RailwaySounding the horn at a public crossing
You are at the controls of the lead locomotive approaching a public highway-rail grade crossing. You sound the federal pattern, two long blasts, one short and one long, and keep it going until the locomotive occupies the crossing. It is the horn rule every locomotive engineer follows at public crossings in the United States.
Free to startScenarios
- A train with its lead locomotive approaching a public highway-rail grade crossing.
- A train led by a cab car.
- Two public crossings spaced closely together.
- A private or pedestrian grade crossing in a State whose law requires the horn there.
The steps
- Sound the horn on the lead locomotive, lite locomotive consist, individual locomotive or lead cab car approaching a public highway-rail grade crossing.
- Use the pattern: two long blasts, one short blast and one long blast.
- Start it when the timing rule says: at least 15 and no more than 20 seconds before the locomotive enters the crossing.
- Repeat or prolong the pattern until the locomotive occupies the crossing.
- Where crossings are spaced closely together, vary the pattern as necessary.
- Where State law requires another audible warning device instead of the horn, sound that device with the same timing.
- At private and pedestrian grade crossings, sound the horn only where State law requires it, and then as at a public crossing.
Safety rules that stop the station
- In an emergency, even inside a quiet zone, the engineer may sound the horn to warn animals, drivers, pedestrians, trespassers or crews on other trains when, in the engineer's sole judgment, it prevents imminent injury, death or property damage.
- Nothing in the rule limits the horn when a wayside horn malfunctions, when crossing warning devices have malfunctioned and the horn is required, or when the warning system is out of service for inspection, maintenance or testing.
To pass
- Two long, one short, one long, kept up until the locomotive is on the crossing.
- The horn is not required at passenger stations unless a federal regulation requires it there.
- The rule does not apply to the Chicago Region crossings where the Illinois Commerce Commission excused the horn and railroads did not sound it as of December 18, 2003.
Official source
49 CFR Part 222: Use of Locomotive Horns at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
The eCFR publishes 49 CFR Part 222 free: 222.21 sets the horn pattern at public crossings, 222.23 the emergencies and 222.25 and 222.27 the private and pedestrian crossings.
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