Is it safe to run a nathan k3la over 150 psi?

Question

i have herd from one guy that that a nathan k3la sould not be run over 150 psi. but i have talked to a few that sed it safe to run at 200 psi and the max for both the k3la and k5la is 225 psi

Answer 1

Well, considering the horns run right off the main reservoir air, which is nominally 140 psi (and no more), depending on the cycle of the air compressors and their use at the time, such as when charging a train, where the main reservoir air can dip substantially below 140 psi.

Things tend to be over-engineered on the railroad, so there is undoubtedly some headroom built in before the horn destroys itself.

Even so, I would say a safe maximum for any of them would be no more than 140 psi.  They are designed to operate most efficiently at this pressure for railroad use, I would think.

But, if these horns are designed for other types of service, such as on ships or tug boats, they may be engineered to handle these higher pressures.