FAKE Train Horn Warning Unit
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
- This is a Covtec 'Supplementary Audible Warning Device'. They are installed at some foot crossings in Kent with a plan to install more at other crossings. It works by playing a recorded train horn sound to warn crossing users of an approaching train. They are called supplementary as they are supposed to supplement the real train horn which could be missed. This one is installed at a foot crossing near Broad Oak Road Level Crossing in Canterbury, Kent in England.
As a retired train driver with two fatalities, and twelve as a guard, I can only say, awesome.
I know what you mean but sounds kinda bad :D
Agreed Joe, It's a good idea.
Sounds horrible having to deal with hitting soneone
@@tripwire3992 You have the initial "Oh no" moment but that is immediately followed by a bang so close and loud that it causes a moment of shock to the system. Takes a minute to get your breath back. I can still see the first one. The second one was in the dark and laying down on the line. I cut his head off. When I was a guard, it was in old coaching stock and I was in the van at the back. It sounded like waves on a pebbley beach rushing towards you. I never had a problem with the remains. No different than walking past a butchers with pig carcasses hanging up outside. Only had direct experience of two as a guard but found another 10 examining the line. Sometimes they are whole, but not often.
@@joeturner1597 thanks for sharing your stories mate appreciate it
Random video suggestion but I enjoyed it lol
me2 :D
Same
Same hehe
Haha, yup. 😂
Nerf family Uk same
I think it would be better if the units made an alarm noise followed by "Warning, train approaching" or something similar
I was thinking that for a while, but It might take a second to process that message, or they might not speak English, whilst a train horns universal
Also if someone were to be suicidal telling them clearly a train is approaching might give them that final nudge to do it unfortunately. A train horn could just be seen as a random warning to stay clear.
@@peskybee22 A bit stupid argument
@@tomkow2014 People seriously deliberating suicide are in a strange head space, and who knows what might trigger that final decision? No doubt there are psychologists and psychiatrists who are more knowledgeable than either you or I who have considered these things.
I think just a red light with the „Warning, train approaching“ would be better
I am wondering, why play a Train horn sound when you can play the "ding ding ding ding" sound you'd expect at a crossing?
It's more expensive than you thought -‘-
@@mra.prasetio How is ut more expensive? They litterally only have to replace the sound. All the hardware is there already.
@@mariogamer929 either a cheaper speaker or a bell, the speaker is cheaper. but i understand your point of replacing the sound, maybe its a realism thing?
@@serae6184Why bother with the bell, just make a bell sound with the speaker. It isn't really about realism, it's as a warning. THey could even have chosen for a human telling you to stay back. But they didn't. They went for the thing I'd completely ignore when I'm on the street. A horn. Because how do I know if it's a Train, Truck, Car or whatever? I can't unless I'm into trains. I live in a city with lot's of vehicle horns constantly sounding though, so it might just be that I am used to hearing horns. But still..
@@mariogamer929 Because it is. Local government figuring out of it>maybe some of meeting for thinking for their priority>hire and buy some stuff>install it, for installation you need to stop all train running in it or you hire so many people to make sure it's safety when they're doing the installation. Maybe the same response why US still use metric system, when government use something even a unit, they tendend to stand still. A little change is very expensive when you running a government.
I don't know the exactly answer is, but maybe it will be helping.
Not sure I like these - how many people would hear the horn, check, see nothing coming (especially on a bend) and then just cross?
it should say that a train is approaching
@@brannocstevenson6971 Are you both a bit thick ? Maybe you should not leave home without your carers, after all, the taxpayers are being relieved of huge amounts to pretend people like you actually have lives worth living.
@@DavidBrown-cp2vm Wait a sec, Mr Final Solution. Please state the reasons why YOUR life is worthwhile.
Yes, some people are stupid, but if you are to put a value on life, please begin with your own.
agreed, surely the sound should be prolonged until the train has approached within sight or until it has past the crossing, if you heard that and saw nothing you might just think it was a truck.
Ollie Drake that's why trains are fitted with 2-tone horns and road vehicles are not.
If it is triggered by an approaching train, why not just emit a continuous warning tone instead?
there's similar systems on the P-way the CE's use
This does several things.
First it scares people into paying attention by making the real noise a train horn makes.
