Locomotive crew people, doesn't working close to the train whistle ever scare you or hurt your ears?

Question

I don't know how people like engineers and conductors can work that close to the noise of the train whistle. It sure scares the bejesus out of me when I am standing a couple yards away from the tracks, have to cover my ears.

Answer 1

I don't work for locomotive, but I live near elevated subway stations in NYC, and it scares me when subway blows whistle, even in New Jersey when I go them.

Answer 2

Yes they are loud aren't they?Our newer engines are much better insulated and the whistle is mounted to the rear of the unit so it's not as bad as it used to be.Some of the older engines had the horn mounted right over the cab.You couldn't jamb a pair of ear plugs in far enough to keep the horn from making your head feel like it was going to explode.We have a rule that requires the use of ear plugs when ever a door or window is opened but it still doesn't help much.

Rango you still don't have AC?All our new units have it and if your called on a train without a working AC on the leader your allowed to switch it out if you have a unit with working AC.Comfort cab units without AC are murder when the temp climbs to 110 here in the desert.And your right ,officers wouldn't stand for that for 10 minutes if they had to sit and bake in the sun.

Answer 3

huh??

what???

I apologize, couldn'tt help myself.

As you have guessed, it is horribly hard on our ears, I dont know a career railroader that doesnt have significant hearing degredation.

It is only very recently that locomotive design has tried to reduce cab sound level and it is still an option. Not all railroads feel the need to order the sound package.

Couple that with the non-airconditioned cabs we have, so we have to operate with the windows open in the summer, can you imagine being 6 feet away from the whistle every time you go to work??

It is arrogant and inhumane the conditions they require us to live and work in.

I know without a doubt that any railroad executive had to put up with the noise levels we have for even one hour, something would be done.

Excellent question and a very big health issue in our lives.

Edit to Andy: yes, we have AC most of the time in through freight but most of our local and yard power doesnt. When you get an older one, makes you realize just how bad it always was "back in the day"

Answer 4

Phew!! And there was me thinking that poor in-cab conditions were not replicated elsewhere.

We are not permitted to use ear protection of any sort because it would affect our ability to hear any of the in-cab systems like the AWS (in-cab signalling safety system) or the cab to shore radio. But when the temperatures climb (a thankfully rare occurrence here in the UK) we have no option but to run with the windows open if we are not to succumb to heat exhaustion, which means that we suffer drastically increased levels of noise. The train driver's trade union is applying pressure to the various companies to improve our lot, but progress has been slow and sporadic.

The warning horn is actually the least of our problems, primarily because the driver (engineer) is behind it and not in front of it. In fact there are times when I've thought that the horn was becoming defective because it seemed so quiet in the cab, but it was actually perfectly fine. However, we do have to be careful inside depots to make sure that there is no-one in the vicinity of the warning horn before sounding it, especially when prepping a train for service inside the shed.

Answer 5

im not one but theyre prob ably used to it

Answer 6

Hearing protection helps but by no means eliminates the noise.  I, along with the other old heads all have some hearing loss to one degree or another.  For me it is most acute in the 8000 Hertz range of my left ear.

But I am also one that has battled buildup of ear wax continually.  Don't know if there is a medical name for that, but always being a problem it has also acted as a "natural" ear plug so my loss is negligible when compared to others.

Although a much higher percentage of locomotives are now equipped with air conditioning there is no guarantee that you'll have one in your consist or that it will be operating properly.  Ditto for the heat as well.

And Andy is correct.  You can switch a unit ahead with working AC.  But, next time you're on a pig or other expediter, tell the dispatcher you want to stop and switch for a half hour or so, and see what happens...

But here again, there is no move afoot to improve conditions because the public at large has no idea how Spartan the conditions can be.  But they need to know it is also a safety matter as well as addressing creature comforts.

The human brain functions best when the ambient temperature is 67 degrees.  This was established by testing done over a period by UC Berkley researchers.  So if you would like to have train and engine crews on their toes, alert and thinking clearly, once again the carriers will have to be forced to take action.  UP has been posting net profits in excess of $400 MILLION per quarter for the last three quarters, with others in the $300 MILLION range with BNSF doing an amazing $800 MILLION last quarter of '07.  And that will buy a h**l of a lot of air conditioning.

But the mandate will have to come via the Feds, and that won't happen until people (constituants) contact their representatives and demand action.  Many realize the absolutely necessary sacrfifices railroaders must make, but adding this type of bs on top of it is like having someone pissing on your leg while you're changing their flat tire along the roadside trying to help them out...