Horn Gesture

[Up_Tilt_390]

A question for train drivers on the British rail network no matter what the company. It is known among rail enthusiasts that the old whistle pulling gesture (for those who don't know, it's basically acting like you're pulling the whistle of an old steam train) is basically asking the driver to toot the horn. Now as a train spotter I don't do this. I've done it once before, but then decided that I think I just look stupid doing so and haven't done since. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Now what I want to ask drivers is, does seeing people do this gesture annoy you? Or do you respond to this gesture just to make someone happy? Or is it somewhere in between where it kind of annoys you but you can tolerate just doing them a bit of a favour, or even vice versa where you want to, but know you can't cause of the rule book?

As for other train enthusiasts, do you do this horn gesture at any point trainspotting/filming? I've kind of noticed that some drivers do this more than others. For example, I've seen a few Virgin Trains drivers give horns before on videos, even having received a few myself whilst filming, but apparently Eurostar drivers are infamous among train enthusiasts for rarely, if ever, giving a single tone.

One final little thing too, if I ever just went out filming trains on station platforms again, what would you do personally if I just gave you a little wave? I'm thinking maybe do this as a simple friendly sometimes if I'm a really good mood, but I try and see it from both points of view.

 

[theageofthetra]

Would ignore any adult doing this. Now if its a little kid waving then a bit of depot whistle if safe.

 

[londonboi]

I don't toot for adults no but if I see a little kid waving in a bridge or a platform I normally give it a soft took the look on the kids face is priceless and makes my day. As for waving a genuinely wave back at enthusiasts as it is only friendly to do so and don't hurt.

 

[M7R]

As a member of the public an adult doing it seems a bit odd... However I have a little lad who is just coming up to be 3 and he loves the railway, and what really brings a huge smile to his face and makes his day is going down to the MML where we live and waving at all the trains going past, and if a driver waves or even better gives him a little toot then honestly that's his week made up and everyone we see for the next week is told all about how the nice train driver gave him a wave or a toot! It's heart warming (on the flip side though you should see the disappointment when they don't wave or toot... And I do try and stand with him well away from signals of junctions etc if possible so as not to distract the driver)

 

[dk1]

My pet hate is any enthusiast child or adult on a station doing that 'pulling the air' demand. I am not going to blast a horn somewhere like that making everyone jump for no reason. They are so persistent too. Really is annoying.

 

[Jamesb1974]

Deleted

 

[DarloRich]

its weird, as are many of the adults doing it - look at the you tube videos - all that tonez and clagg rubbish :roll::roll:

 

[carriageline]

Even as a child, before I had any interest in the railway, we always used to stop on the way to the stops on a footbridge which had mesh sides. Drivers always gave us a toot and a wave. It's nice to see that tradition continues everytime I go past (note: I no longer wait for the horn tho )

 

[SPADTrap]

I love seeing kids waving with their parents and I'll always wave back with a little whistle if practical. What makes me smile is how the kids wave at the train and the parents to the drivers! It can make my day but that's just me! I like that the tradition has continued and like how trains still fascinate some kids, I know they did me.

I give a friendly wave to those who wave - it's just a habit!

 

[Antman]

Looks a bit silly adults doing the pulling gesture but no harm done, they obviously feel a blast on the horn adds something to their recording.

 

[TDK]

its weird, as are many of the adults doing it - look at the you tube videos - all that tonez and clagg rubbish :roll::roll:

I don't want to seem a misery but I never do this especially if there is a camera involved. I have known drivers pulled in before for trying yankee doodle dandy at a spotter and the video has been uploaded to you tube.

It's the same for letting the public in the cab, no matter what you say to them they always upload the video to youtube as if it's showing off to others that they have "cabbed" a train.

It isn't as annoying as enthusiasts deliberately wearing bright orange or HV vests to get a driver to blow up.

To me is looks absolutely ridiculous pumping ones arm up and down to get a train driver to sound the horn to be honest and when I see people doing it I think what a t0sser - sorry but that is my opinion of it!

A wave is fine and many, many people wave at the driver from little kids to OAP's, I always wave back and will on occasion sound the horn for a little kid but never an adult.

 

[ComUtoR]

Due to complaints from residents we had a memo specifically telling us not to do it.