Secondly, they install them in pairs, to the sides of the crossing, so the sound comes from the direction the train is coming from and people look the way the train is coming from.
Thirdly - and this is important - but the video didn't mention it, the device is then quiet, so when the real train sounds real horn or when it clanks along, people can hear it.
People would get used to it and ignore it, even accidentally.
It's a low cost supplementary device, triggered only on the approach side. Real level crossings have sensors on both sides; one to activate, and one to deactivate, the warning. That then gets into a whole world of (much more expensive) complexity with fail-safes and sometimes interlocks with railway signals.
I grew up a less than a mile away from the broadoak (shelmsford farm) crossings. The over head pillons have made that sound on damp days for over 45 years. I would go bunny hunting along the Sturry to kingsmeade section and pop over to fish for pikes on the vauxhall tank bridge.
This seems really stupid. They should at the very least put up a red light if they are going to put in a warning system to let you cross there.
But you have always be able to cross here, previous to this there was nothing aoart from common sense
@@nialls2142 ah, Well I guess it's better than nothing, still I feel a red light would be far more effective than a fake horn. Not used to completely unprotected crossings like this in Germany, at least in the east there are usually modern barriers that come down even on dirt roads.
Lolwutfordawin you are more likely to react to the sound of the horn than a red light. There's plenty of footage on YT of pedestrians and drivers going through red lights on the roads and at level crossings.
@@Lolwutfordawin Seen several totally open road crossings with my own eyes in Germany, even near Berlin - the line to Werneuchen from Ahrensfelde has numerous. A rather rural single-track line granted.
Where does the political correctness stop though? A red light; What if the pedestrian is blind? Is this current system any good for deaf people? It appears not. What about wheelchair access to and from the crossing? In this day and age of over the top regulations I suppose even a humble level crossing has disability access standards which need to be complied with.
The system appears to be a good idea... it just needs the addition of red warning lights, barriers, yellow anti slip pads, concrete access paths, an overbridge or underpass, diverting the railway track along a new alignment away from the crossing etc... you get the idea!
The tones played at the start are in the same musical interval as Where Is My Mind
Honks once, someone comes by with headphones on to cross ten seconds later. Traditional bells work too. If it just had bells ringing like normal until the train passed it would work just as good, maybe better
If you are crossing a railway line with headphones on you deserve the death hug which follows
it looks dangerous to me, I would walk up to the crossing hear the fake horn, look for a train, see the speaker then start to cross. a recorded message like the other one along the lines of "a fast train is approaching" would seem more logical
I can imagine that.
ok so let's get this straight you acknowledged the train horn but go "Ar fuck it i will cross".
Yes, because your average Bob will hear the fake horn then thing eh i've got enough time to cross, but when the real train sounds it's horn you would'nt tell the difference between the audio and the real thing, personally i'd say a flashing light would be better but honestly there will always be idiots....
@@matthewwright7355 Survival of the fittest or natural selection whichever one you prefer :D
+Cyborgdelta1 hehe yep you've got a point there!
Thought this was going to be a prank video. Glad it wasn't as this was much more interesting.
Thanks! Happy New Year! 🙂
Why not just stick an alarm/light there if they will go through the trouble of installing some recorded horn?
Andrew Williams People will still cross with lights. The horn sound effect will at least stop someone and make them look.
@@thetraincrazykid I would just put continuous beeping and lights. Why would someone cross when its beeping and showing red..? Horn will just confuse people
Epicci Nope. People still ignore flashing lights, sounders and barriers to save a minute or so. Many of these crossings are in rural areas so no power supply nearby, hence the solar panels. The power for the trains is only 'live' when a train is on that section of track.
John Michael or they are diesel trains like in this example...
Traction power is always on regardless of a train being in the vicinity.
Oh so this is the "Wayside Horn" of the UK. We have something very similar in the US with speakers imitation a train horn.
Another pylon to add to the collection.
Great video! They remind me of the wayside horns that we have here in the US in quiet zones. Though it sounds like they use a recording of an actual train horn, instead of the sound that the wayside horn manufacturers here in the US call a "train horn".
Thanks! Ah yes, somebody else mentioned them too. I can understand it for the US where train horns are VERY loud. One of the idea's with these was to increase safety at night when trains don't use their horns.
