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Acoustics • Shock • Vibration • Signal Processing June 2003 Newsletter

All Aboard! Feature Articles

The Doppler shift of sound waves is a familiar

topic in introductory physics courses, including
homework and exam problems. A passing train
sounding its horn is the classic Doppler shift
example. Textbooks typically represent train
horns as monotone sources, tuned to some
arbitrary frequency, however.

Real-world train horn systems usually have three

or five individual horns, called chimes. Each
chime has a fundamental frequency as well as
integer harmonics. Furthermore, each chime is
tuned to a musical note, such as C# at 277 Hz.

This month’s newsletter gives tables that show

the tuning of train horn systems by model
number. The tabular data is then used to clarify
the spectral functions of recorded train horns.
Furthermore, the Doppler shift is accounted for,
given that each train is traveling at some velocity.

This data is then used to analyze the train horn

sounding in Brian Wilson’s Caroline No, which
was the final song in the original release of the
Pet Sounds album. Train Horn Acoustics page 3

Sincerely, • Doppler Shift

• Train Horn Chimes

• Train Horn Sounding in Pet Sounds

Tom Irvine
Email: tomirvine@[Link]

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Train Horn Acoustics by Tom Irvine

Doppler Shift

Figure 1. Doppler Effect

(Image courtesy of Reference 1)

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The Doppler effect for a sound wave is illustrated in Figure 1, assuming a stationary receiver.

A sound wave undergoes a Doppler shift when either the transmission source or the receiver
is moving. Austrian Scientist Christian Doppler (1803-1853) made this important discovery
while experimenting with sound waves.

Doppler performed an experiment whereby a train pulled a freight car with trumpeters playing
on top of it. Furthermore, he had the train do this repeatedly at different speeds.

He then had a musician capable of understanding the differences in tones listen as the train
moved closer or further away. The results proved Doppler's theory.

Doppler later tried unsuccessfully to prove that his theory also applied to light. Eventually,
the French physicist Louis Fizeau (1819-1896) proved this for light.

Consider a source and a receiver moving with respect to one another in a straight line. The
Doppler shift equation for the apparent frequency f apparent of the resulting sound wave as
heard by the receiver is

c − v
f apparent = f source   ,
c − u

for u < c and v < c

(1)
where

f source is the frequency transmitted by the source

c is the speed of sound in the medium

u is the source’s velocity
v is the receiver’s velocity

Notes:

1. Equation (1) is taken from Reference 2.

2. The equation is valid if either the receiver or the source is fixed, with zero velocity.
3. The velocity terms must have the correct sign.
4. Shock waves begin to form as the source’s velocity approaches the speed of sound,
thus complicating the sound field.

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Equation (1) may be restated as

1 − v / c 
f apparent = f source   (2)
1 − u / c 

The source velocity can be expressed as

  f   f 
u = c 1 −  source  + v source  (3)
  f apparent   f apparent 

The source’s velocity u for the case of a stationary receiver is

  f 
u = c 1 −  source  , for v = 0 (4)
 
  f apparent 

Train Chimes

Figure 2. K5LA Horn with Five Chimes (Photo courtesy of Brent Lee)

Steam locomotives had an audible whistle that served both as a warning device and as a
signaling device. The whistle was produced by a column of steam resonating in a metal
tube. Conventional horn systems are designed to somewhat mimic this sound. A typical
horn is shown in Figure 2.

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These horn systems consist of a group of individual horns called chimes that operate using
compressed air to vibrate a metal diaphragm. The air pressure amplitude is typically about
100 psi.

Furthermore, some of the chimes may be mounted in reverse in bi-directional locomotives.

Five Chime Horn

Examples of five chime horn models are shown in Tables 1a and 1b. Each is an
AirChime/Nathan model.

Table 1a.

Five Chime Horns, Notes and Corresponding Frequency (Hz)

P5 P5
K5LA K5H P5A
(original tuning) (newer casting)

D# (311) D# (311) C# (277) D (292) C# (277)

F# (370) F# (370) E (330) F (349) E (330)
G# (415) A# (470) G (392) G# (415) G (392)
B (494) C (523) A (440) A (440) A# (470)
D# octave (622) D# octave (622) C# octave (554) C (523) C# octave (554)

Table 1b.

Five Chime Horns, Notes and Corresponding Frequency (Hz)

M5 M5 M5 H5
(original tuning) (Alternate 1) (Alternate 2) (original tuning)
C# (277) C# (277) C# (277) C# (277)

E (330) E (330) D# (311) E (330)

G (392) F# (370) F# (370) G (392)

A (440) A (440) A# (470) A (440)

C# octave (554) C# octave (554) C# octave (554) C# octave (554)

Many other variations were possible, though, even from the factory.
Note that H5, M5, and P5 horns each have the same chimes in their respective original
configurations.

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Three Chime Horns

Examples of three chime horns are given in Table 2. Each is an AirChime/Nathan model
except for the RS-3L which is a Leslie.

