Special thanks to Railroad Media Archive for letting me use their clip of the Milwaukee Road E-Bell: th-cam.com/video/KWNUgBLbbjk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JVbGOshmIPN-I5Ko
You made a mistake in the video where you call the Bells on diesel locomotives mechanical. They run on air, therefore they are pneumatic bells. Gong bells are an example of a mechanical Bell
Doesn't actually say "Why" they have bells in the first place. :D Many of the early wood burning locomotives had wide stacks with spark arresters. These had an effect of dulling down the exhaust beats. This was added onto the fact that, when coasting with the throttle shut, the locomotive would make nary a noise at all. Bells were quickly added to provide additional audio warning, since the locomotive was remarkably silent. As time went on, this need vanished, but the added safety provided was seen as worthwhile for the bells to remain.
@@WardenWolf, European locomotives have a few warning audio devices. Loud and aggressive horn to warn about danger and way more softer horn to grab your attention.
I know this video is about bells, but the thing that stood out to me the most in this video is the Detroit streetcar having a full blown diesel horn as one of its options.
What stood out to me about the Detroit 'streetcar' is how dorky it looked. (Can't we get some people with some testosterone in their system to design some decent-looking streetcars today?)
You can't recognize snarky commentary when you see it?! Seriously, don't you think a lot of the 'light rail' vehicles they're making today look all bubblely and wimpy? And what's with them being like 150 feet long or so?....the operator can't even see what's happening all the way in the back....graffiti-scrawling, drug-dealing, etc...@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio
Now hang on here, back up to the part where the steam engine needed a way to alert people at crossings, but when they tried older carriage horns, the pedestrians couldn't hear the horn it because THE LOCOMOTIVE WAS TOO LOUD? "Well I can't hear any horns over the deafening noise of that giant rumbling machine headed my way, so I guess it's safe to cross?"
Poorly worded in the video, the problem with the carriage horns was more that they didn't reach far. So basically only people standing next to the engine could hear it and then they might aswell hear the engine itself.... You needed something for warning people further ahead though than the sound of the steam engine will carry (or if it's coasting the lack of sound the engine is making at all). We could now also get into how accoustic works and that higher frequencies reach further and lower frequencies. And therefore the higher pitch of a bell even at the same loudness would carry further than a carriage horn etc.
@@ssingfo another thing I've seen mentioned not in the video is that most natural things have a major overtone series (the sound naturally has frequencies that approximate a major chord), while a bell almost always has a minor overtone series (approximating a minor chord) and is, therefore, very unnaturally sounding. Also, like was sort of mentioned, a bell will cut through most other noises, partly due to the above but also due to the metallic clanging.
@@Ronald.Golleher I think that the mechanical sound of a steam engine is also composed of a lot of random "white" noise that our brain filters out subconsciously as "not important". So even though the physical sound level may be high, you might not notice it. Have you ever experienced it when sonething moderately loud suddenly turns off, such as heating fans? You have mentally tuned out the sound in the background and only notice it when it dissappears. Those sorts of phenomenon are what having a bell is intended to address.
Engines weren’t as loud as RBMN 2102 or NKP 765 back in the 1800’s, plus they had *giant* cone shaped stacks that muffled a lot of the sound. It wasn’t until the mid teens/early twenties that steam engines became noisy beasts. EDIT: But by that time, the mandate was already in effect, and there’s no way anyone’s going back on a safety mandate, so the bell has stuck around.
Speaking of Toby, I find it kinda funny how most people, Thomas fans included, don't realize he has a whistle. LNER J70s actually had their whistles inside the cab, located on the steam dome atop the firebox.
Toby isn't the only Thomas character who has a whistle nobody knows about, the BR Class 08 (AKA the basis for Diesel) had a whistle too, but the show used an airhorn sound effect to make it more distinct. Several early diesel and electric locomotives used whistles specifically to be similar sounding to steam.
Some German locomotives got bells for the same reason given for why trams and streetcars got them, as many German railways had street sections running through town centers, the bell would be rung constantly in lieu of a grade crossing bell. A good example of where this still happens is the Molli Bahn, which still runs narrow gauge steam locomotives equipped with bells to this day.
Also some railway and tram networks have been combined over the years. So trams are fitted with train equipment (lights and whistle) and trains were fitted with tram equipment (blinkers and bells). It’s really fun to drive a tram through the pedestrian zone in the city center and then a train through the countryside without ever leaving your seat. 😅
Until some twenty years ago in Germany for trains operating on so-called "Nebenbahnen" (branch lines; maximum speed 50 or 60 km/h - 31 or 38 mph) it was mandatory to sound a bell when approaching an unguarded level crossing, and these lines were and still are, scattered with them. On mainlines ("Hauptbahnen") unguarded level crossings are forbidden. The engineer was instructed to sound the bell by a sign showing the letter L for "lauten" (meaning "ring the bell"). When continuous bell-ringing was required, the engineer was instructed to do so by two L-signs on top of one another, and the end of a continuous bell-ringing section was indicated by two L-signs with each a diagonal line across the L:. Nowadays the L is replaced by a P for "pfeifen" (whistle).
I'd never really thought of it, but the sound of a whiste signalling departure really does add some bittersweetness to saying goodbye to someone at a train station. Something I've missed from the days of steam I never lived in
As an O scale model railroad enthusiast I cant thank you enough for posting this. I've always assumed trains in every part of the country had bells. Thank for the lesson.
In Germany during the steam era, locomotives also have bells, they were used on grade crossings without gates. There were sings with a black capital L on white background along the track to show the engineer when he have to ring the bell.
The P sign still exists, even on main lines, although it is rare. I have seen pictures of L and P on the same sign post. LL was also used and meant the bell had to be left on.
@@humongousballsusually it’s a P nowadays because trains don’t have bells anymore. However on combined train/tramway networks where bells and whistles are equipped on the vehicles, both signs/signals are still in use.
L (bell) was used to warn pedestrians of slow moving trains, while the louder P (whistle) works better to warn vehicle drivers or when the train is so fast that it has to warn from further away.
In UK, it was obligatory, from the start, that all mainline railways HAD to be fenced in, everywhere, to prevent animals and people from straying onto the track. Hence the double gated level crossings. But, fenced in, trains were permitted to run faster than 25 mph, AND they were not obliged to carry headlamps to see in the dark. Light railways, by definition, were restricted to 25 mph, had to carry a headlight, but did not have to be fenced in. Tramways restricted the trains, further, and the trains/tram-cars/streetcars, in UK, were obliged by law to obey road-traffic regulations, and occasionally had to be led by a guide, walking in front, to keep trains apart from people and road traffic. People In Weymouth, GB, understood this.
