Train Whistles and their hidden Codes

Technique
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It has been well established that the train whistle was one of, if not the very first bluesy sound recorded on the harmonica in America. It is a lonesome, soulful, gritty sound that encapsulates the feel of the rural countryside as well as the big city. The most basic train whistle is found inhaling on holes 3, 4, and 5. Using the hand to create a “Wha Wha” tremolo effect also ads to its lonesomeness. Shoot for long extended, lonesome whistles. They should always be played at the very beginning and very end of any train imitation. We can also add them inside the train rhythm, but must never break the groove or slow down.

Train whistles were in actuality used as a language to communicate to others as it was in motion, like the station ahead and or police/army/security forces behind. If a train was being robbed or needed to take some other emergency action it would signal all on board, and those ahead and down the line a warning or request. Here are a few that were used at one time or another. We can most definitely incorporate these into our train imitation pieces. They are variations of long and short whistle blasts and create a special code everyone working on board could understand.

  • Train Approaching A Crossing - Long, Long, Short, Long

  • Train Backing Up- Short, Short, Short

  • Call For Signals- Short, Short, Short, Short

  • Call for Flagmen to Protect Rear of Train- Long, Short, Short ,Short

  • Call for Flagmen to Protect Front of Train- Short, Short, Short, Long

  • Station Approach- 1 Long

  • Train has Departed- Long, Long, Long

  • Train beginning to move- Short, Short

  • Brakes Sticking- Short, Long

  • Flagmen Return To Train Immediately- Long, Long ,Long, Long

  • STOP-1 Short

4 Likes
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@davidkachalon thank you for taking the time to do this, I doubt very much that people in the UK are familiar with this coding system, and it was the first I heard of it watching your train tuition vids. I think it’s a wonderful piece of folklore and extremely useful to be able to give my own very standard and somewhat boring train a bit of colour, and also some variation. I don’t really like playing the same thing over and over and I’ve often avoided doing a train for an audience because I’m well aware what I’m playing can be samey. So this will be extremely useful and fun to try.

3 Likes
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Excellent!

2 Likes