Blast from Train Horn from 4 Meters

Hi all,

5 days ago I was sitting on a stationary train (with the smallish windows open), when another train very slowly edged passed ours and blew its horn the second it was moving past the window 2m across from me.

I wasn't wearing ear protection (I usually do on trains), and the powerful noise made me jump out of my skin it was so loud. No one else seemed to even flinch!

I estimate the source of the horn to be 4m from my ear. My hope is that somehow the blast was not direct and in some part blocked by the closed part of the window, as the open part of the window was at the top edge of the window wall. The noise still found its way into the carriage nonetheless.

I have since had a spike - not good.

Over the past few years I've come to accept spikes from car horns etc (as they usually recover after 5 days or so) - it's just that this horn was so powerful and so close I'm not sure if I'll be able to recover.

What do you all think? Any one had any similar experiences and recovered?

For reference, it was a London National Rail commuter train nearing central London).

Thanks,
R

 

The USA and England have the same 'Lmax' for commuter trains. The dopper effect is best for calculating your situation. 101 - 106 is highest sound value as being directing in front. From your distance at least 88 dBA.

 

Would you care to elaborate a bit more about what the 'Lmax' is please?

In regards to the Doppler effect, the train was crawling so slowly past (5-10mph) that I don't think it is relevant.

Thanks

 

I called a friend At MIT, that he confirmed that the horn decimals of London Rail commuter trains is 101 -106 from environmental group testing. The environmental commission reports at depot areas the average sound is 88 dBA within a full day. This would include all sounds - trains, horns, people and other sounds. That's pretty loud within itself. It appears that environmental groups over there are protesting this. He's not certain after using a lot of numbers, what your exposure was: probably at 95 to 101. At 3 -4 seconds in exposure, it should just be a spike. At 7 seconds - constant (horn) then it would be hard to call.

Have you considered using some prednisone?