Although American trains are more known for having bells, they do also exist in Europe, as you mentioned in the video many engines that worked on tramways were also fitted with bells even if they didn't look all that tram-like, the old Dutch state railways (Staatsspoorwegen/SS) had gong bells fitted on tenders of their engine although these where later removed when becoming a NS (Dutch Railways/Nederlandse Spoorwegen). Most German engines also have bells, although not as shiny as American ones making them quite tricky to spot, and surprised me when I heard a bell sound coming from a large German express engine. If anybody knows why bells stayed on German engines (and if they're still on modern day stock) I'd be glad to know since that has always seemed weird when compared to the rest of Europe. These are the instances I know of when it comes to European trains with bells, but there could be more I don't know of.
In Germany, some narrow gauge lines (such as the Mollibahn) require the use of Bells as whistles would be too loud for the portion running through the town of Bad Doberan. I don’t know the specifics as to why they were dropped other than a percieved lack of them (two tone horns probably were sufficient?), but many steam engines retain them for safety purposes. Trackside signs bearing an ‘L’ (for Laüten) indicate when they should activate or deactivate it, as well as another with double lines that I’m not sure of.
Usually no standard gauge German railcars have bells. However there are many interconnected tram/railway lines. I myself drive on the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen one. All trams are also built for train infrastructure (although we have the 1000mm gauge) and all as trains commissioned vehicles were fitted with bells and blinkers and such things.
It's interesting how features that are universal on American steam locomotives like bells, multi-chime whistles, knuckle couplers, cowcatchers, and even headlights, just weren't a thing on trains in some other countries. Also 5:45 is an unexpectedly familiar sight, Alaska Railroad 152 on the Huckleberry Railroad in Michigan. I've been there dozens of times.
Knuckle Couplers exist in Europe on the heaviest Ore Trains. For others, Buffers and Chains are strong enough. There have been Attempts to standradise an Automatic European Knuckle Coupler, but getting 20+ Rail Authorities to agree on a new Standard is near impossible.
@@Genius_at_Workwhile they did ultimately decide on a standard for continental Europe (the Willison coupler, used nearly universally on the 5-foot broad gauge in the former Soviet Union), they could not agree on a timeline to phase it in and phase-out the chain couplings, due to financial constraints. So the chain couplings remain, although modern multiple units use various automatic couplings instead.
Theres also the fact that Whistles tended to play a major overtone series, while almost all bells play a minor overtone series. This might not sound like much as minor overtones and keys are all over in music, but the minor overtones in bells make them sound unnatural which naturally catches people's attention. In any case, neat video!
Interesting but still largely unknown fact : US-built diesels in Indonesia ordered after 1977 (starting from GE-built CC201 a.k.a U18C and BB203 a.k.a U18A1A) are equipped with bells, to the point where newer EMD-built GT38ACe (CC205) and GE-built CM20EMP (CC206) are fitted with Graham White E-bell. On the other hand, all European-built diesels in Indonesia had no bell at all (reflecting their European origin), and US-built units ordered before 1970s had possibility of also having no bell from the start (although I still couldn't find the evidence of such). The Chinese-built DF4D diesel (numbered CC207 01) operated by KCIC for maintenance and backup purpose on the recently opened Jakarta - Bandung HSR also had no bell installed there, since it follows Chinese system where they chose to not adapting the usage of bells on locomotives. Unfortunately a number of older post-1977 GE-built locomotives in Indonesia had their bells removed for unknown reasons, though likely caused by a principle within Indonesian Railways that said "using airhorn only is already enough for us". Here is an example of how the Graham White E-bell fitted on CC206 (GE CM20EMP) was sounded by the engineer when his train entered station (you can hear the bell around 2:41 to 3:06) : th-cam.com/video/y976L6Cy9KY/w-d-xo.html
Bells today are used for yards and stations, where you can expect people to be standing near the tracks. It's used as a continuous sound to alert people as the train gets closer. As opposed to horns which are used in a single pattern to alert a single event, like a crossing, tunnel, entry into a yard, or just prior to accelerating from a stop.
Everytime we’d go pick up our grandma from the Pacific Surfliner the sound of the bi level cars bells clanging in was very exciting for me, and to this day it’s still quite nostalgic to hear that mechanical bell clang away as it comes into the station, 25 minutes late…
My personal favorite bell is the one Strasburg Railroad 90 carries. Very nostalgic for me. Great video, I enjoyed learning a little bit more about railroad history.
I suspect the reference is to the Consolidated Code of Operating Rules and the General Code of Operating Rules, both for railway use. @@maestromecanico597
On the railway where I used to work, we had what was called a Depot Whistle - not effective at speeds above 40km/h but Depot Speed was anyway 30km/h. We used it in the Depot but sometimes good to blow it in the station to hurry passengers. Not as loud as the air horn of course. We have one loco type in South Africa that was imported via a leasing company from GE with a bell. When the drivers use it, its very interesting to hear. Also that loco is the only one with a 3 chime horn - most of ours are only two-chime horns
Don't know how popular the trend was, but I do know at least a fair amount of German steam locos also had bells, probably for the same reasons as in the US.
Australia rarely uses bells, the V/line N class has the upper hand with them it's a EMD bell they turn them on at Southern Cross when running around sometimes, the only locos that I've heard the bells from are the NR class, BL class and N class
As an Amsterdam resident I know very well why trams use bells nowadays even though there's no horses on the road anymore. The bell sounds every time a tram that stands still is getting ready to move, as well as to subtly signal their existence to traffic far away as you only hear the zoom of the electric engines up close. If these trams used loud horns to subtle signal to every pedestrian, half of Amsterdam would get no sleep!
And don't forget they also use the bell when passing a tram on the track in the other direction, stationary at a stop, as they know passengers 'like' to appear out of nowhere from behind a tram. Pity though that I consider the e-bells on the Combino's to be bad (the ones that got the software replaced to get it to 'ring' when the operator would keep the switch depressed instead of the somewhat ridiculous sounding 'plungplungplungplung' are better) but the new CAF Urbos have the worst e-bells ever... I still miss the strong ring from the mechanical bells all former trams used to have.
When I was a kid, I always thought that the bell was used when backing up, like a reverse alarm on a big truck, and the whistle or horn was used when going forward.
The answer is quite simple. US railroads aren't generally fenced off from the surrounding countryside. In comparison, at the time trains were being developed, the British railroads had fences to keep people and animals off the tracks.
