Get
back on board immediately.” Do it! They aren't kidding.
By the way,
whistle
—both as a verb and as a noun—is still
used, even though the term comes from the days of steam loco-
motives. Today, technically, it's an air horn.
Hot-Box Detectors
These remarkable electronic gadgets are an important safety
feature for our modern railroads. They're located in metal cases
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