Locomotive Horns: Influence of Position and Sound Characteristics on Effectiveness

This paper deals with one aspect of a study undertaken for Transport Canada as a component of the joint government and industry funded Direction 2006 Highway-Railway Grade Crossing Research Program. The study’s objective was to provide recommendations to ensure adequate warning for safety reasons and to address excessive loudness complaints from crews and from residents near tracks. This paper describes the field measurements and analyses undertaken to assess the influence of horn position on its effectiveness at operating speeds and summarizes the findings with respect to signal detection and alerting qualities of different horns.