Simple, but wrong. In most European countries (and in Eastern Europe until mid-2000) there were no fences. It’s just that Europeans apparently have enough sense not to stand on the tracks when a huge rumbling thing is moving towards them, lmao.
In Britain, fences and dry stone walls were only put in to keep livestock off the line. Trespassing of persons within the recent fifty-years increased dangerously and fences became more rigid in force.
@@IVM94 This. Even here in Germany, train lines are rarely fenced off. Even main lines are often running through the middle of the countryside with fields on either side, and there'll be not a single fence in sight.
I live right next to 30th St Station/Powelton Yard in Philadelphia, and it’s really nice to hear the Graham White E-Bell from all the Amtrak trains passing through. I love it
Some locomotive Bells that I like is one of the ATSF steam locomotive bells, PRR Bells and Strasburg 90's bell and honesty one of my favorite locomotive bells that I heard.
Watching this, it occurs to me that parallel evolution in Unix makes sense. When you have items that are built in different environments for the same purpose, you’ll get different answers.
GWR 4-6-0 no. 6000 King George V was also in the States and was given a bell which it still carries to this day. It was built in June 1927 and shipped to the Sates in Aug to feature in the Baltimore and Ohio's centenary celebrations. It was there that she was given the bell.
About the bells used in foreign countries, Finland is a good example, as bells were used in Finnish steam locomotives, diesel and even with the electric locomotives.
I do think the fencing played a role but another factor was the whistles. The moaning, or blasting American whistles between 3 and 6 chime variety were still loud, but the shriek and shrilling UK and euro whistles can definitely get someone's attention. Though maybe you should cover when American steam attempted to use horns. I know both Hiawatha streamliners, GS4s and Milwaukee rd 261 used them, but I've heard others say other streamlined steam engines were equipped with them. I always still go mad, remembering a Lionel C&O Hudson from the 90s having a whistle that sounded like it was going "Awoooo-toot" like it couldn't decide whether it had a horn or a whistle, 😅😅
Sometimes in Indonesia the locomotives ring their bells at Crowded Stations or at the Yard/Depot or in other busy places like in the Crossing, etc. But sometimes they ring it outside the place like Station or in the Crossing.
5:40, while the NR has a bell, it's rarely if ever used mainly cause the rumbling engine is enough to alert nearby people that the train exists and if it's intending to move iv only ever heard the bell used as a gesture to train spotters
I’ve think the between Mechanical or a E-Bell is likely the favorite source of bells, Graham-White is could be likely fine. I just love of a sound ding, ding, dinging, dong. I wish it could be ‘musical.
0:35 "yet drivers relied on traditional coach horns to warn of their approach but they weren't exactly loud enough to overpower the sounds of the engine". let that sink in for a bit....
Here in Bangladesh (a country in South Asia) trains generally also have bells. They are generally used while at low speed (while arriving or departing to/from station platforms). Some models of locomotives have bells (No physical brass made bells though, maybe instead electric ones). Others don't. There are some locomotives imported from the US through the 1950s up until last year - some of which didn’t have bells (not sure if those were there but never used...) Some of these locomotives imported from South Korea have these bells. Maybe it isn’t common in Europe, but in this part of the world (Bangladesh, very specifically) it’s a familiar sound.
Fun fact: trolleys in the U.S. had air whistles for specific cases. I can confirm because I live near the Seashore Trolley Museum and I’ve been on a trolley with an air whistle. Of course, not all had air whistles but when you manage to find one that has one, it’s neat. They sound like hooter whistles or single chimes on air more than anything. And about European locomotives with bells, one of the most famous ones that kept the bell after a U.S. visit was a King Class, of which I forgot the name 💀. Flying Scotsman also had a bell in the UK for a short period of time, but not much footage of it with the bell is easy to find. I’m pretty sure other locomotives in the UK had or have bells that aren’t the J70s (of which had whistles too) but I forgot all of them. At the end of the day, a train bell is just that funny thing used for safety that some people (like me) just love as any other bell they love.
The "Jump scare" from horns happens to me the odd time, when it's blown outside my window or close enough. That's because I don't hear that noise coming. It's done only when there's a specific reason such as a person or animal is seen. If these are used regularly, I will hear an introduction kind of noise before a good blasting occurs. I am advocating for horn use because I know too many times crossing arms fail to go back up - which therefore they may be failing to go down, and because too many auto drivers see arms up and go through, among other reasons. I am woken by the remaining noises most times, which if I do sleep through, there's sometimes that greater "jump scare" from rail cars being stretched, that's the noise which makes a wake-up rough. And, I hear bells same time or after engine noises while approaching, that tells me what it is that's coming but does not tell me what is coming before it gets that close. I don't need to know what is there or what will be there during my sleep. But we need a prior alert when we are awake and going places while in the close proximity of movement. We can't make them quiet enough to leave people sleeping, so why take out the noise which is supposed to happen because someone wants us to know? I started in this and other related advocacy after I saw and tried to get a child off a rail car. I even want them blown before starting after stopping so that DPU horms warn of movement about to start for chikdre and adults who cross through and under trains. And yes, that may mean a close blast right outside my window from one in middle or at end, but I'll already be awake from the lead as much as used to that. Someone got into a collision with a train near my place. That's upped my reason for the horn, people in dark clothing or for whatever reason aren't seen soon enough while in the wrong place may have that extra chance from a distant horn, though it's always best to not be there for the fact there's less chance of a full stop in time with all consideration in their weights, wheels and such and people may choose not to cross one with a blast indicating this a will actually move where you are.
Thank God for electric bells on newer locomotives. Mechanical bells can "be a pain in the hind end" when sometimes they get their moving parts stuck requiring stopping the engine and getting out to spray the innards (clapper) of the bell with a lubricant like WD-40.
Interestingly when the Great western railway locomotive King George V (5th) the first of the GWR'S 6000 class the King class, visited the United States in 1925 for the centenary of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, the engine was presented with a brass that it has carried to this day as it is one of the three members of the class to be preserved.
I think you mean 1927, not 1925. KGV wasn't built until June 1927 and the invitation by the B&O is how the GWR 6000 got their name "Kings". Originally, they were going to be called "Cathedrals" to go with the GWR's naming convention of naming engines after prestigious buildings of the upper classes but the chance of naming the first after the ruling monarch at the time was an opportunity to great to refuse.
Heck, the fire engines in New York City have sirens, horns, *and* bells. They'd have a klaxon and drums too if they could figure out where to fit them.
