What Sound Does A Train Make? | Absolute Write Water Cooler

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Menu Install the app Install What sound does a train make?

• Thread starter MiloMinderbinder
• Start date Nov 2, 2011

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MiloMinderbinder

Super Member Registered Joined May 18, 2010 Messages 98 Reaction score 15 Location MidAtlantic, USA 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.

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Super Member Registered Joined Oct 16, 2009 Messages 9,316 Reaction score 1,065 Age 74 Location Out side the beltway... 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...

stormie

storm central

Super Member Registered Joined Feb 12, 2005 Messages 12,500 Reaction score 7,163 Location Still three blocks from the Atlantic Ocean Website www.anneskal.wordpress.com 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. Last edited: Nov 2, 2011

jimbro

Super Member Registered Joined Mar 13, 2011 Messages 291 Reaction score 20

stormie said: ... YouTube has a lot of train videos taken by rail enthusiasts. Click to expand...

This is an excellent suggestion. The troll in me wanted to say that a train sounds like a tornado...

Rufus Coppertop

Banned Flounced Joined May 24, 2009 Messages 3,935 Reaction score 948 Location .

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...

WOOooOOOH! Last edited: Nov 3, 2011

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Kind Benefactor Super Member Registered Joined May 9, 2005 Messages 16,767 Reaction score 4,662 Location Scotland 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...

Last edited: Nov 3, 2011

Fallen

Stood at the coalface

Kind Benefactor Super Member Registered Joined Jun 9, 2009 Messages 5,499 Reaction score 1,957 Website www.jacklpyke.com 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.... Click to expand...

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. Last edited: Nov 3, 2011

Xelebes

Delerium ex Ennui

Super Member Registered Joined Aug 8, 2009 Messages 14,205 Reaction score 884 Location Edmonton, Canada Chugga-chugga-whoo-whoo. The wails of the whistles over the churning charge in the empty plain.

Chrissy

Bright and Early for the Daily Race

Kind Benefactor Super Member Registered Joined Aug 13, 2011 Messages 7,249 Reaction score 2,005 Location Mad World

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.

tko

just thanks fore everything

Super Member Registered Joined Aug 16, 2010 Messages 2,736 Reaction score 631 Location Los Angeles Website 500px.com 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.

BardSkye

Barbershoppin' Harmony Whore

Kind Benefactor Super Member Registered Joined May 2, 2006 Messages 2,522 Reaction score 1,009 Age 70 Location Calgary, Canada 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. You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link

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