Horn Gesture

Up_Tilt_390 · 7 Jan 2016

Well, for the most part drivers only ever wave at kids, thinking it's weird seeing adults do the horn gesture (which I never did again after just the one time at aged 15). What I want to focus more on now though is, say I'm just filming on the platform (I don't upload to YouTube, don't worry) and I just casually waved at you if you saw me or made eye contact as you was pulling away, what would you do? Personally I don't ask for horns, I'm just thinking of giving them a casual wave cause you know, why not? It's friendly.

RailUK Forums

MrPIC · 7 Jan 2016

I love a good wave, whether its to other drivers (except for SPADtrap, he gets a different wave!!!), kiddies, spotters, pway, platform staff whoever. New Years day just gone there was tons of families with young children out walking in the country and using bridges and crossings, gave all the wavers a little toot and wave too.

Jamesb1974 · 7 Jan 2016

Deleted

ChiefPlanner · 7 Jan 2016

As a very senior ASLEF memnber once said - as a driver he always honked his horn at kids on bridges (in the hope it wold dissuade them from chucking a brick over) .....

I personally think it is a very nice , human gesture , to acknowledge waves etc from the platforms etc ....

driver_m · 7 Jan 2016

You do that casey Jones gesture and I'll point blank refuse to acknowledge you. If you want a blast of the horn just wave like a normal person at someone. There's far more chance you get a response then. I agree with the above and always let on to kids as you can get a fan for life, it's our little good deed to the public but I agree adults should really know better.

neilb62 · 7 Jan 2016

Any youngster who has their young pretty mum with them always gets a honk and a wave though...

PaxVobiscum · 7 Jan 2016

Right on topic for discussion of "Horn gestures" :lol:

I'll see myself out.

driver_m · 7 Jan 2016

PaxVobiscum said:
Right on topic for discussion of "Horn gestures"

I'll see myself out.

Have you been watching Michael McIntyre DVDs ?! Posting Awful jokes everywhere haha!

Trog · 7 Jan 2016

Try being P-Way you look a right idiot if you suddenly stick an arm up while on a platform in your civvies, when a train sounds its horn.

As for waving and sounding the horn for children, it has got to be great public relations for the railway. Its the sort of thing that encourages people to like the railway, and the more people like us the less likely politicians are to want to mess with the railway. Which is to the advantage of us all.

TheNewNo2 · 7 Jan 2016

I wave or nod at trains when at stations, and when on a train I make a point of waving to anyone who waves at the train. Trains have that bit of magic in them, and even as an adult I still feel that.

Especially when you go past a heritage railway, if you aren't waving you do are not living right.

lovedthelevers · 8 Jan 2016

When I was a signaller in a manual box, I waved at every train that passed, and every driver waved back. It was a minor thing, but really made me enjoy coming into work each day. I felt like part of a bigger community.

Happy memories.

LowLevel · 8 Jan 2016

I love working over many of our traditionally signalled lines. I always feel very sad and strangely lonely after they've gone. I can't quite describe the effect it has on the nature of the job when it's a dark, cold winters morning when you're at somewhere in the middle of nowhere like Fiskerton and you exchange waves and good mornings with the crossing keeper as he goes to open up the gates.

Or Lowdham, Tutbury Crossing or Wainfleet where they always come to the window to wave at you while you do your platform duties. It's like a reminder that we are still in it together despite the idiots in charge's best efforts to carve up the railway.

Then when they're gone it's just darkness everywhere and the odd plastic signal and the knowledge that you and your driver are probably the only railwaymen for miles.

Bit off topic I know but I get the same enjoyment from waving at families or giving tiny kids receipt tickets - my local railwaymen certainly helped install a love of the railway in me when I was a child. It all breaks down barriers and gives a sense of community at the end of the day - folk should feel it's their railway as well.

HSTfan!!! · 8 Jan 2016

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

And yep. Been there done that!!

It's when you're driving home from a days train driving and you start blowing your car horn at motorway workers you need to worry lol.

In answer to the op's question, depends on my mood and the location, more likely to give a toot if driving something interesting. Tend to give the kids with parents a toot/wave anyway.

TDK · 8 Jan 2016

I wave at every train, every signal box and everyone who waves at me even if they are 3 or 90. I will occasionally blow the horn if there are young kids waving but never blow up if someone does that ridiculous hand gesture no matter how old or who they are.

Waving to signalmen in boxes and anyone else according to some managers is a distraction. In my opinion if a driver is distracted by waving at a signaller or anyone causing an incident then they shouldn't be in the seat how ever some drivers have been spoken to by certain draconian wannbe managers about waving at anything and unfortunately this is the way train drivers are being monitored by certain "new inexperienced managers".

Unfortunately and this is not disrespectful many new drivers just out of training have been brainwashed into thinking that they should not wave, blow the horn, not use step 3 and report everything minor, even a driver waving. It's not their fault it the system unfortunately.

kelv · 8 Jan 2016

When the Adult Train Spotters manage to get a toot do they mark it down differently in their book ?
is it kind of the equivalent of of my 9 year old getting a Gold Limited Edition Man of the Match Star Player Shiney in his match attax ?

321446 · 8 Jan 2016

It depends on time, location & my mood!!!

Always wave at kids on the platform, if it's not crowded they may get a toot too. If pulling away and I get the flushing the loo wave, then if I've got nothing else to do, and as said I may feel the need to blow up to let them know I'm moving anyway.