Yep, Schiphol buses (VDL Citea E as well) have them too. Don't like the sound of it, it just rings a bit too fast in my opinion (seriously, why can't they alter the software to emit a nice decaying 'ping' instead of the abrupt end as soon as the button is released?)
@@weeardguy But does it really matter it ring too fast or not? The sound still lets the driver know someone wants to get off at the next stop. Whether you like the sound or not, all city buses makes a sound immediately when the STOP button is pressed
@@automation7295 Uhm... Daan_0172 was talking about the warning-bell VDL Citea-E buses have, not the 'dingdinnnnnnggggg' bell you hear while on the bus and when you press the request-stop button on a Connexxion bus, which actually is very good (and even so good that I still don't know if it's an electronic bell or mechanical bell). Most of the warning bells on trams and electric buses just sound ridiculous when they are used for prolonged time. Only the Combino's with their software-change that can now emit a 'rrrrrrrrrringggg' sound do some justice to the original.
Thanks for the great video - Maximum authorized speed, bells and whistles for men and equipment working --- Gotta have the bells. They'd have to change change the whole verbiage without 'em. Okay, Let's Highball On Signal Indication Papa Geoff - Here we go on a clear - Clear block, thanks, OUT 🚦🚦 Papa Geoff - UP Spring Sub / Houston Texas - Here we go 🚦🚦🚦
I always enjoyed hearing the Transtronic E-Bells, I just never knew what they were called! Too bad they seem like just a Canadian specialty these days... Amazing vid!
The old train that used to run between my home town and a nearby other town had a bell on it that when it was retired became the prize for whichever school won the annual football game. It was our version of a homecoming game and is apparently a part of one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the US.
I‘m a German Tram and Train driver, while we’re at the topic of making noise at crossings: Why do American trains (always) blow their horn at RR X-ings? We only have to do that if it’s mandated by the overseeing train municipality. Also why do American trains have those two flashing lights at the bottom?
Another reason why bells might not have caught on in Europe could be because here its common to have a two-tone horn, a softer and a louder tone. The softer tone replacing the need for a bell.
Maybe that there is a difference in volume to the horns used, but from all the times I've heard Dutch trains (and thus German, Belgian and so on) use their horns, I cannot say I hear a distinct difference in how loud they are. Both are very loud and they definitely get your attention...
Freight conductor here in the US. we also ring the bell when tracking down a track, with another train on a track next to us that is stopped. That way if there is anyone working on that train between the cars, they know we are coming and that the track next to them will be “hot”
never knew they were electronic! i live about 1/4 mile away from a railroad crossing so i hear these sounds everyday and never really gave it any thought
The quietest spot of a modern locomotive is directly in front. which means it's very easy to not hear a train coming your way. I know from experience on the Hudson river line, when I looked up from the platform to see a freight, express, perhaps 100 feet away.
Special thanks to Railroad Media Archive for letting me use their clip of the Milwaukee Road E-Bell: th-cam.com/video/KWNUgBLbbjk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JVbGOshmIPN-I5Ko
If we could, it would be the sound of Bald Eagles. Merica
I though German steam locomotives had bells too, in terms of the mechanical bells
tell be im wrong but i belive the official term for a loco's bell would be "the ding ding!" (if you know that refrance you have my respect!)
THE MILWAUKEE ROAD
You made a mistake in the video where you call the Bells on diesel locomotives mechanical. They run on air, therefore they are pneumatic bells. Gong bells are an example of a mechanical Bell
Doesn't actually say "Why" they have bells in the first place. :D
Many of the early wood burning locomotives had wide stacks with spark arresters. These had an effect of dulling down the exhaust beats. This was added onto the fact that, when coasting with the throttle shut, the locomotive would make nary a noise at all. Bells were quickly added to provide additional audio warning, since the locomotive was remarkably silent. As time went on, this need vanished, but the added safety provided was seen as worthwhile for the bells to remain.
There's also the simple fact that they're a valuable safety device for when you do not need something as loud as the whistle or horn.
@@WardenWolf, European locomotives have a few warning audio devices. Loud and aggressive horn to warn about danger and way more softer horn to grab your attention.
The video does explain that European tracks were fenced, whereas American tracks remain unfenced to this day.
Some European locomotives have bells now, but they aren’t that common yet.
Fully expecting a "Subscribe and hit that bell!" joke in this video
I know this video is about bells, but the thing that stood out to me the most in this video is the Detroit streetcar having a full blown diesel horn as one of its options.
What stood out to me about the Detroit 'streetcar' is how dorky it looked. (Can't we get some people with some testosterone in their system to design some decent-looking streetcars today?)
Apparently the QLiner just has all of the options in its sound system. I really hope the driver is just able to choose which one to use.
@@CarlGerhardt1 Why the obsession with testosterone? Do you have information about the genders of the designers?
You can't recognize snarky commentary when you see it?! Seriously, don't you think a lot of the 'light rail' vehicles they're making today look all bubblely and wimpy? And what's with them being like 150 feet long or so?....the operator can't even see what's happening all the way in the back....graffiti-scrawling, drug-dealing, etc...@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio
@@Lucius_ChiaraviglioBecause he’s ‘manly’ and needs a man to design his trains.
"The European mind cannot comprehend *THE BELL IS ACTIVATED!"*
Domnion of canada: I AM 4 PARRALEL UNIVERSES AHEAD OF YOU!
It sounds so weird without the bell when European trains pull into stations
@@marcleslac2413 true lol
g r a n d t r u n k
when the large object begins moving forward
Now hang on here, back up to the part where the steam engine needed a way to alert people at crossings, but when they tried older carriage horns, the pedestrians couldn't hear the horn it because THE LOCOMOTIVE WAS TOO LOUD? "Well I can't hear any horns over the deafening noise of that giant rumbling machine headed my way, so I guess it's safe to cross?"
Poorly worded in the video, the problem with the carriage horns was more that they didn't reach far. So basically only people standing next to the engine could hear it and then they might aswell hear the engine itself.... You needed something for warning people further ahead though than the sound of the steam engine will carry (or if it's coasting the lack of sound the engine is making at all). We could now also get into how accoustic works and that higher frequencies reach further and lower frequencies. And therefore the higher pitch of a bell even at the same loudness would carry further than a carriage horn etc.
Yes exactly
@@ssingfo another thing I've seen mentioned not in the video is that most natural things have a major overtone series (the sound naturally has frequencies that approximate a major chord), while a bell almost always has a minor overtone series (approximating a minor chord) and is, therefore, very unnaturally sounding. Also, like was sort of mentioned, a bell will cut through most other noises, partly due to the above but also due to the metallic clanging.
