How Loud Are Your Train Horns?

Saved By The Bel

You have probably heard the word decibel before you ever got into train horns and air horns. Most people know that decibels are a measurement of sound, but it helps to understand how that measurement works.

Decibels Are Logarithmic

The term decibel comes from "deci," meaning ten, and "Bel," named after Alexander Graham Bell. Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, so the jump from one number to the next is not linear.

Compare Horn Output

This is key to understanding how decibels are measured. For example, 10 decibels is 10 times louder than zero, but 20 decibels is 100 times louder than zero. As the decibel level rises, the relationship between two readings gets bigger very quickly.

Decibels can be measured by a device called a decibel meter or sound level meter. Sound waves create pressure in the atmosphere that can be measured. The louder the sound, the more pressure it creates. A sound level meter uses a microphone to pick up those pressure changes and display a reading.

Distance from the sound source also changes what you hear. If one company tests a horn at 3 feet away and another tests at 100 feet away, the numbers will not match. The only useful comparison is a test where all horns are measured from the same distance under the same conditions.

Numbers Don't Lie

In 2014, a third-party company called DJD Labs wanted to set the record straight on how loud most train horns actually are and how popular horns compare to each other. The results give useful insight into where different horn types land.

First off, the Nathan AirChime K5LA Train Horn is at the top of the list. When we say we have the loudest horns you can buy, this is what we are referring to. Short of installing a ship horn on your truck, the loudest you can get are real locomotive horns.

Our Shocker XL Train Horn, featured in our Conductor's Special Train Horn Kits, comes in a close second. If you want a horn that can go toe-to-toe with a locomotive but do not have the budget or install space for Nathan AirChimes, Shocker XL train horns are a strong fit.

Different horn types have different volume capabilities. Electric horns use a small direct-drive compressor without a tank, so they run on lower pressure and are usually limited in output. Air horns need more air pressure and can range much louder. Train horns dominate the top of the list because they are designed around high air volume, strong pressure, and lower-pitched tones that travel farther.

Horn Honesty

There is a lot of misinformation out there about how loud horns can be. Some air horns claim to do more than 150 decibels, and some even claim numbers as high as 185 decibels. If that already sounds ridiculous, it should.

To put things in perspective, a firecracker or a shot from a rifle is around 150 decibels. A sound at 185 decibels is comparable to standing near a TNT blast. Sounds over 190 decibels can be deadly. Nobody is selling a horn as loud as an explosion, and you would not want one on a vehicle.

Locomotives have used train horns for over 100 years because they are effective and safe for alerting others from a distance. We get it, louder is always tempting, but realistically, you will never have an air horn as loud as a jet or an explosion.

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If you are comparing horns, look beyond the biggest advertised number. Consider the horn design, tank size, compressor setup, mounting location, and how you plan to use it.