The sound of the distant freight-train passing in the night is a powerful and emotive element in US popular culture.
There are some beautiful sound recordings, here
http://uphs.org/the-streamliner/streamliner-extra/hancock-long-bell-3-chime-whistle-recordings/
I especially like the less-than-perfect recordings that are corrupted by echo and doppler effects.
If you like the sound of a steam whistle, you might like, Tugboat Toccata (1956), by Moondog.