@@morthren Personally, one thing that they should do is have the horn blow a few more times as the train approaches, just in case someone walks up upon the crossing after the horn has already sounded.
Here in the States we have similar devices called wayside horns. Along the beach in Southern California they have "wayside whistles" which are a real novelty. Very cool video! Thank you for sharing.
Pedestrian crossings should have some visual sign if a train is coming for the hearing impaired and for people with things such as motorbike helmets and headphones.
Also this was in my recommended randomly but I still enjoyed
Seems way over engineered and complicated just to make a fake train horn....
Pointless, too.
Flagstaff Arizona has no train horn ordance as I'm sure some of these places do. I say fuck it let umm blow the horn
It’s usually used in areas where sound pollution is a concern.
We have similar units at railroad crossings in the United States (which are called "Wayside horns"), but they are used with railroad crossings that have lights and bells, but in areas that don't want train horns to be used! There's one not too far from my house, and I could just hear it from my house the other day (I live about 2 miles from the tracks), even though they're supposed to not be heard in that long of a distance!
This is a great idea, it's a more localised sound aswell - rather than a really loud, moving train horn
what would really be effective would be a recording of my late mother screaming, ' watch out for the effing train, you stupid, worthless bastard '
Nice 👌 I'll go and check it out Saturday 😎
Cool. It's right by the roundabout to Vauxhall Road
Neat idea, but seems like the horn on the "far" (roadward) side of the track activates rather too early. The one on your side triggers a second or two before the train actually comes in sight, so you'd look in that direction and see it almost immediately. The other one sounds some time before it can even be seen easily from the side you're on (becoming momentarily hidden by the scenery), and even longer before someone on the opposite side would see it. So it'd be entirely possible to either consider it a false alarm and ignore it (because otherwise you would be waiting around for a train that might not be coming, when you could easily get across the tracks before it even becomes visible), or approach after it's sounded but before the train was visible... Neither strike me as actually contributing to safety.
TahreyUK in terms of train speed though, a stopping Electrostar service is gonna be slower than a hs1 one
Surely the sound should be prolonged until the train has approached within sight or past the crossing, if you heard that and saw nothing you might just think it was a truck.
Wow! I life in Germany and here you have to wait like 10 minutes until you can cross the rails, even when the train allready crossed the road.
Thanks for uploading this :)
guys momkey jones needs our help
A wayside horn is the term for a crossing with a fake horn.
in the states we sometimes use these in horn silence zones.
Reminds me of wayside horn systems that are used at some US crossings. These UK ones sound much more pleasant than the ones over here.
it should have a camera that detects if anyone’s crossing when they shouldn’t be and then shout insults at them.
*Thank you CZcams Recommendation System, very cool*
My eye caught some interesting detail: Those angled wooden planks to make it difficult to walk off path!
Thats the idea! They are called anti-trespass guards these days.
In the UK a friend of mine used to be on a team that would retrieve dead bodies from the line - animal or human. Locos that hit animals went for jet washing, locos that hit humans did the same but were skirted with a curtain to hide the lower half first where organic remains could be stuck. Another friend worked in a shed that jet washed the locos clean again. They got extra money for cleaning a skirted one and had to inspect the chassis for any bits still stuck such as fingers in brake fittings. There are accidents on the lines but most are suicides. Even my wife once saw a decapitated body lying on the line just outside York city center. It's no joke for the drivers either and can give them terrible PTSD.
Quiet zones are a death trap. Just let trains blow their damn horns. It's saves lives!
Yeah, it's better...
@Gappie Al Kebabi What?
The drivers don't always sound the horns. Even though it's a sackable offence if they don't.
@Gappie Al KebabiYou soliciting sex on CZcams? Reported
Maybe they should connect it to water sprinklers at the foot crossing too so people wearing headphones or staring at their phones would get a proper wake up....
It sounds ok, but it could be better:
The horn sounds about 10 seconds before a train approaches like a false alarm. That could be fixed by another warning horn before it approaches.
The horn also needs to be louder also(love the horn btw)
If people want to ignore any train warning, it's natural selection at that point.
