# Railroad crossings

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65943>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 19, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65943 "2001-05-19T22:28:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Corvette\_Builder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@Corvette\_Builder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corvette_Builder)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65943/1 "2001-05-19T22:28:51Z")

</div>

I live near quite a collection of railroad crossings. Normally the sound  
of them crossing an intersection isn’t a big deal (I can usually sleep  
through them) but occasionally it seems that whoever runs that horn gets  
upset. The normal two short blasts before crossing becomes five really long  
ones. These are enough to blast myself, my husband, my daughter, and my dogs  
awake. Do the number and/or duration of blasts mean anything, like “idiot get  
off the tracks!”? Or are we at the mercy of a guy who wants to make sure  
everyone is awake the same time he is?  
Margaret  
Fort Collins, CO.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65943/2 "2001-05-19T23:00:24Z")

</div>

Yes, the whistles mean something.  
Lookee here;  
[http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/brooklyn/trains/whistlesignals.htm](http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/brooklyn/trains/whistlesignals.htm)  
That being said, this is a question. Belongs in GQ.  
🙂  
Welcome to the SDMB.  
Peace,  
mangeorge

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65943/3 "2001-05-20T00:52:56Z")

</div>

Off to GQ.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65943/4 "2001-05-20T01:02:20Z")

</div>

This apparently was posted in more than one forum (and both ended up here). Go [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=71471) to see the other thread on this.