Western Railroad Discussion > P3 Horns on the Main Line (SoCal)

Back before the UP/SP merger, hearing the P3 horn was quite common, and taken for granted in SP (Southern Pacific) territory. These days, SP territories have become UP, and the horns heard most often are 5 chimes (K5HL series, K5LLA), "obnoxious" 3 chimes (K3LA, K3HA) and occasional better-sounding K3HLs.

I was surprised to hear something different and nostalgic, a P3 from a ZLAAI-ish stacker. It was on UP 6504, not an ex-SP but a C44AC that was originally ordered by UP. The location is at the Ordway crossovers on the Yuma Sub.

Once again, the ZLAAI is very short, video being 1:19 long even if the train isn't anywhere close to 70 mph.

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Next day, on President's Day, I got a P3 horn again, this time on a westbound Z heading toward Los Angeles - symbol unknown.

I was chasing a MRVEP (Roseville, CA to El Paso, TX) and missed seeing front of this train near Beaumont. I was confident I was going to catch it before Loma Linda... except that it seemed most people didn't stay home to celebrate the holiday, so I got stuck behind weekday-ish traffic inside San Timoteo Canyon.

Radio chatter mentioned UP 9611 and conversations about flash flood warnings on the Alhambra Sub. I guessed (correctly) that UP 9611 was the leader of the westbound Z since I could clearly hear the crew side of the conversation. UP 9611 is a DC --> AC converted locomotive, from Dash 9 to C44ACM. Bonus is that UP 9611 is ex-SP, nee SP 8147. So even in Armour Yellow, SP Lives, with the P3 horn as the reminder.

The intercept was a disaster, as my plans (Redlands, Pepper, Cedar) all failed. I was behind due to traffic at Redlands, and Pepper, but I didn't expect the new fences at Cedar, even though I got ahead of the train.

I HAD TO find a crossing to document the P3, so I ended up at AL 521 (North Ontario), the location of this video. Don't know if the flash flood warning had anything to do with the train running slow, but the entire train is not shown, just bits and pieces.

That's it for the look back at the SP, via the sound of the P3 horn.

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Interesting. Thanks for posting.
These are new cast P3s that are not as nice sounding as old SP old cast horns and sound to be push button activated as well.
Regards, Jim Evans

Thank you for the videos and all the effort to share that sound with us!  B

Personally, I can do without the P3.
I had too much exposure in the SP days.
Carl Rogoza called them SOPOS, Same Old Piece Of S**t.
I do like the way the P horns "meow" and scream, but mostly I like an OC P5R24.
Love all "M" horns that are properly tuned.
Like a good "K" horn.
Overall i'm happy with the K5LLA.
And hate all Leslie horns.

TAH
 

FiveChime Wrote:
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> These are new cast P3s that are not as nice
> sounding as old SP old cast horns and sound
> to be push button activated as well.
>
> Regards, Jim Evans

Yeah. The new cast P3s sound "tinny" and the natural feathering is missing due to the push buttons. But even these P3s "struck a chord" (as the saying goes) and brought back my SP memories.
 

90mac Wrote:
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> Overall i'm happy with the K5LLA.
> And hate all Leslie horns.
>
> TAH

That warrants a video response - MRVEP mentioned earlier was led by an SD70ACe with a K5LLA. Entire 2x1 is shown, location between Beaumont and Banning:
 

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Charles:
Completely agree regarding the K5LLs. Not all sound as good as the one you videoed.
But nice ones, sound similar to the old Nathan M5s, common on the SP Fs and other units
before your time.
Regards, Jim Evans

Always enjoy your enthusiasm, it really shows!

The UP 3000 class all seem to have the same great horns, very M5ish.
TAH

90mac Wrote:
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> The UP 3000 class all seem to have the same great
> horns, very M5ish.
> TAH

UP's SD70AH-T4s have the K5LA, same type on Amtraks, some NS and CSX locomotives. They sound much less dissonant than the K5LLAs.

Just my opinion based on observation (and posted videos), but UP don't seem to do as good a job as other railroads on maintaining their horns. UP 3000s are relatively new, yet I've already heard fouled K5LAs on them. I don't think I have heard a fouled "pool power" NS/CSX leaders here in CA yet, and BNSF seem to maintain their horns better, as I've encountered far less fouled ones from them.