Interesting I say they should repeatedly sound horn till train crosses
This violates one golden rule of safety systems: NEVER design warnings that can be interpreted as false/fake under the right conditions. And conditions are so easily "right" with this system.
A very good idea. Good video. You can almost smell the train smell from the tracks.
There is also one of these on the Ascot-Guildford line between Frimley and Ash Vale.
This just makes me realize how much the United States needs to step up their Railroad Crossing game.
The US needs to step up the whole railway system.
By wasting hundreds of thousands on unnecessary warnings for railways?
I got stuck at one of these once. Interesting video, I've never seen those yellow lights to on!
Camera footage is sick, what Camera fo you use?
I feel like most people would assume its just a truck or something on the road and that its safe to cross
I don't know about the 🇬🇧 but I live near a track here in the 🇺🇸 between 2 gated crossings & the horns on the trains are loud enough I can hear them from a mile away but oddly I rarely here the crossing Gates. There's also a small yard a mile north of where I live & I can hear trains from there as they drop cars off in the siddings then I get confused of bummed when a train passes or doesn't pass as it's a single line.
Govia Train Operators should be trying their best to sound horns at all time. Actually all train ops should.
They need to put them on the foot crossings near where I live as I have seen people walking out in front of the train and nearly getting hit my the train
Trains are scary
trains
Trans are scary.
And you look trans.
Combatant Ezoteric trans trains are very scary
PhoenixFTW yes
I wouldn't like to be walking underneath them power lines whilst they're buzzing like that. That means the air is moist (muggy) and so the current can potentially discharge to ground at any time.
The real tragedy for more than one reason is that devices like these are needed in the first place.
they're not though
The system is flawed, which is why NR are going to be putting in a new system in the next year or so. Covtech by the way is the company that make the devices, and the radar is an AGD 335. I believe the RF is 868MHz
Surprisingly interesting!
Gate activation looked very close to when the train was coming @ 2.45 . Here it's at least 4 mins beforehand.
Great informative video and a great idea . Keep the videos coming . well done
Might look at this on Friday after the steamer.
2:37 that is so cool!
It doesn't sound like a real horn.
I don't think it's meant to sound exactly like the real thing to help distinguish the warning tone separately from the real train.
It's real enough to do its job.
haddockman30 because its british, not american where they blast the shit out of you
Love the cattle deck grating flanking the pedestrian track crossing at 1:09. That's should suddenly get any straying pedestrians attention who deviate from the crossing path onto the railway line. Only minor problem with the cattle guard decking is it might trap small children s feet by it's spacing as I saw no under decking for the cattle guard to prevent small feet from slipping all the way through the grating deck.
actually, somewhere outside of my home town has a small foot crossing and it does indeed have one of them fake train horn things
Cor that up road on the curve there at 02:30 looks like a crinkle cut chip and the outer rail on the curve looks like its going to flop over O.o Used to be a time when such rails were had out of their chairs for less than that, I've seen some of the termini approaches and the awful rail conditions, always on the SR tho, other regions don't seem to be plagued with such wear conditions.
You could have some sort of lighting across the track where you walk that turns red when a train is approaching so if people are looking down at their phones or have headphones in they would see it.
They should pay attention. It's not difficult.
Two questions. One - why would a lobster need to hire a truck? Two - these seem a waste of money if Network Rail is to achieve its long-term goal of eradicating level crossings?
@Jamie-Lee Harley Thornton I hope I wasn't the only one to take the sign literally! I agree with making them more safe but it just eats into the budget to remove them entirely. At the current rate of removal we should have none left in 20 years.
I think having a flame thrower and maybe some retractable spikes would be more helpful. A fake train horn just doesn't cut it.
I know you’re kidding....
But, a bit murdeorus?
Try bombs instead.
I used to work at canterbury west, a station just up the line from this aera, I can confirm a large number of W (whistle) boards were removed after noise complaints by the local residents in this and other areas, where before this used to be a manual W before the crossing from the driver this new ‘quieter’ option is clearly the replacement for the tried and tested Whistle board. Yes I’m sure it’s a good idea but a visual aid to go with it, white light cross or not would surly be a added advantage?
I feel is still walk around the barriers as they aren't noticeable enough. They need to be louder
Wow in the UK the train comes immedeatly after the gates are closed. In Germany it takes at least 2 minutes after the gates are closed. I even know crossings where you have to wait 20 minutes (always).