@@Ronald.Golleher I think that the mechanical sound of a steam engine is also composed of a lot of random "white" noise that our brain filters out subconsciously as "not important". So even though the physical sound level may be high, you might not notice it.
Have you ever experienced it when sonething moderately loud suddenly turns off, such as heating fans? You have mentally tuned out the sound in the background and only notice it when it dissappears.
Those sorts of phenomenon are what having a bell is intended to address.
Engines weren’t as loud as RBMN 2102 or NKP 765 back in the 1800’s, plus they had *giant* cone shaped stacks that muffled a lot of the sound. It wasn’t until the mid teens/early twenties that steam engines became noisy beasts.
EDIT: But by that time, the mandate was already in effect, and there’s no way anyone’s going back on a safety mandate, so the bell has stuck around.
Speaking of Toby, I find it kinda funny how most people, Thomas fans included, don't realize he has a whistle.
LNER J70s actually had their whistles inside the cab, located on the steam dome atop the firebox.
Toby isn't the only Thomas character who has a whistle nobody knows about, the BR Class 08 (AKA the basis for Diesel) had a whistle too, but the show used an airhorn sound effect to make it more distinct. Several early diesel and electric locomotives used whistles specifically to be similar sounding to steam.
I think some episodes had Toby whistle
@@wildstarfish3786 They do but I always see people saying it’s wrong.
@@asteroidrulesWeren't some fitted with horns, or did they all have whistles?
What a about Belle she has bell too
5:28 That tram mimicking an old steam whistle is the cutest thing I have seen in a long time.
Some German locomotives got bells for the same reason given for why trams and streetcars got them, as many German railways had street sections running through town centers, the bell would be rung constantly in lieu of a grade crossing bell.
A good example of where this still happens is the Molli Bahn, which still runs narrow gauge steam locomotives equipped with bells to this day.
Also some railway and tram networks have been combined over the years. So trams are fitted with train equipment (lights and whistle) and trains were fitted with tram equipment (blinkers and bells). It’s really fun to drive a tram through the pedestrian zone in the city center and then a train through the countryside without ever leaving your seat. 😅
Until some twenty years ago in Germany for trains operating on so-called "Nebenbahnen" (branch lines; maximum speed 50 or 60 km/h - 31 or 38 mph) it was mandatory to sound a bell when approaching an unguarded level crossing, and these lines were and still are, scattered with them. On mainlines ("Hauptbahnen") unguarded level crossings are forbidden. The engineer was instructed to sound the bell by a sign showing the letter L for "lauten" (meaning "ring the bell"). When continuous bell-ringing was required, the engineer was instructed to do so by two L-signs on top of one another, and the end of a continuous bell-ringing section was indicated by two L-signs with each a diagonal line across the L:. Nowadays the L is replaced by a P for "pfeifen" (whistle).
I'd never really thought of it, but the sound of a whiste signalling departure really does add some bittersweetness to saying goodbye to someone at a train station. Something I've missed from the days of steam I never lived in
As an O scale model railroad enthusiast I cant thank you enough for posting this. I've always assumed trains in every part of the country had bells. Thank for the lesson.
In Germany during the steam era, locomotives also have bells, they were used on grade crossings without gates. There were sings with a black capital L on white background along the track to show the engineer when he have to ring the bell.
L = Läuten!
Now, although rarer, they’re usually a P for “Pfeifen” i think
The P sign still exists, even on main lines, although it is rare. I have seen pictures of L and P on the same sign post. LL was also used and meant the bell had to be left on.
@@humongousballsusually it’s a P nowadays because trains don’t have bells anymore. However on combined train/tramway networks where bells and whistles are equipped on the vehicles, both signs/signals are still in use.
L (bell) was used to warn pedestrians of slow moving trains, while the louder P (whistle) works better to warn vehicle drivers or when the train is so fast that it has to warn from further away.
That Graham-White E-Bell is a familiar sound on the rails of Toronto, GO Transit's Cab Cars used it and that sound is a big part of my childhood
4:00 I grew up with this bell. I live in NJ, literally a 3 minute bike ride from the nearest station. Same bell I hear all the time. Nostalgic.
So lovely to hear Toby's theme in the background.
Bells had a comparatively gentle sound, so instead of-
1225: Hello!!!!!! *jumpscare*
In UK, it was obligatory, from the start, that all mainline railways HAD to be fenced in, everywhere, to prevent animals and people from straying onto the track. Hence the double gated level crossings. But, fenced in, trains were permitted to run faster than 25 mph, AND they were not obliged to carry headlamps to see in the dark. Light railways, by definition, were restricted to 25 mph, had to carry a headlight, but did not have to be fenced in. Tramways restricted the trains, further, and the trains/tram-cars/streetcars, in UK, were obliged by law to obey road-traffic regulations, and occasionally had to be led by a guide, walking in front, to keep trains apart from people and road traffic. People In Weymouth, GB, understood this.
3:23 sounds like that cheap battery-powered toy train 😂
Although American trains are more known for having bells, they do also exist in Europe, as you mentioned in the video many engines that worked on tramways were also fitted with bells even if they didn't look all that tram-like, the old Dutch state railways (Staatsspoorwegen/SS) had gong bells fitted on tenders of their engine although these where later removed when becoming a NS (Dutch Railways/Nederlandse Spoorwegen).
Most German engines also have bells, although not as shiny as American ones making them quite tricky to spot, and surprised me when I heard a bell sound coming from a large German express engine. If anybody knows why bells stayed on German engines (and if they're still on modern day stock) I'd be glad to know since that has always seemed weird when compared to the rest of Europe.
These are the instances I know of when it comes to European trains with bells, but there could be more I don't know of.
The one thing No European Locomotive has are Mars Lights.
German steam locomotives had bells, but diesels and electrics don‘t anymore. Bells are a relic here, and I‘m glad about it
In Germany, some narrow gauge lines (such as the Mollibahn) require the use of Bells as whistles would be too loud for the portion running through the town of Bad Doberan. I don’t know the specifics as to why they were dropped other than a percieved lack of them (two tone horns probably were sufficient?), but many steam engines retain them for safety purposes. Trackside signs bearing an ‘L’ (for Laüten) indicate when they should activate or deactivate it, as well as another with double lines that I’m not sure of.
