Train Whistle heard at night though not near any tracks for miles

February 25, 2012 | Beowulf9

[Beowulf9]

At night I hear a train whistle where I live, only occasionally and actually rarely. Have heard it about 3 or 4 times in about 7 years.

Thing is I live about 7 miles from a train track. Is it possible to hear a train whistle that far away?

and it does sound kind of ghostly, echoey, resonates.

I wondered if anyone else hear knows how far a train whistle can be heard.

I live in Phoenix Az, by Camelback Mountain.

[Yankee]

This particular model of 5-chime air horn was developed for Amtrak in 1975, but single note, 3 chime and 5 chime air horns have been in use on locomotives since the 1930s.

Even some late model ('40s-'50s) steam locomotives carried air horns in addition to their steam whistles. Most were of the single note variety.

Steam whistles are not as efficient as air horns and consume a relatively large volume of steam when in use.

It was found that fuel and water savings were obtained by using the air horn in place of the steam whistle as the main warning device on those steam locomotives so equipped.

Here is a video of preserved Southern Pacific 4449, a streamlined steam locomotive built in 1941, arriving in Naperville, IL on a 2009 excursion run, demonstrating both her deep 3 chime whistle and her single note air horn:

SP 4449 Arrives At Naperville With Airhorn !

[Fire_on_High]

Yep, very plausible given the right atmospheric conditions.

[Beowulf9]

That poem is gorgeous. Yes, you should try and get that copyrighted.

[Krankor]

Actually, we later figured out it was coming from the “L” train station about two blocks away.

[Beowulf9]

“Actually, we later figured out it was coming from the “L” train station about two blocks away.”

Darn. Always wanted to hear a ghost train story, lol. Well, thanks for being truthful. That’s really to be commended on your part.

[Krankor]

Sorry, I was just kidding around about the Ghost Train. For a big chunk of my life (except for now) I always lived close enough to the "L" to hear it at night. There really isn't a whistle, more like a very distinctive "click" "click" of the train wheels on the tracks. I can't even begin to remember how many times I fell asleep with that sound ringing in my ears. As a kid and young adult, I grew to love that sound. When I read your post, it inspired me to look up the "L" station and the barbershop I used to go to as a kid right across the street. That really brought back some nice memories. Here's a few pics. Thanks for inspiring some nice memories.

[Sacajaweau]

10, 12 miles for a train light is very possible...it all depends on the topography.

Ask an old soldier about lighting his cigarette in the field.

[Beowulf9]

oooh, yeah. Train station in snow is nice. Old beautiful barbershop chairs, love it.

It’s not Long Island is it?

[Krankor]

It’s a suburb on the northern border of Chicago. Incredibly beautiful city but, sadly, the Berkley of the Midwest.

[Beowulf9]

Darn, wish that ghost train story was real. Lol.

What a lot of fun this train thing was, still thinking about it. Learned a lot.

Takes a lot to cry, takes a train to laugh.

[Krankor]

Here's a sad yet ironic tale.
Ghost train death
I wonder if this young man's spirit, along with the ghost train he so desperately wanted to see, now haunts this section of track.

[Beowulf9]

Wow! Poor guy, I will not go looking for ghost trains, on the track itself. He saved that woman’s life though.

[Beowulf9]

Meant to say good point about the man haunting the track of the train he hoped to see. Ironic and chilling.

One for you:

http://www.joe.ie/news-politics/current-affairs/noise-from-ghost-train-is-driving-locals-mad-in-kerry-0021655-1

[Krankor]

Good story, but I wonder if these Irishmen heard those noises after a few pints at the local pub.

[SamAdams76]

I live about 5 miles away from a railroad crossing and every now and then, I hear the train whistle like it was coming through my back yard. It's really eerie how this only happens every once in a while. Most of the time, I forget all about the fact that there is a railroad nearby because I usually never hear it.

It happened again just a few minutes ago so I googled "train whistle at night" and this thread popped up as one of the first results. So I thought it odd that this thread started only about a month ago.

[yarddog]

Our senior class trip was to Washington DC and to the New York World’s fair.

When we toured the capitol building they showed us how some of the original founders could hear every word their political opponents said across the floor. apparently the dome somehow bounced it back to that place. They demonstrated it and it worked.

[SamAdams76]

I was taking the dog for a walk around sunset and I thought of your thread. There is a "ghost neighborhood" near my house where they paved some new roads but never got around to building houses there. So it's a great place to take the dog for a walk where you don't have to worry about traffic.

So on top of the hill, where the really expensive houses will (or might) eventually get built, I heard train whistles off in the distance. Now the Danbury branch of the Metro North Line passes a good 10 miles from my house as the crow flies so I was amazed to hear the whistles so clearly. That is the closest active railroad to where I live.

It was definitely eerie as the sun had set and it was getting very dark with just a smudge of orange/red in the western horizon.

[NorthMountain]

I live about 7 miles from a train track. Is it possible to hear a train whistle that far away?

Yes.

[SamAdams76]

BTW, I should mention that I live in a new house now in Connecticut. When I posted here three years ago, I was living up in northern Massachusetts.

[Semper911]

I lived near there in my youth (close to Arcadia high school, is it still there?) And I used to hear a train early in the morning. I knew damn well there was no track for miles, and I used to marvel at being able to hear it. And not just the whistle either... I could hear the rumbling of the tracks.