On the flip side, had a bunch of people wave at me at a foot crossing, I blew up, and was then given the universal hand signal for shaking coffee beans/tic-tacs. Whilst being filmed. So you can't win either way.

It is surprising the amount of p-way that morph into Sainsburys bags tho. And always just after someone has waved too. Odd

AndrewE · 8 Jan 2016

Trog said:
Try being P-Way you look a right idiot if you suddenly stick an arm up while on a platform in your civvies, when a train sounds its horn.

I would agree. It's so ingrained that you should acknowledge a warning that my arm twitches whenever I'm on or about the railway and hear the horn. When I do need to respond (like at a footpath crossing) it's nice to get a toot back to show the ack has been received too.
Haven driven and fired some other trains it's quite worrying when a warning isn't acknowledged in any way.

SPADTrap · 8 Jan 2016

MrPIC said:
I love a good wave, whether its to other drivers (except for SPADtrap, he gets a different wave!!!), kiddies, spotters, pway, platform staff whoever. New Years day just gone there was tons of families with young children out walking in the country and using bridges and crossings, gave all the wavers a little toot and wave too.

I'll be looking out for you today

TorqueOfTheDevil · 8 Jan 2016

Bit off topic I know but I get the same enjoyment from waving at families or giving tiny kids receipt tickets - my local railwaymen certainly helped install a love of the railway in me when I was a child. It all breaks down barriers and gives a sense of community at the end of the day - folk should feel it's their railway as well.

Agree with all the above esp the bit in bold - makes my little boy's day to have his own ticket.

I may feel the need to blow up

I blew up

Forgive my ignorance but I hadn't heard this term before - it's obvious what it means from reading the posts above (I think!) but why is sounding the full horn referred to as 'blowing up'?

cjmillsnun · 8 Jan 2016

TorqueOfTheDevil said:
Forgive my ignorance but I hadn't heard this term before - it's obvious what it means from reading the posts above (I think!) but why is sounding the full horn referred to as 'blowing up'?

I believe it comes from when the horn was a steam whistle.

Jamesb1974 · 8 Jan 2016

Deleted

Controller1701 · 8 Jan 2016

Lets all hope the 'create a brake' gang don't start using the night time signal for the driver to create a brake, and I'm not saying what that is so as to prevent giving people ideas :lol:

Paul

Johncleesefan · 8 Jan 2016

Haha, lets hope not. Could cause some delays leaving stations

HMS Ark Royal · 10 Jan 2016

*looks bashful*

If we have any Northern crews in the room, they will be aware of Hotham Road South footbridge in Hull on the Hull - Scarbrough line which, whenever a train passes and kids wave at them, there being a local school nearby, the drivers will almost always blown their horn to the sheer delight of the little ones

Mind you, I have also been known to "make the request" for the horn at the same location to which most drivers do agree and give me the three tones. if they elect not to, I accept their decision not to and theres nothing wrong with that. Very often, as it happens, the drivers see me on the Bridge in my straw hat and waistcoat and they blow it anyway...

And nothing, for the horn blowing record, beats a 158 that once blew "God rest ye Merry Gentlemen" one christmas

455driver · 10 Jan 2016

Trog said:
As for waving and sounding the horn for children, it has got to be great public relations for the railway. Its the sort of thing that encourages people to like the railway, and the more people like us the less likely politicians are to want to mess with the railway. Which is to the advantage of us all.

But its really annoying for those who live beside the railway (not near a whistle board) and have to listen to the trains blowing up continuously for all the kids/yummy mummys.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

lovedthelevers said:
When I was a signaller in a manual box, I waved at every train that passed, and every driver waved back. It was a minor thing, but really made me enjoy coming into work each day. I felt like part of a bigger community.

Happy memories.

As a driver I agree, always nice to get a wave from the signallers at Ash Vale box as we passed by, very sad day the first time I went past after it had been closed!

D Foster · 10 Jan 2016

Slightly different angle - if I'm near the yellow line when any movement approaches I automatically raise one arm and make a clear step further back onto the platform. To me it's a mark of respect to the Driver. All Drivers have enough to do without people with some knowledge failing to acknowledge their approach when appropriate. A lot of Drivers will give me an acknowledging toot which I appreciate.

One time when I was on the track (early hi-viz days) some clever person in a truck yard shouted a warning - his mates all laughed when I reacted. They all looked a bit confused when I smiled back and said that they'd proved that Pavlov was right. - Reacting to all warnings is far better than getting splattered.

As a Signalman giving each train a wave was part of observing the train passing. I'm not sure whether it was actually part of the Rules - although observing trains definitely was. It also showed train crew that you were not only there but still breathing. In a remote box that could be relevant. In my time one or two signalmen were taken ill/incapacitated while on duty and two actually died. The exchange of waves was part of everyone looking out for each other.

Class 66's · 10 Jan 2016

G136GREYHOUND said:
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 "

I'm nearly too old then.

HMS Ark Royal · 10 Jan 2016

Class 66's said:
I'm nearly too old then.

Is this forum filled with children...?

Anybody here OLDER then me?

Brian1979 · 10 Jan 2016

I always give a wave or a short blast to anyone showing an interest in my train if it is practical to do so. Some of the looks of joy from adults and kids are amazing for such a simple gesture.

Class 66's · 10 Jan 2016

HMS Ark Royal said:
Is this forum filled with children...?

Anybody here OLDER then me?

13yr old trainspotters like me are rare but the forum is a good place to find out what's happening.

Horn Gesture

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