Passenger Trains > Metrolink Horn Blower

Found this column in the newspaper today.

Monday, February 17, 2003

Residents blow whistle on new train engineer
By NANCY LUNA
The Orange County Register
I\'ve lived within a few miles of the Orange train depot for five years and love to hear the whistles as trains chug through the station. But, recently, the hoots have been hollering much more.
So here I am with my own Honk question. Were the whistles really more frequent, or are my ears just more sensitive?
As it turns out, I wasn\'t the only one who wondered.
Metrolink spokeswoman Sharon Gavin said the agency has received a number of calls, mostly from south-county residents, about what\'s going on.
"It\'s a new guy on the route," said Gavin, adding that all Metrolink engineers are contracted with Amtrak. "He\'s a little skittish."
While "sounding the horn" is required at crossings, Gavin said, the engineer has been tooting his horn a bit more frequently than most, causing a stir among residents. "We\'re having Amtrak talk to him," said Gavin.

Better to be safe than sorry. The second he stops giving the horn an extra tug is the day a car drives in front of him.
I can appreciate the resident\'s complaints- I live 1/4 mile from the BNSF Transcon, and although the horns have never bothered me, occasionally there\'s that one engineer at 3AM who leans on it.

He\'s a little skittish? Give me brake! With all the recent problems Metrolink has had, I would not doubt that all the Engineers are hitting the button a little longer.

Metrolink\'s 2-chimed horns are inaudible as it is. Anyone who\'s paralleled a Metrolink train in a car with the windows up knows what I mean.

Gosh, just when I was starting to be brainwa......er, convinced they work just fine. :)