Have you ever wondered where exactly that high lonesome sound you can hear sometimes at night comes from? Obviously it’s a train horn - but are you curious about where that horn came from? There is so much lore, including many songs which have been created around the sound of a train horn as they speed down the track. Train horns managed to capture the collective imagination in a way that train whistles never quite succeeded in doing.

Quite a few different companies have manufactured train horns in the past, the most well known of these include:

Gustin Bacon Manufacturing Company - Prior to World War II this company had air horns for use on trains.

The American Strombos Company - Based on a truck horn, the Strombos horn was in use on early locomotives.

Westinghouse Air Brake Company - Also known as WABCO, Westinghouse was the first to make air horns designed specifically for use on trains, back in 1910.

Besides these companies, there are many others who made train horns at one time. The leader in the industry do this day has its origins in the AMCO company.

The man credited with creating the earliest air horns for trains, both the five and six chime types is Robert Swanson. Tese horns started as a hobby while he was employed by the Victoria Lumber Manufacturing company in the 1920s. Working together with Ernie Canon, George Challenger and Bill Piercy, he founded the AMCO (Airchime Manufacturing Company) in 1949. The H5, one of Swanson’s invention was the first multiple chime air horn to be used on trains - and it was a big hit with the public!

The horns were licensed to two different companies; Nathan of New York and Hyson of New England. It was this way that the Airchime company really grew. The name Nathan Airchime is seen on U.S. produced horns, including the model K, Swanson’s last and finest horn. This horn is still the one most commonly used by rail companies in the U.S. These horns replaced the Prime and Leslie models of horn as they aged.

John Leslie founded the Leslie company in the 1800s as a steam engine part manufacturer - both for ships as well as trains. In the 1930s, the company began to manufacture horns for trains. Their train horns were based on the Swedish Tyfon horns, to which Leslie purchased the rights. Until about 1950 when it was overtaken by the Airchime horns, the Tyfon A-200 dominated the market.

Train horns have also found popularity with hobbyists, some of whom even install them on their vehicles! Naturally, these horns are too loud to use in traffic, but are great pieces for show and can be shown off at auto shows and the like.

The next time you hear the train making its way through the night, will you stop and think about the men who devoted their lives to make the horns for the sounds they loved? The lonesome music of the far-off horn heralding the arrival of the train to the next spot on it?s journey will never be compared to any other sound in the world.

Share This