Usually no standard gauge German railcars have bells. However there are many interconnected tram/railway lines. I myself drive on the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen one. All trams are also built for train infrastructure (although we have the 1000mm gauge) and all as trains commissioned vehicles were fitted with bells and blinkers and such things.
It's interesting how features that are universal on American steam locomotives like bells, multi-chime whistles, knuckle couplers, cowcatchers, and even headlights, just weren't a thing on trains in some other countries.
Also 5:45 is an unexpectedly familiar sight, Alaska Railroad 152 on the Huckleberry Railroad in Michigan. I've been there dozens of times.
Knuckle Couplers exist in Europe on the heaviest Ore Trains. For others, Buffers and Chains are strong enough. There have been Attempts to standradise an Automatic European Knuckle Coupler, but getting 20+ Rail Authorities to agree on a new Standard is near impossible.
Knuckle couplers, multi-chime whistles and headlights are standard on Australian locomotives even with the originally 7 different rail authorities.
@@Genius_at_Workwhile they did ultimately decide on a standard for continental Europe (the Willison coupler, used nearly universally on the 5-foot broad gauge in the former Soviet Union), they could not agree on a timeline to phase it in and phase-out the chain couplings, due to financial constraints. So the chain couplings remain, although modern multiple units use various automatic couplings instead.
My nephew was a (mechanical not train) engineering intern at huckleberry. His office was a modified caboose.
Theres also the fact that Whistles tended to play a major overtone series, while almost all bells play a minor overtone series. This might not sound like much as minor overtones and keys are all over in music, but the minor overtones in bells make them sound unnatural which naturally catches people's attention. In any case, neat video!
Interesting but still largely unknown fact : US-built diesels in Indonesia ordered after 1977 (starting from GE-built CC201 a.k.a U18C and BB203 a.k.a U18A1A) are equipped with bells, to the point where newer EMD-built GT38ACe (CC205) and GE-built CM20EMP (CC206) are fitted with Graham White E-bell.
On the other hand, all European-built diesels in Indonesia had no bell at all (reflecting their European origin), and US-built units ordered before 1970s had possibility of also having no bell from the start (although I still couldn't find the evidence of such). The Chinese-built DF4D diesel (numbered CC207 01) operated by KCIC for maintenance and backup purpose on the recently opened Jakarta - Bandung HSR also had no bell installed there, since it follows Chinese system where they chose to not adapting the usage of bells on locomotives.
Unfortunately a number of older post-1977 GE-built locomotives in Indonesia had their bells removed for unknown reasons, though likely caused by a principle within Indonesian Railways that said "using airhorn only is already enough for us".
Here is an example of how the Graham White E-bell fitted on CC206 (GE CM20EMP) was sounded by the engineer when his train entered station (you can hear the bell around 2:41 to 3:06) :
th-cam.com/video/y976L6Cy9KY/w-d-xo.html
Great history of the bells used on trains in the United States of America, which are also used for other trains in a few other countries.
Such as Canada
Bells today are used for yards and stations, where you can expect people to be standing near the tracks. It's used as a continuous sound to alert people as the train gets closer. As opposed to horns which are used in a single pattern to alert a single event, like a crossing, tunnel, entry into a yard, or just prior to accelerating from a stop.
The A4 Pacific named dominion of Canada also had a Bell
Everytime we’d go pick up our grandma from the Pacific Surfliner the sound of the bi level cars bells clanging in was very exciting for me, and to this day it’s still quite nostalgic to hear that mechanical bell clang away as it comes into the station, 25 minutes late…
My personal favorite bell is the one Strasburg Railroad 90 carries. Very nostalgic for me. Great video, I enjoyed learning a little bit more about railroad history.
Thanks for sharing. Nice to see the Detroit streetcars, past and present. Well done.
Oddly enough there is no federal law mandating a bell on locomotives. Horn, headlights sure. But not the bell.
No but the two systems governing all rail operations in the US require a bell
@@futuredoc2014 And what “two systems” would those be?
@@maestromecanico597Federal Railway Association, Association of American Railroads.
I suspect the reference is to the Consolidated Code of Operating Rules and the General Code of Operating Rules, both for railway use. @@maestromecanico597
@@maestromecanico597 The Rothschilds and the Bilderbergers, and the trilateral commission.
Bells > no bells
🗿
Ding dings=🗿
🗿
Real
In Victoria, australia there are shunting bells on the n class that are operated by v/line
On the railway where I used to work, we had what was called a Depot Whistle - not effective at speeds above 40km/h but Depot Speed was anyway 30km/h. We used it in the Depot but sometimes good to blow it in the station to hurry passengers. Not as loud as the air horn of course.
We have one loco type in South Africa that was imported via a leasing company from GE with a bell. When the drivers use it, its very interesting to hear. Also that loco is the only one with a 3 chime horn - most of ours are only two-chime horns
That was one detail I never thought of in regards to American railways! Hearing the history of bells on American Steam Engines was very interesting!!
You definitely have an awesome point about locomotive bells.
Your graphics design is getting SUPER good!!! Love the smooth transitions too
Don't know how popular the trend was, but I do know at least a fair amount of German steam locos also had bells, probably for the same reasons as in the US.
Newer and bigger steam locomotive designs from the 1920's had bells controled by the air compressor.
Australia rarely uses bells, the V/line N class has the upper hand with them it's a EMD bell they turn them on at Southern Cross when running around sometimes, the only locos that I've heard the bells from are the NR class, BL class and N class
True. I watched videos of the rare e bells, also I am a Australian
@@Sjwilliams07 NRs use E bells, I've gotten the opportunity to turn it on while it's was held at Southern Cross
In the Pilbara region of northwestern Australia the trains have bells because they use American-built locomotives.
Also the 2'6" gauge Climax 1694 has a bell because of its US origins. No other engines on the Puffing Billy railway have bells.
As an Amsterdam resident I know very well why trams use bells nowadays even though there's no horses on the road anymore. The bell sounds every time a tram that stands still is getting ready to move, as well as to subtly signal their existence to traffic far away as you only hear the zoom of the electric engines up close. If these trams used loud horns to subtle signal to every pedestrian, half of Amsterdam would get no sleep!
Also people standing next to the tram would either get a heart attack or go deaf if the tram used a loud whistle or horn instead of a gentle bell.
And don't forget they also use the bell when passing a tram on the track in the other direction, stationary at a stop, as they know passengers 'like' to appear out of nowhere from behind a tram.
