NBMC Shelby, Montana, USA

Recently, many Shelby residents have expressed an interest in making the main railroad crossing into a quiet zone. A quiet zone means that passing trains no longer routinely sound their horns at that crossing. In order to comply with current regulations and maintain safety there are few ways to create a quiet zone. Most systems are very expensive and some quite intrusive. One much less expensive and intrusive way is with an Automated Horn System. This system basically consists of two horns that emulate the sound of a train horn, the steel poles for mounting, the quiet zone indicators for the engineers and the control box which is also mounted on one of the poles.

Below is what Railroad Controls Limited. has to say about the horn system at their web site.
"The AHS™ is mounted at the crossing, rather than on the locomotive, to deliver a longer, louder, more consistent audible warning to motorists and pedestrians while eliminating noise pollution in neighborhoods for more than 1/2 mile along the rail corridor."

"AHS™ sounds like a train horn because the tone modules in the AHS™ horns were digitally recorded from an actual locomotive horn. After receiving the signal from the railroad's track circuit warning system, AHS™ mimics the train horn warning by cycling through the standard railroad whistle pattern until the train reaches the crossing."

"Once the train has entered the crossing AHS™ stops sounding its horn. A confirmation signal notifies the locomotive engineer that the AHS™ is functioning properly."

"When the locomotive engineer sees that the confirmation signal is flashing, he will not be required to sound his horn unless he detects an unsafe condition at the grade crossing."

"Coordination with the railroad operating company is essential since the AHS™ is directly connected to the railroad's crossing signal-warning system. The railroad operating company must issue instructions to their train crews regarding the sounding or non-sounding of the train's horn."

Early Tuesday morning, Shelby Mayor, Larry Bonderud and some city council members were at the crossing to see a demonstration conducted by Robert Albritton of RCL. The horn shown below was temporarily mounted on a large tractor so sound readings could be taken for those present. When interviewed by NBMC, Mr. Albritton said that a train horn effects thirty acres with its noise pollution compared to less than one acre effected by the Automated Horn System. Robert Albritton is National Sales Manager for RCL and can be reached at: 817-307-8885. For other info use the link to RCL below. To contact Mayor Bonderud and council phone: 406-434-5222.
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