Re: NR's have Bells!?

["Paul Pickford" <boss@opera.iinet.net.au>]

Yuri J Sos wrote in message <348a983c.5319529@news.enternet.com.au>...
>While waiting to film the Kinder trains at Sunshine, a down SG steel
>transfer rolled through.  I'm sure I heard a bell ringing from the
>loco (a la North American practice).... there were a few of us
>trackside.
>
>Was I hearing things?  Do any other locos have bells?  What are the
>regs governing the use of bells on locos?
>
The NR's have air activated bells. Sometimes drivers forget to turn them
off, as they can't hear it in the cab. At the moment drivers are only
required to use the bell when moving a loco in provisioning sites etc, but
things change. We're told in the US some come on automatically at less than
16 kph, and NR may go that way.

On passenger platforms the horn is so loud it scares the crap out of
everyone, so if they don't fit a low note horn hopefully they'll change some
rules so the bell + PA warnings will suffice. At present safeworking rules
say we must blow the horn, so if we have to, we give a toot on the long end
horn, which doesn't seem as loud (to us anyway). The passengers don't seem
to mind that either.

Thanks,
Paul...