The Bible is literally full of spiritual train whistles intended to warn us of spiritual danger and death. We need to listen to those whistles and heed his loving warnings.
In a silence where some people could hear a pin drop, people with tinnitus hear a constant ringing in their ears. Or the sound may be a popping, rushing, pinging, chirping, whistling, or roaring. Some people describe it as a freight train constantly rolling through their brains.
Using trains symbolically is a technique found frequently in literary history. It has been used as a place where people accidentally meet, separate, take time to think, work on something, and even as a place of rest and relaxation. We can see some of this symbolism in the last paragraph of “The Escape”.
At night, the air near the ground can have a different temperature than air only a few hundred feet above1. This affects the transmission of sound waves. There is usually less ambient noise after dark, so the distant train sounds louder.
The horn alerts people that a train is approaching a railroad crossing. It can also be used to warn animals or trespassers in our right-of-way along a section of track. Many people don’t realize that federal and state regulations require us to sound the horn whenever we approach any crossing.
A horn is a symbol of authority and great power. When the Bible talks about the horn of the righteous, it symbolises the power of the believer while the horn of wickedness symbolises the power of the wicked. A horn is a symbol of authority and great power.
If a train is traveling faster than 60 mph, engineers will not sound the horn until it is within ¼ mile of the crossing, even if the advance warning is less than 15 seconds.
Choo, chug and chuff are onomatopoeic words for the sound a steam train makes. In BE, choo-choo and (less commonly) chuff-chuff are onomatopoeic words for “train” (or more specifically, the engine) - they are used when speaking to very young children and thus, by very young children.
As a train gets closer, it makes a rumbling sound. As it leaves the station, it makes a steadily increasing chugging sound. The whistle sounds like a forlorn call in the night.
The brain creates noise to fill the silence, and we hear this as tinnitus. Perhaps only someone with profound deafness can achieve this level of silence, so paradoxically loud.
The emergence of the train from the tunnel is an image of birth; indeed, Roy is being born, at age nineteen. He is still a child, a country bumpkin spilling things on himself and completely unsure of how to act. The train later returns whenever Roy becomes frightened, symbolizing his desire to return to the womb.
‘The Train’ = Your Real Purpose
If you’re on the Train, then you’re on your purpose and you’re moving forwards at all times- even if you ‘fail’, as failure can be turned into opportunity; and even in the face of conflict, as conflict can be turned into learning.
Train dreams often symbolize the stability of your life. They can signify the path you follow in your life and the conformity of selecting that path.
One short whistle means STOP. One long whistle (three to 10 seconds) means the train is approaching a station. Two short whistles mean that the engineer acknowledges that he or she heard or saw a signal that affects movement.
At 130 to 150 decibels (average), that’s when train horns for trucks come into play. A train horn is basically a very powerful air horn that is used as a warning device on a massive locomotive. Depending on conditions (other ambient noise), a train horn’s sound can carry for several miles.
Two long toots means the train is releasing its brakes and beginning to move. (or grade level) crossing. One long signal means the train is approaching a station. A number of rapid, short toots means that there is livestock on the tracks.
When a train is passing a standing train, one that isn’t moving, they’re required to give a warning. That warning comes in the form of two long honks, a short honk, and then another long honk. A train will signal to another train that they’re passing by as a precaution.
For everyone’s safety, federal regulation requires locomotive horns be sounded for 15-20 seconds before entering all public grade crossings, but not more than one-quarter mile in advance. This federal requirement preempts any state or local laws regarding the use of train horns at public crossings.
The Horn of Psalm 148
, the psalmist writes: You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. This metaphor of the “exalted horn” comes from an image of a bull lifting up its horns after winning a battle.
The psalm references the word “horn” several times. According to Charles Spurgeon, the horn is a symbol of honor or strength, but when possessed by the arrogant, the horn is said to be “cut down” or humbled. While God rejects the horns of the haughty, he exalts the horns of the righteous.
Improperly installed windows, worn weather stripping, changes in temperature and the simple passage of time can all cause an unwanted whistling inside the house. Not only is the sound annoying, it can also lead to energy waste.
Isaiah 5:26
He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily!
Usually, whistling was an indication of contentment or happiness (unless you were whistling past a graveyard). It was mostly a guy thing, but there were some gals who could whistle as well as any guy … or better (need to mollify the ladies).