So what exactly is a Train Horn Kit?
Well, it’s the components necessary to make your loud ass train horn. Train horn kits for pimped out cars, SUV’s, and trucks are becoming wildly popular. In fact we can pretty much assume that once you have your train horn installed you’ll probably forget to ever use that weak, wimpy stock horn that came with your vehicle.
So What’s In The Box
Our train horn kit buyers usually buy a complete kit to ensure a simple, no-hassle installation. Although labeled a train horn, your new vehicle horn that is as loud as the horn on a barreling locomotive is sized to fit just about any vehicle including compact cars.
Here’s what you get when you buy a train horn kit:
The Air Tank
The air tanks comes in various sizes. For a SUV or truck installation, the common tank installed is in the applications, the 1 to 5 gallon size range. The air tanks maintains the pressure that the compressor regulates. There can be a number of air ports for accessibility and there is usually an air gauge attached.
The Compressor
A compressor is an air pump that when activated fills the air tank with compressed air. Compressor capacities are generally matched to the size tank. the first time you fill it may take a couple of minutes but don’t worry, re-filling the compressor is a bit quicker thereafter.
It is becoming increasingly common among train horn owners to have two compressors operating in tandem for super-quick re-fills.
The Horn
Train horns come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Individual separate trumpets are slim and can be up to two feet long. In an attached design, there are two trumpet horns, three trumpet horns and even four trumpet horns. It’s generally believed that you need three or more trumpets in the array to product as authentic train horn tone. Each trumpet sounds a different note. It’s the combination of these notes that produce the distinction “blat” that immediately says “train horn.”
The better train horns are made of metal. Plastic horns are OK in low priced value kits but they are not considered the “real deal” by most train horn enthusiasts. But if you’re running a bit tight, you can always start with a plastic model. Steel, zinc, brass and copper are common metals. Horns are either chrome or gold plated or painted black.
Horns are activated by a solenoid that resides within the horn. Horns (and compressors) are energized by your 12 volt source. The horn can be activated by your regular horn button or you can buy a new separate horn switch. It’s all in the installation.
Sometimes you will see decibel ratings given in a horn’s specs. To adequately compare across systems, the reading must be taken with the same instrument, properly calibrated and at the same distance from the horn. This is rarely the case so take these readings with a large grain of salt.
These are the basic components of any train horn kit. You should receive enough air hose, fittings and hook-up wire to do the job. Don’t be shy about having a pro do the job. Shops that specialize in aftermarket installations of sound systems and alarms would be an appropriate choice.
photographer, Harvey Henkelmann
C’mon people! This is supposed to be an after market product that you use to seriously pimp out your ride. I mean c’mon, you don’t put lipstick on a pig and you have to have the right ride to install a train horn on.
Hey, I am happy to sell you the loudest ass train horn on the market and it’s yours to do with it what you will but do you seriously want to put your brand new train horn on that piece of crap junker you call a ride?
Well it’s your business all together but if you put your train horn on a vehicle that looks like it came straight out of the Dukes of Hazzard outtakes, then people might just be talking about you for something other than your train horn.
Hey, but I am not here to piss on your shoes. You want a loud ass train horn? Then I’m not going to judge you. In fact I would appreciate it that if you buy one of our train horns that you email us a picture of the vehicle that you installed it on.
If you send us an email with a picture of the car, truck or boat that you installed your train horn on we’ll post it in an article right here on Train horns Direct and we’ll let everyone else comment on it. Let’s see what the public has to say!
If you send us a video, we’d love it even more. We’d love to show everyone how you are putting our train horns to good use. And don’t worry. If you install it on a piece of crap, we won’t say anything bad about you. But I can’t speak for our readers.
Send in your pictures and videos! But first…buy a train horn!
