However I think anymore horn related discussions will lead to issues so I feel as though we should leave it at that.
Actually, I will poke the bear just a little for context.
Horns on railway trains are closely regulated by Transport Canada here and by the FRA in the US. The standards that exist today in the two countries are very similar, and they both derive from the same very well researched technical base.
The modifications that led to the newest versions of the standards were driven by concerns that particularly at high speeds, the traditional horns might not be heard well enough, or even recognized as a train horn (as opposed to, say a truck on a nearby highway) and the resulting reaction by motorists or trespassers might be too little, too late. As passenger train speeds have risen on some lines, reaction times have been shortened so safety margins needed adjustment..
All horns in use by major passenger railroads, such as VIA and GO, comply with these more exacting standards. The technical details generally relate to the number of discrete bells, their mounting location, their tuning, and the control valves used. There are many models available on the market. They all work to the same standard. VIA in particular has updated their horns iteratively from an as-delivered state, which means the horn configuration on their older locos today is not necessarily what they would buy next time.
This particular poster has expressed a personal subjective preference for one particular model of horn. They are welcome to their choice. But the selections made by railroads deal with cost, maintainability, reliability, life cycle, etc. So one person’s preference is not a business decision. Hopefully GO is making business decisions first.
As someone who does his share of hornblowing at much slower speeds with preserved equipment, I can tell you that the ability to quill a traditional three-tone horn with an old control valve produces a lovely result. We all have our aesthetic preferences.
GO’s priority is simply to a) be safe and b) meet the regulatory standard.
- Paul