I like this idea but I think something like an e-bell as used on the American crossings would be more effective as they are louder and people with earphones in would probably hear them. Perhaps having a small gate that would be locked automatically 5 seconds after the alarm sounds would reduce casualties?
The fake horn sounds like Jake paul saying "WALMARTTTT"
Huh, never realized this was an issue in other places. I live in Southern Ontario and most of the trains in my area are relatively slow-moving cargo ones, so you always have time to spot one and move out of the way, or have time to react to their horn.
Really good video that! Thanks.
Great video!
Kinda sounds like my volunteer fire pager. I think that’s good though, some areas have quiet zones and something like this is great for safety.
Thats why American railways are safest in this aspect because it's illegal to not sound the horn unless posted to not too.
Awesome video!! Loving your channel content keep up your good work!! And I look forward to future video!!!! :-):-):-)
Thanks!
are the electric rails still live??? ...have all your old slam door trains gone to Timbuktu as well??? ....ahhh MEMORIES!!! ...I have been ALL OVER KENT!!! :D
look at how dumb a society must have gotten for all those warnings to have relevance
in the netherlands we also have alarms on the crossings
In italy our level crossings close at least 3 minutes before the train passes
It is the same here for full barrier level crossings. This crossing is an Automatic Half Barrier Crossing which close at least 30 seconds before the train is due to pass.
@@morthren Oh, ok. I didn't know there were more types of level crossings, that's good to know!
And opened at least 5 minutes after the train had passed. Very frustrating. Fortunately here they moved the railway... It was beautiful on the sea, but single track was a big problem
They sound like the doors closing chimes of the BN Amsterdam Light Rail trains
Crewkerne foot crossing has one, (there is a video on my channel). Uses RADAR sensors to detect the train.
Great. That looks like one of the first ones to be installed.
i would have made some load alarm like a long high pitch beep noise until the train was gone
I'm just worried that if you just missed the horn and thought it was clear. Splat.
There should be a proximity light or noise as well.
Surely the radar could get set off my anything in the facility, a bird, a person doing something they shouldn’t, to me it would make more sense to have some kind of sensor mounted on the track.
The radar is quite accurate, it will only activate if the return signal it is detecting is moving towards it. Birds can't set them off but it's possible if a vehicle was driving towards it in the field that might activate it.
Quite possible that the system measures the speed of the approaching train as well, and calculates and appropriate time delay for the warning tone. (a longer delay from detection to tone for a slower moving train.)
It actually sounds like a horn on some 37s.
I hope it does not sound at night though! had to be a treadle the same as the AHBs!
Imagine living next to a similar rail crossimg and hearing constant alarm noises. It would be VERY anoying!
It would be interesting to see the statistics of those saved after the installments as apose to the fatalities/incidents before installment, because only then do you know if they work or not.
That horn sounds like it's not even trying
Hello everyone this is YOUR Daily Dose of internet
This warning unit got a fake train horn that sounds when a train is approaching
That's it for this video hope you enjoyed and I'll see you the next time!
nice crossing
I don't understand the purpose of the fake horn BTW nice hum under the power lines!
Theres one of these at tide mills level crossing east Sussex
0:11 that’s the crossing I used literally yesterday 😅 it’s funny to see it on YT
it would be better if the train horn alarm was repeating , not only one horn and it stops
They do that so you feel less like trespassing onto train property period
That is really cool but level crossings will always be dangerous
Or just put a small barrier that goes down.
you realise its a pedestrian crossing
It would be interesting to catch the signals emitted by the RF antenna
Probably not encrypted and technically an offence against the wireless telegraphy act to do so.
Sounds like the ultimate 'radio spotter' in action here! I remember just writing down simple train numbers... Time to find an interesting career or hobby Edoardo! Hehehe
@@hairyaireyThanks for letting me know about that wireless telegraphy act because I live in Italy and I have never heard something like that
@@EdoardoGrassibestia actually it could be against the RIP Act now as well. Basically don't try to eavesdrop on other people's private communications. In all probability it'll be morse code being used just like aircraft beacons use morse (about the only correct thing about Die Hard 2. Just don't get me started on that movie...)