The Electronic Bell

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What do you think of the "E" bell?

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Acela150 said:
As the "electronic" bell becomes more and more popular I want to know what you think about it.
Stephen
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I find that the electronic bell sound is not as clear or loud as a mechanical bell on locomotives or on crossing protection. Locomotive bell use is a required safety feature, usually to be rung at crossings, entering stations, passing other trains, standing equipment, work zones and at other times as perscribed in rulebooks and special instructions. It is an essential warning device for railroaders, railroad contractors and others near the tracks.

No doubt they are cheaper to maintain, which is why they are in vogue.

Gord
 
It's the law in Arizona.

40-847. Bells on locomotives; violation; penalties
A. Each railroad corporation shall equip its locomotives with a bell weighing not less than twenty pounds.

B. Any railroad corporation which fails to comply with subsection A of this section is liable for a penalty of one hundred dollars which shall be recovered by an action filed by the attorney general in the name of the state.

40-848. Automatic bell ringer required; violation; classification

A. It is unlawful for any railroad to operate on its tracks within the state an engine not equipped with an automatically operated bell ringer for ringing the bell on the engine, which will cause the bell on the engine to continue to ring after being set in motion by the engineer or fireman. The device for starting or stopping the bell ringer shall be placed in a position where it can be operated by the engineer or fireman from his usual position in the cab.

B. A railroad violating this section is guilty of a petty offense for each day that any locomotive engine is used in violation of this section, but if any ringer becomes out of order while the engine in which it is installed is in use, the engine may complete its trip.

40-854. Failure to warn at public crossing; classification

A person in charge of a railroad locomotive who before crossing any traveled public way omits to cause the bell to ring or a whistle, siren or other sounding device to sound at a distance of at least eighty rods from a crossing and until it is reached, is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
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80 rods is ¼ mile. It's interesting that the law hasn't been updated with respect to electronic bells. Technically an electronic bell may not be legal since it's not 20 pounds.
 
I don't believe State law is even applicable , Federal law (CFR 49) governs on railroads as they are federal controlled entities.

alanh said:
It's the law in Arizona.
40-847. Bells on locomotives; violation; penalties
A. Each railroad corporation shall equip its locomotives with a bell weighing not less than twenty pounds.

B. Any railroad corporation which fails to comply with subsection A of this section is liable for a penalty of one hundred dollars which shall be recovered by an action filed by the attorney general in the name of the state.

40-848. Automatic bell ringer required; violation; classification

A. It is unlawful for any railroad to operate on its tracks within the state an engine not equipped with an automatically operated bell ringer for ringing the bell on the engine, which will cause the bell on the engine to continue to ring after being set in motion by the engineer or fireman. The device for starting or stopping the bell ringer shall be placed in a position where it can be operated by the engineer or fireman from his usual position in the cab.

B. A railroad violating this section is guilty of a petty offense for each day that any locomotive engine is used in violation of this section, but if any ringer becomes out of order while the engine in which it is installed is in use, the engine may complete its trip.

40-854. Failure to warn at public crossing; classification

A person in charge of a railroad locomotive who before crossing any traveled public way omits to cause the bell to ring or a whistle, siren or other sounding device to sound at a distance of at least eighty rods from a crossing and until it is reached, is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
Click to expand...
80 rods is ¼ mile. It's interesting that the law hasn't been updated with respect to electronic bells. Technically an electronic bell may not be legal since it's not 20 pounds.
Click to expand...
 
I expect the firemen and policemen in the late 50's and early 60s had pretty much the same type discussion when the first electronic sirens were installed on fire and police vehicles. Now they are all that are used on police vehicles and most fire vehicles. However, there is a resurgence of using the famous "Q" type mechanical sirens on fire engines.

Nothing beats the "real thing" bells or sirens.
 
Even though the E-bell is slowly but steadily being installed on Amtrak engines I personally can get use to that sound any day! LOL!
 
ALC_Rail_Writer said:
.... I notice virtually no difference. Big deal.
Click to expand...
I would have to agree...

 

 

Funny thing happened recently... the "alert" sound used by my cell phone in the event I get a text message is an actual recording of the bell played at the start of trading on the Wall Street exchange. It isn't my ideal choice, but it was a freebie sound that Sprint was offering, so I downloaded it and have used it for over a year now. People aware of my affinity for trains who hear it generally assume that it is the bell from a train. There is some similarity, though I never made the connection until friends commented on the "train" coming from my phone.

 

Anyway, I was waiting inside DeLand Station for a delayed Silver Star the morning after Thanksgiving, along with enough other people to leave the interior of the station "standing room only". A friend of mine suddenly sent me a text message, so as usual, the clearly audible "clang - clang - clang - clang..." rang out from my phone...

 

Next thing I know, the whole place empties as everyone moves outside to the platform, believing the train to be there! LOL!! The building's acoustics must have really added an authentic-sounding quality to my little flip-phone's ring-tone, because at that moment, the train was still a good ten minutes away from the station. I just quietly put the phone back in my pocket as people gradually moved back inside from the cold, now somewhat annoyed by the false alarm.

:blush:
 
First, I am of the school that likes a pull cord brass "clang..... clang clang... clang......"

The air operated "ding ding ding ding" just is not the same.

So I guess the electronic version is no loss.

It does give some interesting options though.

1. "ding ding ding..."

2. "Get off the tracks you dum @#!, train coming"

3. "MOVE NOW YOU DUM #$%"

4. "OH SH#$ OH SH#$...."
 
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