What's Up With The New Bells?

Shot along RV line for first time in 12 years. Saw the new bi level cars and new engines. One thing I noticed is the bells sound electronic,like my Lionel engines. Is this the case or are my ears playing tricks on me ?

CNJ Fan 4evr wrote:Shot along RV line for first time in 12 years. Saw the new bi level cars and new engines. One thing I noticed is the bells sound electronic,like my Lionel engines. Is this the case or are my ears playing tricks on me ?

Yes, many new pieces of equipment (including all the Multilevel cars and PL42s) have the new E-Bells.

Worth noting - the traditional bells are powered by air and subject to fouling by snow or debris. As a power source, air is a bit troublesome to maintain compared to electricity. This has got to be a huge moneysaver for the railroads, one I'm surprised didn't get introduced years ago.

I think the "real" bells sound better, though, especially on the GP40PH-2s from the CNJ

The railroad does not care if it sounds better, they go for bottom line.
Cost and reliability, and in both cases the E-Bell wins.

ALP44s 4408 and 4410 were retrofitted with the electronic bells about 7 or 8 years ago. Since then, the PL42ACs have them, most of the MultiLEVELS came with them and the newer ALPS came with them.

The electronic bells are more cost effective and effective in general. For example, with that white stuff on the ground now, you'll hear plenty of the equipment with the "real" bells sounding rather odd due to the snow being packed inside of them.

Cost and reliability, and in both cases the E-Bell wins.

I think this should be clarified as well - it's not a case of E-bells being 20% more reliable or cost effective, it's a case of e-bells being 100 times more reliable and cost effective. When you have a snow clog or an air line problem, you have to call out a mechanic to spend a few hours fixing it, or get the hostler to spend 20 minutes swapping power, then have the mechanic spend a few hours on the problem. You just spent $1,000+ on this problem, and it's going to happen again tomorrow and the day after until April rolls around.

Since the e-bell has no moving parts and is powered off electricity, the propensity to fail is microscopic compared to real bells. That's why they're spreading like wildfire, because the return on investment is so darn fast. I can't say I blame them, this is an accountant's dream.

I never said anything about the mechanical bells being more reliable than the e bells just to clear things up. All I said was that I like the sound of the "real" bells better.
Also I don't work for NJT

NJT4115 wrote:I never said anything about the mechanical bells being more reliable than the e bells just to clear things up. All I said was that I like the sound of the "real" bells better.
Also I don't work for NJT

OK, well, at the risk of sounding curt (but factual), NJT is not in the music or entertainment business.... so, real bells are probably a thing of the past. I like the real bells too, being a musician, but realize that cost effectiveness and reliability of bells matter more to NJT than how they sound. This stance and it probably will not change.

Why do they have to sound like bells if they're electronic now?

Well this is further proof that everything in our world today always boils down to money. What's next... E-horns? I like the sound of an air-bell. Although I do understand that railroads are a business, and as such are in business to make money. Regardless though, if on some locomotives, the air-bell is on the side of the engine, as opposed to cab cars or locos where it's underneath near the wheels might that that take care of the snow clog problem?

airman00 wrote:Well this is further proof that everything in our world today always boils down to money. What's next... E-horns? I like the sound of an air-bell. Although I do understand that railroads are a business, and as such are in business to make money. Regardless though, if on some locomotives, the air-bell is on the side of the engine, as opposed to cab cars or locos where it's underneath near the wheels might that that take care of the snow clog problem?

Well one day if your train gets canceled because of a disfunctional air bell, you'd be pretty miffed that you had to stand out in the cold for an hour while holding your more expnsove ticket (because if we stuck with "tradition" for traditions sake, we'd throw all cost-saving effors out the window and just raise fairs). But it's okay, because when the train comes around, you'll get to hear those magnificent air bells.

I understand completely about cost savings efforts and agree with them, especially in this economy. So I won't argue that. Your absolutely right. I just think that railroads are becoming more generic. (and yes I know "generic" saves $$)

If money is the issue, why not eliminate the bells altogether along with an appropriate change in operating rules. My native LIRR has never in a hundred years had bells on all their generations of electric MU cars, so why does NJT need them? They could save more money by doing away with them. Come to think of it LIRR saves money by not having strobe lights or alternating ditch-lights either. Just 3 steady burning headlights and standard horn does the job on electric- MU's. Diesels do have bells, but no strobes or alternating headlights.

Most railroads have a slogan of "safety is of most importance" so why elliminate safety.
Get use to E-bells