Love For Train Horns
A horn is a noise-making device used in vehicles such as trains, cars and trucks to warn or signal motorists. Horns are a way to signal unaware motorists, other trains and railway stations about its coming. If you live in Asian or South American countries people are used to honking by the second unlike the US where air horns is used in emergency vehicles, trains and trucks.
I grew up a close to a railroad and my acute sense for sound made me understand which kind of train or locomotive passed by. This made me interested in a hobby of collecting air horns for trains. This interest boosted more when I connected with other horn collectors through the Internet. All hobbyists agree that all horns operate similarly. The way these horn work especially the train horn is when the air flows through the horn it is oscillating, causing sound waves. The manner in which the air oscillates in a train horn in particular is through a metal diaphragm. Once air goes through the horn, the diaphragm starts vibrating to and fro. At any given time there will be air that will permit less or more air in the horn allowing the diaphragm constant oscillation which result in waves which produce a sound. This steady sound created by the horn which heard by the ear alerts us to move away. Today, hobbyists can differentiate a train horn by simply listening to the tone. There are many variables involved in the pitch of the train horn. The diameter of the air inlet determines its loudness but the shape and size of the bell horn changes the tone.