Re: [Syd] Why do trains sound horn when leaving platform?

[wbrueckman@aol.com (WBrueckman)]

>I have always made a
>| practice of making all required signals prescribed by the Rules, and wish
>that
>| the express train in Chicago had made more liberal use of his horn as
>well.
>
>
>Was he required to by the rules? If it had been here, there would've been
>the same result.
>
>
>
The point I was attempting to make was to answer the original question "Why do
trains sound the horn when leaving the platform"  The short answer to the
question is that they do because it is obviously a requirement of the Rules on
that particular line.  We were taught that the Rulebook was figuratively
written in blood in that a rule exists in order to alleviate a situation where
someone has been hurt or killed.  The point of the video that the railroad was
trying to make to us was that it is alright to use the horn in situations even
where it is not required when it is necessary to ensure that your presence or
approach is known where people may be present that you cannot see or are
approaching too fast to take any corrective action once you do see them.  In
this case, the engineer of the express train once he saw that he was
approaching a local train stopped at a station could have anticipated that
passengers may be trying to cross the tracks if it is common to do so at that
station.  Since I tend to be a bit paranoid about situations like this, I would
have been inclined to have been laying on the horn;  but hindsight is always
20/20.

Bill Brueckmann

Bill Brueckmann