Pity though that I consider the e-bells on the Combino's to be bad (the ones that got the software replaced to get it to 'ring' when the operator would keep the switch depressed instead of the somewhat ridiculous sounding 'plungplungplungplung' are better) but the new CAF Urbos have the worst e-bells ever...
I still miss the strong ring from the mechanical bells all former trams used to have.
@@FrostyShadowYTsometimes you need to blow out of the big whistle to get some pedestrian’s attention sadly.
When I was a kid, I always thought that the bell was used when backing up, like a reverse alarm on a big truck, and the whistle or horn was used when going forward.
One of my favorite Railfanning channels🔥
Bells are iconic. They're historical as well.
The answer is quite simple. US railroads aren't generally fenced off from the surrounding countryside. In comparison, at the time trains were being developed, the British railroads had fences to keep people and animals off the tracks.
Simple, but wrong. In most European countries (and in Eastern Europe until mid-2000) there were no fences. It’s just that Europeans apparently have enough sense not to stand on the tracks when a huge rumbling thing is moving towards them, lmao.
In Britain, fences and dry stone walls were only put in to keep livestock off the line. Trespassing of persons within the recent fifty-years increased dangerously and fences became more rigid in force.
@@IVM94 This. Even here in Germany, train lines are rarely fenced off. Even main lines are often running through the middle of the countryside with fields on either side, and there'll be not a single fence in sight.
I live right next to 30th St Station/Powelton Yard in Philadelphia, and it’s really nice to hear the Graham White E-Bell from all the Amtrak trains passing through. I love it
Some locomotive Bells that I like is one of the ATSF steam locomotive bells, PRR Bells and Strasburg 90's bell and honesty one of my favorite locomotive bells that I heard.
Watching this, it occurs to me that parallel evolution in Unix makes sense. When you have items that are built in different environments for the same purpose, you’ll get different answers.
This was quite fascinating!
German locomotives have bells too but they're not swing bells but rather a static one with a powered clapper
SEPTA EMUs don’t have bells for whatever reason. It’s actually weird to me to hear them on the new Siemens locomotives
Good video man!
GWR 4-6-0 no. 6000 King George V was also in the States and was given a bell which it still carries to this day. It was built in June 1927 and shipped to the Sates in Aug to feature in the Baltimore and Ohio's centenary celebrations. It was there that she was given the bell.
Of note, modern British trains still have a “depot whistle”; a softer air whistle that can be used in and around depots where a horn is not necessary.
Mama wake up! AmtrakGuy365 cooked up a new video
Another amazing video. And something new to learn as well.
It wasn’t just Toby, but Flora did have a bell too despite making only one appearance in the series.
About the bells used in foreign countries, Finland is a good example, as bells were used in Finnish steam locomotives, diesel and even with the electric locomotives.
I laughed way too hard at 4:55
I do think the fencing played a role but another factor was the whistles. The moaning, or blasting American whistles between 3 and 6 chime variety were still loud, but the shriek and shrilling UK and euro whistles can definitely get someone's attention. Though maybe you should cover when American steam attempted to use horns. I know both Hiawatha streamliners, GS4s and Milwaukee rd 261 used them, but I've heard others say other streamlined steam engines were equipped with them.
I always still go mad, remembering a Lionel C&O Hudson from the 90s having a whistle that sounded like it was going "Awoooo-toot" like it couldn't decide whether it had a horn or a whistle, 😅😅
Sometimes in Indonesia the locomotives ring their bells at Crowded Stations or at the Yard/Depot or in other busy places like in the Crossing, etc.
But sometimes they ring it outside the place like Station or in the Crossing.
5:40, while the NR has a bell, it's rarely if ever used
mainly cause the rumbling engine is enough to alert nearby people that the train exists and if it's intending to move
iv only ever heard the bell used as a gesture to train spotters
Why does 3:54 remind me of the MBTA (Masschusets Bay Transprotation Authority) Bi-level cab car bells?!?! Also great video btw!
100 %
Yes, this must be the bell they use
The 70s e-bell sounds like a trainz audio recording, ngl
Yes many modern Australian locomotives have bells but they're used far less and only in very specific situations and locations.
3:49 what bronze bell did it sample?
I can remember climbing on the icy roofs of locomotives to replace frozen bell ringers at CN in the eighty's and ninety's.
I’ve think the between Mechanical or a E-Bell is likely the favorite source of bells, Graham-White is could be likely fine. I just love of a sound ding, ding, dinging, dong. I wish it could be ‘musical.
goodbye matpat i love the inclusion.
That Chicago Northwestern train number 411! I’ve rode that to! It is also restored at the Illinois Railway Museum.
Australian trains also have bells as well. Some of their newest locomotives features graham white e-bells.
0:35 "yet drivers relied on traditional coach horns to warn of their approach but they weren't exactly loud enough to overpower the sounds of the engine". let that sink in for a bit....
Here in Bangladesh (a country in South Asia) trains generally also have bells. They are generally used while at low speed (while arriving or departing to/from station platforms).
Some models of locomotives have bells (No physical brass made bells though, maybe instead electric ones). Others don't.
There are some locomotives imported from the US through the 1950s up until last year - some of which didn’t have bells (not sure if those were there but never used...)
Some of these locomotives imported from South Korea have these bells.
Maybe it isn’t common in Europe, but in this part of the world (Bangladesh, very specifically) it’s a familiar sound.
In my opinion, the bell tends to supplement the horn or whistle
this videro hites extra goood well high asfuck. Good job amtrackjuy!
NJ Transit bells have sort of a 'thunk thunk' sound. At least that's what I thunk it sounds like 😂
Bells have gentle sound instead of...
1225:BOO
3:55 i remember hearing this in TSC when operating the ACS-64
Is that NES Donkey Kong background music I heard? 👌🏼 very nice
OFC IT HAD TO BE "The Milwaukee Road" 3:14
Fun fact: trolleys in the U.S. had air whistles for specific cases. I can confirm because I live near the Seashore Trolley Museum and I’ve been on a trolley with an air whistle. Of course, not all had air whistles but when you manage to find one that has one, it’s neat. They sound like hooter whistles or single chimes on air more than anything. And about European locomotives with bells, one of the most famous ones that kept the bell after a U.S. visit was a King Class, of which I forgot the name 💀. Flying Scotsman also had a bell in the UK for a short period of time, but not much footage of it with the bell is easy to find. I’m pretty sure other locomotives in the UK had or have bells that aren’t the J70s (of which had whistles too) but I forgot all of them. At the end of the day, a train bell is just that funny thing used for safety that some people (like me) just love as any other bell they love.