 

[theblackwatch]

its weird, as are many of the adults doing it - look at the you tube videos - all that tonez and clagg rubbish :roll::roll:

It looks more like they're trying to flush an imaginary toilet chain. One day I might stand next to one and make some suitable noises to accompany it.

 

[scott118]

blowing up, on the depot whistle, usually disappoints, however not as much as not blowing up at all..whistles/horns are to be used as a warning, not to enhance private or you tube footage, irrespective of whether they are a child or an adult..

 

[keith43003]

Arm up and down, create a brake in my book!! ;D

 

[G136GREYHOUND]

If it's kids from 3 - 15 on a bridge waving, I'll always give a toot if it's safe and practical to do so.

A toot may make a kid think twice about hoofing a brick through your window one day as the nice train driver blew the horn for him when he was young.

If it's on a platform then I won't for anyone

If it's adults on a bridge I may give them a single quick toot, if they are waving at the train.

If they are pumping their fist up and down quicker than I used to do over my Mum's Kay's catalogue when I was 12 years old, the answer is no, I won't toot the horn, no matter who they are and where they are.

I will however, always try to raise my hand as you do to other passing drivers, unless both my hands are occupied at that moment

My favorite bit involving the horn/adult/child scenario though, is when rather attractive young mums bring their little darlings just behind the yellow line adjacent to the cab and bend over or squat down to say : " look that's the driver "

 

[Fahad]

A question for train drivers on the British rail network no matter what the company. It is known among rail enthusiasts that the old whistle pulling gesture (for those who don't know, it's basically acting like you're pulling the whistle of an old steam train) is basically asking the driver to toot the horn. Now as a train spotter I don't do this. I've done it once before, but then decided that I think I just look stupid doing so and haven't done since. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Now what I want to ask drivers is, does seeing people do this gesture annoy you? Or do you respond to this gesture just to make someone happy? Or is it somewhere in between where it kind of annoys you but you can tolerate just doing them a bit of a favour, or even vice versa where you want to, but know you can't cause of the rule book?

As for other train enthusiasts, do you do this horn gesture at any point trainspotting/filming? I've kind of noticed that some drivers do this more than others. For example, I've seen a few Virgin Trains drivers give horns before on videos, even having received a few myself whilst filming, but apparently Eurostar drivers are infamous among train enthusiasts for rarely, if ever, giving a single tone.

One final little thing too, if I ever just went out filming trains on station platforms again, what would you do personally if I just gave you a little wave? I'm thinking maybe do this as a simple friendly sometimes if I'm a really good mood, but I try and see it from both points of view.

Would love to do it for some kid but not for an adult for sure!

 

[SPADTrap]

If it's kids from 3 - 15 on a bridge waving, I'll always give a toot if it's safe and practical to do so.



If they are pumping their fist up and down quicker than I used to do over my Mum's Kay's catalogue when I was 12 years old, the answer is no, I won't toot the horn, no matter who they are and where they are.

I will however, always try to raise my hand as you do to other passing drivers, unless both my hands are occupied at that moment

My favorite bit involving the horn/adult/child scenario though, is when rather attractive young mums bring their little darlings just behind the yellow line adjacent to the cab and bend over or squat down to say : " look that's the driver "

Contraversial post of the day

 

[scott118]

Contraversial post of the day

you can probably see why DRS wanted him 'pyscho' tested again, 8 years ago....

I wonder if those 'yummies' actions have been misread as, 'calling on'....

 

[colchesterken]

With the new window coatings you cannot see the driver, sometimes drivers have waved to me but by the time I have seen them it is too late to wave back `

shame nice gesture

 

[swt_passenger]

My favorite bit involving the horn/adult/child scenario though, is when rather attractive young mums bring their little darlings just behind the yellow line adjacent to the cab and bend over or squat down to say : " look that's the driver "

Flashing aspects eh. Should be in a signalling thread...

 

[tsr]

As a uniformed member of rail staff, it's a usual custom on my patch to give a driver a brief wave when you see them from the platform. I have developed an embarrassing habit of giving a small and quite boring wave of acknowledgement when my train pulls into the station when I am off-duty and wearing nothing whatsoever that identifies me - and I even do it 200/300 miles from home too! I guess drivers must just think I am a really un-enthusiastic trainspotter or something.

