One small little niggle that’s always been bugging me over some of the units in TSW have either a BUZZER or a BELL, and what’s even more strange some (not all) have a WHISTLE which you would expect to be on a steamer, and in one case in one unit has both. Question is this a normal thing to have in what you might call modern units to have a whistle?
Some modern British units have a depot whistle, which is a whistle. I think the idea is that they need something as an audible warning when moving within the depot, but something that isn't so loud as to annoy the neighbours. I think that this is also why units such as the 171 have loud and soft horn options.
I think the bigger concern would be the eardrums of folks inside a depot hall where the sound reverbs back and forth.
A risk assessment would identify that lowering the volume in that environment would be a reasonably practicable solution to mitigate against hearing loss methinks Sorry, it's the weekend and I'm not at work
Lot of locomotives have both whistle and horn, horn is primarily for danger and can be easily heard within 5+ km in quiet conditions. That's really not needed where intention is to warn people on pedestrian crossing 200 meters ahead of you, or to transfer information to your own train crew. People living along the railway are very grateful for classic whistles.
Thanks guys, Had a closer look at the whistle button and yes it states "DEPOT WHISTLE" so from this it sound as you say load noise in a depot with a horn would be not very comfortable. Love the remaster of the East Coast.
Swiss mountain trains have whistles as they are less likely to set off an avalanches than if using a horn.