Table 2.

Three Chime Horns, Notes and Corresponding Frequency (Hz)

P3 P3 RS-3L
K3LA K3H k
(original) (newer castings)

D# (311) D# (311) C# (277) D (294) (*2* (255)5

F# (370) F# (370) E (330) F (394) D# (311)

B (494) A# (466) A (440) A (440) A (440)

* A frequency of 255 Hz does not correspond to a specific piano key. It is midway between a
B and a C. A nominal C note is 261 Hz.

K5LA Example
K5LA horns are used on Amtrak, CSX, NS, and other railroads.
Figure 2 gives a spectral analysis of a K5LA on the Norfolk Southern, recorded in Three
Bridges, NJ. The corresponding sound file is posted at

[Link]

The file is courtesy of the Moyer family.

The K5LA factory tuning is D#, F#, G#, B, D# octave, as shown in Table 1a. The respective
frequencies of these notes can be compared with the spectral peaks in Figure 2 in order to
determine the speed of the train, indirectly. The measured and nominal frequencies are shown in
Table 3.

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 FREQUENCY SPECTRUM K5LA HORN

670 Hz
540 Hz
UNSCALED PRESSURE MAGNITUDE

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

FREQUENCY (Hz)
Figure 2.

Table 3. K5LA Horn Frequencies, Factory Tuning and Measured

Note Measured Frequency
Note Frequency Frequency Ratio
(Hz) (Hz) (note / measured)
D# 311 333 0.934
F# 370 410 0.902
G# 415 453 0.916
B 494 534 0.925
D#
622 670 0.928
octave

The average frequency ratio = 0.921.

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Assume
1. Each chime was perfectly tuned such that its frequency ratio was 0.921.
2. The receiver was stationary.
3. The speed of sound is 767 mph.

The speed of the train u is

  f  
u = c 1 −  source  , for v = 0 (5)
  f apparent 
 

u = (767 mph ) [ 1 − 0.921 ] (6)

The train was thus traveling toward the receiver at

u = 60 mph (7)

Train Horn Sounding in Pet Sounds

Figure 3. Pet Sounds Album Cover

The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album originally was released on May 16, 1966. The album
was Brian Wilson’s masterpiece.

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Michael Goldberg described the album as follows:

Pet Sounds is the story of a young man coming of age, falling in love, shedding his
innocence and romanticism — even as he tries to hang onto them. It culminates in
"Caroline, No," Brian Wilson singing, "Where did your long hair go/ Where is the girl
I used to know/ How could you lose that happy glow..."

The song Caroline No ended with the sound of passing train, with its horn blaring. This was
apparently taken from a sound library, although Brian superimposed the barking of his pet
dogs as an added effect.

The album notes do not mention the type of locomotive, its horn configuration, speed or other
details. The task is thus to determine the horn configuration and the speed.

The train sound file is posted at

[Link]

A spectral analysis of a 1.5 second segment from this data is shown in Figure 4. The
segment was taken as the train was approaching the receiver. Five fundamental frequencies
are apparent, along with harmonics.
The horn will be hypothesized as a P5 model with original tuning. The P5 was a very
common horn that was first produced in the early 1950’s. The P5 had a chime sequence of
C#, E, G, A, C# octave. This is an A major dominant 7th chord. The M5 and H5, both with
original tuning, shared this chord. The M5 and H5 models were somewhat less common,
however.
The results in Table 4 reasonably confirm the hypothesis, at least in terms of the chord.
The error of an individual chime could be attributed to one of the following sources:

1. Slight mistuning at the factory.

2. Mistuning through use and exposure to vibration, thermal cycling, etc.

Note that chimes require periodic service to maintain their tuning.

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 FREQUENCY SPECTRUM TRAIN HORN IN CAROLINE NO

415 Hz
UNSCALED PRESSURE MAGNITUDE

475 Hz

351 Hz
595 Hz

298 Hz

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

FREQUENCY (Hz)
Figure 4.

Table 4. K5LA Horn Frequencies, Factory Tuning and Measured

Measured Frequency
Note Frequency
Note Frequency Ratio
(Hz)
(Hz) (note / measured)
C# 277 298 0.930
E 330 351 0.940
G 392 415 0.945
A 440 475 0.926
C# octave 554 595 0.931

The average frequency ratio is 0.934.

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Assume
1. Each chime was perfectly tuned such that its frequency ratio was 0.934.
2. The receiver was stationary.
3. The speed of sound is 767 mph.

The speed of the train u is

  f  
u = c 1 −  source  , for v = 0 (8)
  f apparent 
 

u = (767 mph ) [ 1 − 0.934 ] (9)

The train was thus traveling toward the receiver at

u = 51 mph (10)

References

1. [Link]

2. W. Seto, Acoustics, Schaum’s Outline Series in Engineering, McGraw-Hill, 1971.

(see page 59).

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