# railroad crossings **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 19, 2001, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944 "2001-05-19T22:37:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**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, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/1 "2001-05-19T22:37:01Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/2 "2001-05-19T23:04:05Z")
Train whistles are subject to a lot of regulation in the U.S. Some cities have regulations on their use, some ban their use within their city limits and there are also Federal regulations. If you think somebody is violating those laws, head down to the track, find out whose train it is and report them to the proper authorities. After several months, a fine may be issued. Or perhaps not. I really doubt an engineer blows the whistle to just get people mad. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/3 "2001-05-19T23:25:03Z")
> [@](#): > > I really doubt an engineer blows the whistle to just get people mad. I do, too. I _have_ learned just recently that individual engineers develop their own whistle style - my impression is that it becomes a sort of signature. ---
**Author:** ![gadgetgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@gadgetgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gadgetgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/4 "2001-05-19T23:38:06Z")
OK, this is straight from the “General Code of Operating Rules” third edition used by a bunch of railroads. Mr. Gadgetgirl is a train buff and just happen to have this book. At certian crossings, one guy needs to get off the train to signal (with flags or flashlights) the driver through the crossings. Kinda like the guys who direct the airplanes on the tarmac at the airport. So basically the toots are for the driver to respond to the visual signals from the guy on the ground. Here goes. (toot=short toot and tooooot= long toot) toot-toot = acknowledgement of any signal fron the guy on the ground, so basically he is saing “roger” to the other guy. toot-toot-toot-toooooot = the driver is telling the guy on the ground to watch the front of the train. tooooot-tooooot-tooooot-tooooot-tooooot (your 5 long toots)= the flagman (the guy on the ground) may return to the train from the east or north. but if you hear this: toot-toooooot= that means that the driver wants the guy on the ground to have a look at the brakes because he thinks they might be leaking or sticking, yikes! ---
**Author:** ![gadgetgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@gadgetgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gadgetgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/5 "2001-05-20T01:04:53Z")
thanks JillGat, I thought I typed all of those “toots” for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/6 "2001-05-20T01:11:38Z")
I don’t think they are comunicating w/ ground crew (though it is possible). I think they are required to toot as they cross a road or other crossing (pedestrian). Here they have 2 long and 2 short most of the time (I have thought they try the wedding march song - you know ‘Here comes the train’). Sometimes they go crazy w/ the horn, I assume it’s because of someone crossing the tracks at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/7 "2001-05-20T01:23:01Z")
…there are some spectacular wrecks because the driver has had one too many, er… “toots”. Sorry, y’all, it was just too good to resist! 😉 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![gadgetgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@gadgetgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gadgetgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/8 "2001-05-20T23:14:49Z")
I hate to disagree k2dave, but I’m sitting here with rule book on my desk. It has all kinds of crazy rules. Not least of which is the rules on when and how one can toot their horn. tooooot-tooooot-toot-tooooot (two long-one short-one long)is the “hey I’m a big train coming through a crossing, look out!” (rule #5.8.2) and a succession of short sounds is the emergency sound, in other words, “hey you, dipshit, get off the tracks or I will squish you!!!” If you want a secong opinion, go to [http://www.trainboard.com](http://www.trainboard.com) ,post your question and see what kind of answers you get. That board has people who actually work on trains over there. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/9 "2001-05-21T00:04:22Z")
I’m sorry, but I have to… Is the person who teaches them how to use their horn the “toot-toot tooter tutor”? Once again, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t resist. I now will probably be banned. It was that bad. ---
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/10 "2001-05-21T00:23:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TV time \* > \*\* > > Is the person who teaches them how to use their horn the “toot-toot tooter tutor”?\*\* Yes, it’s all part of the _training_. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/11 "2001-05-21T02:09:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IBBen \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by TV time \* > > \*\* > > > > Is the person who teaches them how to use their horn the “toot-toot tooter tutor”?\*\* > > Yes, it’s all part of the _training_. > > \*\* I can see you’re on the right _track_… ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/12 "2001-05-21T02:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by IBBen \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by TV time \* > > > \*\* > > > > > > Is the person who teaches them how to use their horn the “toot-toot tooter tutor”?\*\* > > > > Yes, it’s all part of the _training_. > > > > \*\* > > I can see you’re on the right _track_… \*\* You guys are completely loco. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/13 "2001-05-21T03:48:47Z")
gadgetgirl, I’m sure that there are standardized horn blows, the one I remember it the wedding march one that is more correctly described as LLSL (Long=L, S=Short). The emergency sound is a series of short sounds (isn’t 5 short blasts the nautical emergency signal?) - this is probally the signal I here when I say they go crazy w/ the horn. So the way I see it, I agree with you. Comunicating w/ ground crew is more likly the case in train yards, I don’t really expect such comunication on open sections of track. ---
**Author:** ![gadgetgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@gadgetgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gadgetgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-crossings/65944/14 "2001-05-21T09:15:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > isn’t 5 short blasts the nautical emergency signal? - > \*\* I think you are on to something here…