Audio Files

 

NS 216 at Ossian, Indiana

Overview

For me the sounds of trains have always been one of the most important aspects in railroading.  For without sound, trains would be lifeless hunks of metal.  Traction motors, diesel engines, wheel flanges, horns, and other sounds give trains that special feeling of power and mystique that no other form of transportation has.

These are various audio clips of my own and are listed by date; the most recent recordings are at the top.  To be played at maximum volume always!

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These recordings are copyrighted.  Please don't use them without my permission.
 
 

Recordings

 
AudioSouth Whitley, Indiana.  1/2 a P5.  L41 heads westbound for Nickel on the Chicago District near the State St. (SR 5) crossing in South Whitley with high hood SD40-2 #3310.  Only a few notes are still working on the 3310's short-hood horn.  A 5 car train makes for some interesting doppler echoes as the train blows for the distant crossing near the grain elevator.  Recorded in early morning on June 15, 2003.   [MP3 Format (stereo), 338 kb, 42 sec]

 
AudioNew Haven, Indiana.  New D9, Nice K5LA.  A single brand new D9-40CW (#9765), still in primer paint, pulls NS 20A across the Hartzell Rd. crossing accelerating through NE on March 6, 2003.  [MP3 Format (stereo), 297kb, 59 sec]

 
AudioFort Wayne, Indiana.  SD40-2 With After Effects.  NS 417 returns to East Wayne Yard from Muncie on the New Castle District with lone SD40-2 NS 6107 for power.  This is at the McArthur Dr. crossing and a short train makes for some nice after effects as he blows for the Lower Huntington Rd. crossing.  This particular P5 almost reminds me of some of the Amtrak F40PHs back in the day.  December 17    2001.  [MP3 Format(stereo), 587kb, 1 min 13 sec]

 
AudioFort Wayne, Indiana.  WC Cowl On The Prowl.  A memorable visitor to Fort Wayne was Wisconsin Central #6652, an FP45, on Saturday December 8th 2001.  Here she leads CSX Q357-08 past the Hadley Rd. crossing with a short train on the Fort Wayne Line.  The nearly extinct Leslie S3K horn is a rarity out here and is found mostly on ex-BN units.  [MP3 Format (stereo), 423K, 52 sec.]

 
AudioMonroeville, Indiana.  Bad horn.  A dog barks as NS 20T passes Main St. in Monroeville led by a single repainted ex-Conrail SD50 #5429 at about 8pm on November 30, 2001.  Listen for the horrible squealing coming from the horn.  [MP3 Format (stereo), 239K, 46 sec.]

 
Fort Wayne, Indiana.  IC power in rain.  On a rainy July 25, 2001 westbound NS 17K pulls across Ardmore Ave. with Illinois Central SD40-3 #6200 in the lead.  On this particular engine the P5 horn is mounted right on the top front of the cab, making for some clear sounds.  [MP3 Format (stereo), 509K, 1 min 2 sec]

 
Van Wert, Ohio.  Mail express on the Fort Wayne Line.  On June 15, 2001 westbound NS 21A approaches and crosses the Estry crossing diamond on a hot and muggy Friday afternoon.  The lead unit is C40-8W #8328, still in Conrail paint. Notice how the high note on the 3-chime S3L horn is much louder than the other 2.  Many of the former Conrail dash 8s seem to have this "crying-like" characteristic.  [MP3 Format (stereo), 361K, 45 sec]

 
AudioFort Wayne, Indiana.  Clickity-clack through Fort Wayne.  At dusk eastbound CSX Q356 creeps past the Hadley Rd. crossing on the west side of Fort Wayne with 12 cars on the CSX Fort Wayne Line.  The lead unit is GP40-2 #4430, still in Conrail paint.  The K5LA horn is probably a CSX replacement of the Conrail staple Leslie S3L horn.  Notice the high note has a bit of wavering to it.  Recorded on April 22, 2001. [Real Audio (stereo), 549K, 1 min. 8 sec.]

 
AudioOssian, IndianaA complete runby.  Norfolk Southern hotshot piggybacker train #218 is enroute from Calumet Yard in Chicago to Pomona Yard in Greensboro, NC and passes at track speed through rural Indiana at the CR 850N crossing on the New Castle District.  The leader was NS 9659, a C40-9W in gray primer paint.  Notice it takes just 53 seconds for the train to pass.  Birds return the scene back to calm.  April 3, 2001 [Real Audio (stereo), 636K, 1 min 22 sec]

 
AudioHuntington, Indiana.  Fast!  After spending over 3 long hours traversing the predominately 40 mph Fort Wayne Line from Crestline to Fort Wayne, it's time for hot mail train NS 21A to open up the throttle on the Huntington District and highball through downtown Huntington at 60 mph track speed.  Recorded at the Jefferson St. crossing, you will hear what I call the "doppler echo effect" from the locomotive horn.  Right after the crossing gate bell stops you'll hear the doppler sound from behind the train bouncing off the surrounding buildings and ahead of the train.  This is one of the effects I strive for in my recordings.  Recorded on April 1, 2001.  The lead unit is C40-9W #9589. [Real Audio (stereo), 290K, 35 sec.]

 
AudioClaypool, Indiana.  A nice sequence.  Crossing the NS Marion Branch diamond with 32 cars of chemicals and grain, eastbound NS L41 returns to East Wayne Yard from Argos on the Chicago District led by a 20-year veteran GP50 #7026 running long-hood forward.  This was recorded at Railroad St., which is just a few feet west of the Marion Branch diamond, on February 26, 2001 at 5:40 pm.  [Real Audio (stereo), 437K, 58 sec.]

 
AudioFort Wayne, Indiana.  On December 16, 2000 NS #197 highballs out of town at the Lower Huntington Road crossing led by NS 8718 with a sick sounding P5 horn around 9:00pm.  Finding a section of track to record good clickity-clack is tough these days but just north of the crossing are some staggered joints in the rail.   [Real Audio (stereo), 342K, 42 sec.]

 
AudioNew Haven, Indiana.  Passing quickly by Hartzell Rd., is Norfolk Southern train #171 running westbound on the Huntington District.  A soft K5LA horn sounds on the 10 year old lead unit, SD60 #6688.  November 15, 2000.  [Real Audio (stereo), 283K,  34 sec.]

 
Kendallville, Indiana.  Amtrak #43, the westbound Pennsylvanian, screams through downtown Kendallville at full speed on April 28, 2000 around 8:50 pm.  Engine 92 is the lead unit.  Those roadrailers sure make a racket at 79 mph.  [Real Audio (stereo), 443K, 55 sec.]

 
AudioNew Haven, Indiana.  NS train 20A, a trailer/container train speeds eastbound on the Huntington District past Hartzell Rd. on November 23, 1999 led by an ex-CR SD60I, #6746. [Real Audio (stereo), 297K, 36 sec.]



 
 
Do you like train horns?  Ever wonder who designed them and what notes they play?
Visit the Five Chime Consultants Airhorn Guide.

 
 

My recording equipment:
 
TCS-580V
ECM-MS907

 

INDEX


© Original Content Copyright 1999-2007 David Safdy
© Design and Updates Copyright 2005-2007 Greg Lavoie
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