Best Sounding Train Horns

[James Sofonia]

With talk in another thread about horns, made me think to ask which horns sound the best. I like the musical sound of most Amtrak trains myself.

[Saturnalia]

Amtrak is nice because the engineers can still quill most if not all of them. I like RS5Ts myself, but RS3Ks and P5s are nice, too.

[Ypsi]

My top 3
1. K5LA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s8bWiGwjD0w
2. RS5T https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ypdhNDeZ7xs
3. RS3L https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eSXOcc1x57Y

[EWRice]

I like the sound of the k5la on mmrr 24 and the old gre 3839. I also like the first generation prime 920 and new cast nathan p3. The most unique sound is a Wabco E2B1. I am working on one of those right now.

I should add that I do not like any horn with all bells facing one direction. There is a unique sound balance when the proper bells are reversed.

[SD80MAC]

I am partial to my own K5LA. Here's a recording taken at night at Horsehoe Curve a few years ago....

[Saturnalia]

I am partial to my own K5LA. Here's a recording taken at night at Horsehoe Curve a few years ago....

That was really cool!

Here it is on an actual train...at least I think this is yours IIRC:

[SD80MAC]

Yep that's mine! And there's me, too.

[hoborich]

I am partial to my own K5LA. Here's a recording taken at night at Horsehoe Curve a few years ago...

That would certainly wake up some chick drifting into your lane while texting.

[SousaKerry]

I like em all but a few really make my ears bleed. Most notably whatever those high pitched nasty things that NS used on their High Hood dual controlled SD40s and GP40s and GP-38s. I still cringe when I hear one. Also never much cared for the 1st gen diesels that used the 1 note boat horns

[Ypsi]

I like em all but a few really make my ears bleed. Most notably whatever those high pitched nasty things that NS used on their High Hood dual controlled SD40s and GP40s and GP-38s. I still cringe when I hear one. Also never much cared for the 1st gen diesels that used the 1 note boat horns

Likely a P5 is what you speak of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpoGF3oR-lc

Defiantly an acquired taste, I like the sound of them personally.. The only horn I kind of don't care for is the K3LA. A horn is a horn to some, but the K3LA just isn't my favorite.

[cfriedri]

I've always been a fan of the nice low bellow of a Leslie RS5T. Nothing beats the far off echo of an RS5T on a quiet evening. I'd also have to say the Leslie RS3L is a commendable counterpart sharing in the bellow and echo. I like the Nathan K5LA but it depends on the casting. On modern Amtrak P42DCs, the sound sort of blends together and seems somewhat dull to me. However, the older cast K5LAs used on early CSX equipment accentuate each tone and they sound variably better.

[SousaKerry]

Yup that P5 is the terrible one. Growing up when the wind was right we could hear NS blowing for the crossings in Maple Grove on the Fostoria Sub, a good 5-10 miles north of where I grew up. Where I was in sight of the Williard sub and the then Corothers secondary for Conrail and later Indian Hi-rail and now the Northern Ohio and Western(NOW)

[MQT1223]

I like em all but a few really make my ears bleed. Most notably whatever those high pitched nasty things that NS used on their High Hood dual controlled SD40s and GP40s and GP-38s. I still cringe when I hear one. Also never much cared for the 1st gen diesels that used the 1 note boat horns

I like the sound of the k5la on mmrr 24 and the old gre 3839. I also like the first generation prime 920 and new cast nathan p3. The most unique sound is a Wabco E2B1. I am working on one of those right now.

I should add that I do not like any horn with all bells facing one direction. There is a unique sound balance when the proper bells are reversed.

You want an acquired taste, how about them Nathan P7's. Man they got a lot going on. Sound like a LOUD horn with all of those chimes going at once.

Here is a video with a P7 as well as the Wabco E2B1. I agree those are VERY unique.



Look through this guy's collection of video's. There are some unusual horns in there, from A Nathan K-3HL1 to a Leslie SL-4T. Many more for the horn lover! I personally would love to have one of the Wabco, Leslie or Westinghouse single chime horns, or whatever Whitewater Valley #25 has, an M3 or M5.

Listen to this "Frankenhorn" that has (in my opinion) a VERY mean sound to it.

[Ypsi]

That P7 sounds pretty cool as did the second one. 7 chimes for a neat sound..

[Y@]

RS5T, P3, and P5.

[redside20]

best sounding....Nathan K5L, K5H, K3L, K3H....What were those airhorns that GTW used...M3?...P5 on NS 65, 6600 series SD60's very haunting from a distance along with the K5H...finally another horn that was sweet was the main one that Conrail used in the 80's was I believe a Leslie S3L? very melodic sounding from a distance....

Worst airhorns...the ones that Burlington Northern used..that I believe were a leslie variant of some kind...The southern screamers...airhorns on most Southern Railway locomotives.

[MQT1223]

Any idea what horn is on this BNSF ACe? I think its one of the best horn's I've captured yet.

[Saturnalia]

Worst airhorns...the ones that Burlington Northern used..that I believe were a leslie variant of some kind...

RS3K probably?

Rumor is the C&M will open with an RS3K this year

[59caddy]

I like the horns to have tritones and to have e-flat, b-flat, or f-sharp as at least one of the tones. I like the timbre to be dark, as it's less pointy and overpowering. I don't mind lack of intonation, but outright dissonance is off the books for me.

[SD80MAC]

Any idea what horn is on this BNSF ACe? I think its one of the best horn's I've captured yet.

That's a new Nathan K5LLA or K5LLM.