Does INCREASING the diameter of the air hose line from the air tank to the train horn solenoid HELP with making the horn louder?

Would going from 3/8" to 1/2" line from the air tank to the train horn help with loudness?

 

Yes it will, and it will increase the depth of the sound. I could always aggravate a buddy of mine with my horns on the Mack because I used 1/2 and he used 3/8. They were both Nathen Airchimes but mine sounded better. The aftermarket horns you see might benefit from a bigger line, but I doubt it. They are designed for 3/8 line.

Don't forget, if you increase the line size then you need to increase your tank size. A 1/2 inch line will purge your air tank very quickly.

(I just re-read your post)

If you are using a solenoid, it will only allow as much air through as it's designed to allow. Increasing the size of the line will not affect that. I have always used a ball valve for horn activation.

 

The increased line size also increases delay in pressure build up. i.e. a 1/2" line will take longer to charge than a 3/8" line. Line length also has an impact. So, it may be just a noticeable delay before the horn sounds off.

Tony

 

The solenoid has a 1/2" opening. I put a 3/8" adapter on it because my hose was 3/8". I will get some 1/2" hose and 1/2" adapter and see what it does.

 

where does one get these horns?

 

At the local railyard under cover of darkness.

 

Ebay! I got mine for about $200.00 including shipping. Go to Ebay and search "Train Horn". They are loud...very cool!<P>

 

How do those horns from eBay sound? I'm looking for something deep, but loud. And do you have any specs on that compressor?

 

They are not deep sounding like a big rig. Like the name says, they sound like a train horn. It will get your attention. Look it up on Ebay for specs. I think it turns on at 90 psi and off at 120 psi.

 

So is it really worth running a 1/2" line, even though the train horn outlet is only 3/8"???

 

if you take the horn off the manifold you will see that it has a very small hole for the air to pass through. i doubt that a larger line will make them louder. and i thought about making the little hole bigger, but i did not know if it would screw anything up and decided they were loud enough so i left good enough alone. and if you decide to get the horns off the top of a train then just know it is a federal offence to mess with a train.... but only if u get cought! i didnt....

 

Increasing the air pressure increases the db of the horn.
My horn is noticeably louder at 150 PSI than it is at 120 PSI; I have my compressor set to cutout at 150.
When it gets to 175 the plastic Grover lanyard valve starts developing a leak so I am looking for the brass one.
Jim

 

these train horn threads keep poppin up every where, I gotta say buyin off ebay can be tricky, not seeing / hearing them, you gotta go by feedback from past buyers, time consuming. I see them at the diesel races, at swap meets, flea markets. there at least you can hold the horns and decide if they feel cheap or not. as for pressure, I run a dual 380 c compressor setup. They feed a 8.5 gallon tank, and are regulated by a pressure switch, on at 165 psi, off at 200 psi. Lots of loud blasts from the reserve and the high pressure makes my real train horn rock. the word horn in my sig is a link to the horn I have.

 

Horns are cool, but there's still a small part of me that would like one of theose big four note whistles from a steam loco...that would get some attention. I found a place where you could buy actual train horns a whistles...but they were huge and cost a fortune. I think the brass tube assembly for the whistle was $400...and the train airhorns were huge!

 

anyone got a video of their horn?