Came across something interesting yesterday while out train watching. The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus train departed Hartford CT, headed north to Springfield MA enroute to Trenton NJ for their next show on 5/18. Now as it slowly passed, I happen to notice on every passenger car P2RKs, a Spectra Classic Commander3, and a ZNS. Never saw alarms on a train before, but it does make a lot of sense. I have no idea what type of a system they might have on the train. I’ll post some pics, once my phone fully charges (it completely died after having scanner feeds on most of the morning, and taking pics).
I remember peeking into an Amtrak Viewliner pullman car at South Station in Boston, and seeing a Wheelock MT-LSM horn/strobe in there. It seems having a fire alarm on a train car would make more sense in a pullman/sleeper car, so it could wake up sleeping passengers in case of a fire. Amtrak is coming out with new Viewliner pullman cars soon (with the classic 80s Amtrak colors on them, no less!) but I’m not sure what alarms will be on them, if they have any.
I know some of the bi-level Amtrak cars have kitchens installed inside, while some single-level cars have small cafes in service. It makes me wonder whether some kind of suppression system would be installed in those cars.
I’ve seen fire alarm systems on small tug boats. Legitimate fire alarm systems with a listed control panel, batteries, pull stations, horn/strobe, etc. And these weren’t huge vessels or systems - maybe 10 devices total. Just seemed odd they had these systems. I guess the coast guard required them to have it!
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Was the horn in a roomette, or the hallway?
That circus train is probably a stationary living quarters whenever it’s stopped. A fire alarm makes perfect sense.