What sound does a train make?

As cars go by its a clicky-clack with a rumbling. As the train approaches the horn sound will depend on what type of horn is used. Think of a big 18 wheeler or a fire trucks horn...

There's a word for what you're asking for-- onomatopoeia. Many times editors would rather you not use the sounds, but describe it, unless you're writing a PB or even early chapter book.

I wrote about a train in one of my short stories. 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 brakes hiss and screech when the train slows down to a stop.

If you don't have a train nearby to listen to, go online and do a search. YouTube has a lot of train videos taken by rail enthusiasts.

stormie said:

... YouTube has a lot of train videos taken by rail enthusiasts.

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This is an excellent suggestion.

The troll in me wanted to say that a train sounds like a tornado...

MiloMinderbinder said:

For suspense building purposes, I don't want to write that the train whistled. I want to use the actual sound.

How would you spell the sound a train whistle makes?

My co-worker unhelpfully suggested "Choo-choo", but I'm not writing a children's book.


I apologize if this is in the wrong sub-forum. This looked like the best fit.

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WOOooOOOH!

You won't build any suspense in an adult novel by using phonetic spelling.

Build the suspense through the POV character's senses, action and reaction. Create a tense scene in words.

MiloMinderbinder said:

For suspense building purposes, I don't want to write that the train whistled. I want to use the actual sound.

How would you spell the sound a train whistle makes?

My co-worker unhelpfully suggested "Choo-choo", but I'm not writing a children's book.


I apologize if this is in the wrong sub-forum. This looked like the best fit.

Click to expand...

Ooh, H.G. Wells had the best train scene (lol, can't get enough of mentioning this one):

From the railway station came the sound of shunting trains, ringing, rumbling, softened almost into melody by the distance....

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Combines the following:

sibilance: repetition of 's' & 'sh' sounds (fricative/africate consonants which help instil that 'shush' feeling -- giving it that tranquil feel overall)
alliteration: 'r' (rail, ring, rumb)
aspect: 'ing (ringing, rumbling to give it that continuing motion)
further (internal) allieration with: 'm' (rumbling, almost into melody) acombined with eye and ear repetition on 't'.

Suggesting it's not just 'sound' you need to create atmosphere, but a number of writerly tricks. I know that's not the tension you're after, but it always helps to see how the pro's did it.

Chugga-chugga-whoo-whoo.

The wails of the whistles over the churning charge in the empty plain.

Fallen said:

Ooh, H.G. Wells had the best train scene (lol, can't get enough of mentioning this one):



Combines the following:

sibilance: repetition of 's' & 'sh' sounds (fricative/africate consonants which help instil that 'shush' feeling -- giving it that tranquil feel overall)
alliteration: 'r' (rail, ring, rumb)
aspect: 'ing (ringing, rumbling to give it that continuing motion)
further (internal) allieration with: 'm' (rumbling, almost into melody) acombined with eye and ear repetition on 't'.

Suggesting it's not just 'sound' you need to create atmosphere, but a number of writerly tricks. I know that's not the tension you're after, but it always helps to see how the pro's did it.

Click to expand...

Absolutely brilliant. This post gave me goosebumps.

If you're building tension as in "scary," you might say the train "blared" or "howled" or some other (better) word to convey ominous-ness.

not one sound

Pick the sounds that reinforces the mood you are trying to achieve. Not a generic train sound that covers everything. Writing strength comes from specifics.

The rumble of the tracks.
The dirge of the horn.
The hiss of the brakes.
The clanking of the the couplings.
The clickity-clak of the wheels.

What type of train?

US/Canadian steam trains, usually found only in historical centers, combine the "Woo-woo" of the whistle with a heavy panting "shussh" from the boiler and a fairly high-pitched "thunk" as the wheels turn.

Heavy-duty freight diesels rumble like far-off thunder and they have a fair amount of infrasound that you feel rather than hear. They don't whistle: they "blat."

Can't speak for European or UK trains as I've never heard them live, but movie and TV representations seem to indicate a very high-pitched whistle that "toot"s.

If it helps, the eeriest sound I ever heard was a freight going by my window carrying open pipe. The speed and wind combined to play those pipes like an organ. Woke me up out of a sound sleep and sounded like all the demons in anyone's hell moaning.