The "Jump scare" from horns happens to me the odd time, when it's blown outside my window or close enough. That's because I don't hear that noise coming. It's done only when there's a specific reason such as a person or animal is seen. If these are used regularly, I will hear an introduction kind of noise before a good blasting occurs.
I am advocating for horn use because I know too many times crossing arms fail to go back up - which therefore they may be failing to go down, and because too many auto drivers see arms up and go through, among other reasons.
I am woken by the remaining noises most times, which if I do sleep through, there's sometimes that greater "jump scare" from rail cars being stretched, that's the noise which makes a wake-up rough.
And, I hear bells same time or after engine noises while approaching, that tells me what it is that's coming but does not tell me what is coming before it gets that close.
I don't need to know what is there or what will be there during my sleep. But we need a prior alert when we are awake and going places while in the close proximity of movement. We can't make them quiet enough to leave people sleeping, so why take out the noise which is supposed to happen because someone wants us to know?
I started in this and other related advocacy after I saw and tried to get a child off a rail car. I even want them blown before starting after stopping so that DPU horms warn of movement about to start for chikdre and adults who cross through and under trains. And yes, that may mean a close blast right outside my window from one in middle or at end, but I'll already be awake from the lead as much as used to that.
Someone got into a collision with a train near my place. That's upped my reason for the horn, people in dark clothing or for whatever reason aren't seen soon enough while in the wrong place may have that extra chance from a distant horn, though it's always best to not be there for the fact there's less chance of a full stop in time with all consideration in their weights, wheels and such and people may choose not to cross one with a blast indicating this a will actually move where you are.
Thank God for electric bells on newer locomotives. Mechanical bells can "be a pain in the hind end" when sometimes they get their moving parts stuck requiring stopping the engine and getting out to spray the innards (clapper) of the bell with a lubricant like WD-40.
I Like Train Bells, they are very pleasant to hear. To the Europoors who complaining about them, LEAVE.
Ok… TOBYS THEME WITH THE TRAM ENGINE PART OF THE VIDEO IS PURE GENIUS
Interestingly when the Great western railway locomotive King George V (5th) the first of the GWR'S 6000 class the King class, visited the United States in 1925 for the centenary of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, the engine was presented with a brass that it has carried to this day as it is one of the three members of the class to be preserved.
I think you mean 1927, not 1925. KGV wasn't built until June 1927 and the invitation by the B&O is how the GWR 6000 got their name "Kings". Originally, they were going to be called "Cathedrals" to go with the GWR's naming convention of naming engines after prestigious buildings of the upper classes but the chance of naming the first after the ruling monarch at the time was an opportunity to great to refuse.
Heck, the fire engines in New York City have sirens, horns, *and* bells. They'd have a klaxon and drums too if they could figure out where to fit them.
I don’t think fire engines still have bells as sirens are much louder.
@@samanli-tw3id They did as of just a few years ago. I think they enjoy polishing the brass.
Fun fact even the busses in Amsterdam (the electric VDL Citea at least) also have an electric bell just like the trams.
The electric bell is only heard when the pressing the red button, combustion engine also have that sound
Yep, Schiphol buses (VDL Citea E as well) have them too. Don't like the sound of it, it just rings a bit too fast in my opinion (seriously, why can't they alter the software to emit a nice decaying 'ping' instead of the abrupt end as soon as the button is released?)
@@weeardguy But does it really matter it ring too fast or not? The sound still lets the driver know someone wants to get off at the next stop.
Whether you like the sound or not, all city buses makes a sound immediately when the STOP button is pressed
@@automation7295 Uhm... Daan_0172 was talking about the warning-bell VDL Citea-E buses have, not the 'dingdinnnnnnggggg' bell you hear while on the bus and when you press the request-stop button on a Connexxion bus, which actually is very good (and even so good that I still don't know if it's an electronic bell or mechanical bell).
Most of the warning bells on trams and electric buses just sound ridiculous when they are used for prolonged time. Only the Combino's with their software-change that can now emit a 'rrrrrrrrrringggg' sound do some justice to the original.
Thanks for the great video - Maximum authorized speed, bells and whistles for men and equipment working --- Gotta have the bells. They'd have to change change the whole verbiage without 'em.
Okay, Let's Highball On Signal Indication Papa Geoff - Here we go on a clear - Clear block, thanks, OUT 🚦🚦
Papa Geoff - UP Spring Sub / Houston Texas - Here we go 🚦🚦🚦
I always enjoyed hearing the Transtronic E-Bells, I just never knew what they were called! Too bad they seem like just a Canadian specialty these days... Amazing vid!
Great video
6:11 *deep inhale* THE MILWAUKEE ROAD
Great video! Maybe the bell will catch on to electric cars since they are so quiet lol!
The old train that used to run between my home town and a nearby other town had a bell on it that when it was retired became the prize for whichever school won the annual football game. It was our version of a homecoming game and is apparently a part of one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the US.
6:03 What is that heavenly chime whistle on 1003?!
Soo Line 6 chime.
@@TrainsAreReallyCool Thx
I‘m a German Tram and Train driver, while we’re at the topic of making noise at crossings: Why do American trains (always) blow their horn at RR X-ings? We only have to do that if it’s mandated by the overseeing train municipality. Also why do American trains have those two flashing lights at the bottom?
Another reason why bells might not have caught on in Europe could be because here its common to have a two-tone horn, a softer and a louder tone. The softer tone replacing the need for a bell.
Maybe that there is a difference in volume to the horns used, but from all the times I've heard Dutch trains (and thus German, Belgian and so on) use their horns, I cannot say I hear a distinct difference in how loud they are. Both are very loud and they definitely get your attention...
Freight conductor here in the US. we also ring the bell when tracking down a track, with another train on a track next to us that is stopped. That way if there is anyone working on that train between the cars, they know we are coming and that the track next to them will be “hot”
4:20 HOLY CRAP HE NEVER LEFT HE WAS INFACT AMTRAKGUY THE ENTIRE TIME
OH MY FUQING GOD. YOU ARE SO RIGHT!
As an Australian, I’ve noticed some freight engines have bells but I’ve not once heard one being used
never knew they were electronic! i live about 1/4 mile away from a railroad crossing so i hear these sounds everyday and never really gave it any thought
The quietest spot of a modern locomotive is directly in front. which means it's very easy to not hear a train coming your way. I know from experience on the Hudson river line, when I looked up from the platform to see a freight, express, perhaps 100 feet away.
The British: We have bells too!
Edit: You know ND5 and NJ2 have bells too, Only in China!