Locomotive bell for bicycles?

[reset]

As it approaches the grade crossing, or pulls into the station at 20-15-10-5 MPH, the bell ringing
at a constant rate makes it easier to judge the speed and distance of an approaching train.

Would like to have a small battery or windup bicycle bell which can be switched on when approaching
pedestrians on the multi-use rail trail. It would make it easier for those trail users not wearing
headphones to judge speed, distance, maybe even "on your left" or "on your right" from the constant
sound, and have all hands ready for panic braking just in case.

For those wearing headphones, animals, and inattentive motorists, how about a real locomotive horn?
Would need a high-capacity, lightweight air tank to operate it
http://www.trainweb.org/mdamtrak199/horns.html Even that isnt perfect. Drivers don't always see or
hear an approaching 300,000 pound diesel locomotive with air horns blaring and 8 million pounds of
freight train behind it, so they won't always see or hear bicycles either.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Fri, 14 Feb 2003 08:23:30 GMT, <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:

>As it approaches the grade crossing, or pulls into the station at 20-15-10-5 MPH, the bell ringing
>at a constant rate makes it easier to judge the speed and distance of an approaching train.
>
>Would like to have a small battery or windup bicycle bell which can be switched on when approaching
>pedestrians on the multi-use rail trail.

I have an institutional type emergency alarm bell that runs on a twelve volt battery. I've thought
about hooking it up for a CM ride to comply with Vancouver's mandatory bell by-law.

>It would make it easier for those trail users not wearing headphones to judge speed, distance,
>maybe even "on your left" or "on your right" from the constant sound, and have all hands ready for
>panic braking just in case.
>
>For those wearing headphones, animals, and inattentive motorists, how about a real locomotive horn?
>Would need a high-capacity, lightweight air tank to operate it
>http://www.trainweb.org/mdamtrak199/horns.html

Locomotive signal bells are pneumatic too.

The AirZound runs off a pumped up pop bottle, is totally loud and readily available at you LBS or on
line. It's also much lighter weight and rust proof.
--
zk