This web site is my contribution to the hobby of collecting diesel air horns. I have been involved with this hobby for a few years, but have always had an interest in trains. Growing up a quarter mile away from a shortline railroad has given me the opportunity to see and experience the down-home charm that only a shortline can provide. I have since stepped up, and now volunteer for this railroad in my spare time.

My interest in horns only surfaced recently. I have a background in music, and play a few brass instruments, and so have had a good ear for distinguishing various sounds. I was always able to tell what kind of train, and sometimes which exact locomotive, was running on a given day, just from the sounds of the horn or prime mover. One day, it dawned on me that I might be able to purchase one of these horns. It started in 2000 with a quest for a deep, single-note honker, which I would later find out is a Leslie Tyfon A-200. To this day, I still do not have an A-200, but have built up a very satisfying collection none-the-less. After my first purchase, an Airchime K1 bell, I stumbled across the 5 Chime Consultants web site, which opened my mind as to how elaborate this hobby really is. Since then, I have continued to pursue additional horns and as much knowledge as I can find about them. I have also just branched out into the whistle side of the hobby with 6 steam whistles, one or two which have seen railroad use.

one small rant - Diesel air horns put on a truck or other road vehicle can be a bad idea. These horns were intended and designed for use on a diesel locomotive only. Train horns are extremely loud, and it may can be against the law to blow these while going down the road. Above all, they are very dangerous if not handled properly - blowing of a train horn in the middle of traffic can cause a very serious accident! Please use some common sense if you are considering placing a set of train horns on a road vehicle, and think twice about why you are considering it. I am not against placing horns on a vehicle as long as it is used for some purpose other than to replace the stock horn. Please check out Bill Williamson's amazing "5 CHIME" below for a good example of horns on a road vehicle - for displaying and education about the horn collecting hobby.

Much of the information organized in this site was learned from other collectors, the TrainHorns and Horn/Whistle Yahoo groups, and the Horn & Whistle Journal. Many thanks to everyone - Fred Berry, Doc Bryant, Ron Chamberlain, Steve Forrest, Jeff Hammaker, Ken Kanne, Ed Kaspriske, Ken Lanovich, Brent Lee, and Mike Muha to name a few - who have been so open in sharing their knowledge and experiences so far! Sorry if I missed anyone.

Please note that all photos and multimedia contained on these pages, if not stated otherwise, are copyrighted. DO NOT reproduce anything without consent first of the copyright holder; "Reproduction without the consent of the copyright holder is punishable by law." There is also some media contained herein for which the creator is unknown, and is noted as such. This media was found in public domain, and is assumed to be available for public use. If there is anything which appears here and is copyrighted without proper credit, please e-mail me so I can either give proper credit or remove the work. The remainder of these pages and all their contents are Copyrighted 2001, 2003 Trainhorns.net and Chris Moyer.