In those circumstances, most don't wave back. Personally, if someone waves to me, I usually try to acknowledge it, but it's just not always possible; there are plenty of other things to look out for or react to.

 

[SPADTrap]

As a uniformed member of rail staff, it's a usual custom on my patch to give a driver a brief wave when you see them from the platform. I have developed an embarrassing habit of giving a small and quite boring wave of acknowledgement when my train pulls into the station when I am off-duty and wearing nothing whatsoever that identifies me - and I even do it 200/300 miles from home too! I guess drivers must just think I am a really un-enthusiastic trainspotter or something.

In those circumstances, most don't wave back. Personally, if someone waves to me, I usually try to acknowledge it, but it's just not always possible; there are plenty of other things to look out for or react to.

Driving home I feel the urge to move my hand to wave at passing cars such is the habit of waving to each passing train!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

you can probably see why DRS wanted him 'pyscho' tested again, 8 years ago....

I wonder if those 'yummies' actions have been misread as, 'calling on'....

they just told him it was due to the flask work

 

[LowLevel]

Been there done that - waving at random trains in random places through force of habit! Idiots trying to get the driver to sound the horn are a pet hate of mine, especially since I once had to walk 230m up a platform and 230 m back to where I was working to 'have a word' after a driver reasonably took exception to the idiot platform ending who was perched on the end of the platform like a fool 'pulling the bog flush'.

 

[Minilad]

It's when you wave at passing trains on the simulator you need to worry.

And yep. Been there done that!!

 

[Mintona]

I always try to give an enthusiastic wave back at a small child if they're waving at me. I'll sometimes toot the horn away from stations if it's a child waving, only ever wave to an adult though. It's not very often I see the 'chain pulling' motion, I must drive boring trains

 

[Controller1701]

Arm up and down, create a brake in my book!! ;D

Beaten to it Although it would make me question just how much of an enthusiast they were if they don't know that to be moving you must have blown up the brake before you got to them so no need for to create the brake as requested as otherwise you wouldn't be moving

 

[RPM]

A question for train drivers on the British rail network no matter what the company. It is known among rail enthusiasts that the old whistle pulling gesture (for those who don't know, it's basically acting like you're pulling the whistle of an old steam train) is basically asking the driver to toot the horn. Now as a train spotter I don't do this. I've done it once before, but then decided that I think I just look stupid doing so and haven't done since. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Now what I want to ask drivers is, does seeing people do this gesture annoy you? Or do you respond to this gesture just to make someone happy? Or is it somewhere in between where it kind of annoys you but you can tolerate just doing them a bit of a favour, or even vice versa where you want to, but know you can't cause of the rule book?

It certainly doesn't annoy me and I will often comply but it depends on a number of factors including the time of day and the location (urban/rural, busy/quiet etc). I'll probably only give a little toot though, rather than a long blast, to reduce the chance of it causing annoyance to somebody else. I've never felt worried about any backlash though. If you're standing filming on a platform then it is perfectly appropriate for me to sound the horn anyway. In other situations the driver has other get-out clauses. It is surprising how often one mistakes a stray Sainsbury's carrier bag for a distant HV jacket.

One final little thing too, if I ever just went out filming trains on station platforms again, what would you do personally if I just gave you a little wave? I'm thinking maybe do this as a simple friendly sometimes if I'm a really good mood, but I try and see it from both points of view.

I'd wave back, assuming I saw you in time to react. I find it rather nice the way people like to give train drivers a little wave. It makes me feel I live in a civilized country.

 

[neilb62]

Arm up and down, create a brake in my book!! ;D

Beat me to it! And no, I don't sound the horn on demand either....
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It's when you wave at passing trains on the simulator you need to worry.

And yep. Been there done that!!

Yep.... Embarrassing isn't it?

 

[RichmondCommu]

A couple of summers a go I took my two young nephews who live in Dentdale up to Blea Moor one warm summers evening. Much to my delight there was a freight in the loop waiting for the line to clear. The driver had clearly seen us and when the signal changed not only were we treated to a cheery wave but also three long blasts on the horn! Fantastic stuff and much appreciated!