Leslie Train Horns
Once the dominant locomotive horn brand in North America, prized for sharper / brighter chord voicing than Nathan. The Leslie RS3L Supertyfon was standard on freight power from the 1950s through 1990s before Nathan AirChime took over.
About Leslie Controls
Leslie Controls is an American manufacturer of valves, controls, and signaling equipment dating to 1899. The company entered the locomotive horn business in the early 1950s with the development of the RS3L Supertyfon — a 3-chime air horn that became the dominant locomotive horn on North American freight from the 1950s through the 1990s.
Today Leslie's locomotive horn business is significantly smaller than Nathan AirChime's. Most railroads have standardized on the Nathan K5LA, and Leslie units appear primarily on legacy power, heritage / preserved locomotives, and specialty applications. Leslie Controls itself focuses more on industrial valves and shipboard signaling than on locomotive horns; the locomotive product line is now a niche segment.
Leslie locomotive horn models
- Leslie RS3L Supertyfon — 3-chime, sharper / brighter major-triad voicing. The historic standard for freight power 1950s-1990s. ~$4,400 standalone (HornBlasters distributor).
- Leslie RS5T — 5-chime variant, less common
- Leslie A-200 Tyfon — earlier single-chime predecessor (1940s-50s)
- Leslie SL-4 / SL-5 (newer) — modern variants targeting aftermarket and heritage applications
Why railfans love the Leslie sound
- Sharper / brighter chord. Leslie RS3L plays a major triad (370 / 494 / 622 Hz) that's higher-pitched than Nathan K5LA's 311–622 Hz. Sounds more "old-school freight," more "cutting."
- Period-correct for 1960s–80s. If you're recreating Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, Penn Central, Conrail, or Southern Railway sound, Leslie RS3L is more accurate than a modern K5LA.
- Increasing rarity. As Class I freight retires Leslie-equipped power, the horn becomes harder to record live. Railfans actively chase Leslie units.
- Heritage premium. Recommissioned RS3L units sometimes command higher prices on the surplus market than their Nathan equivalents because of cult demand.
Leslie RS3L vs. Nathan K5LA
| Feature | Leslie RS3L | Nathan K5LA |
|---|---|---|
| Bell count | 3 | 5 |
| Chord | Major triad (sharper) | B major 6th (fuller) |
| Voice | Brighter, "old-school" | Deeper, "modern freight" |
| Output | ~144 dB | ~149 dB at source |
| Era | 1950s–1990s standard | 1990s–present standard |
| Modern fleet share | <5% | 90%+ |
| Standalone price (HornBlasters) | ~$4,400 | ~$1,650 |
What locomotives carry Leslie horns today
- Heritage / preserved locomotives — railroad museum and excursion power often retains period-correct Leslie units
- Short-line and regional railroads running ex-Class I power — some retain Leslie from original delivery
- Industrial / port switchers — older units with Leslie installation
- Foreign / export — Leslie horns sold internationally, sometimes appearing on rebuilt locomotives
Where to buy Leslie horns today
- HornBlasters — sells Leslie RS3L Supertyfon at ~$4,400 (premium pricing reflects heritage/cult demand)
- Railroad surplus markets — recommissioned RS3L from retired locomotives ($300–$700 used)
- eBay — used / recommissioned units; verify authenticity before buying
- Specialty railroad-supply distributors
Aftermarket Leslie-style horns
Few aftermarket products specifically replicate the RS3L voice — most consumer kits target the more dominant K5LA. For Leslie-voiced builds:
- 3D-printed train horn (digital tune to RS3L 370/494/622 Hz)
- PVC build (3-chime variant matches RS3L voicing)
- Recommissioned Leslie RS3L units on railroad-surplus markets
Related pages
Sources
- Wikipedia — Leslie Controls (company history)
- Wikipedia — Train horn (Leslie history section)
- HornBlasters (current Leslie RS3L distributor)
- Leslie RS3L Supertyfon review (this site)
- Leslie RS3L sound page (this site)