quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
I wouldn't think they'd use a whistle at those crossings as it looks pretty rural.

Unless it is a designated "Quiet Zone" that requires anywhere from $100k-$400k of crossing warning and traffic impediment upgrades (per crossing) all public grade crossings will be whistled.

I live 50 yds away from a train bridge....

And a blind curve to boot. The Trains blow the horns coming and going. If your outside or have the windows open you know the trains coming for sure. I'm used to it and it does not bother me at all. Inside it's "part of the charm of living Downtown" as my realtor said.....

These are the main tracks through my area with the commuter trains every half hour in the mornings and evenings.

If you let it bother you it will. If you don't it won't.

I love how you guys keep calling it a "whistle".

I'd get the crossing numbers off the stanchion for the crossing lights and call the railroad- ask them how often it rolls through, and with what types of cargo.


Quick Google-fu puts you between gunz-n-fun and curl up in dye. Nice looking house!

My kinda town.

The Eastern? Single crossing track looks like a spur for the aluminum plant and the other two look like how they bypass it.

Google maps shows the tracks and rr ties in good clear condition, so I'd imagine there's a decent bit of traffic- neat there's a rr museum in town too- you could inquire there as well I'm sure.

What the hell is that just 100 yards behind and to the sw of the house? Looks like a dirt racetrack oval on Apple Maps. Now that could be a deal breaker.

I think at that distance you wouldn't notice them after the first week. Like said above, they're most noticeable when they're standing at an idle, or laboring. One house I lived in, we were 350' from the tracks, at the top of a long hill. The trains would be pretty loud, struggling to crest that hill, and we didn't even hear them unless a visitor pointed them out.

Early in my working career I lived near the train tracks (<1000', urban). I heard the train the first two days/nights. Never heard it after that. Currently ~5 miles from the tracks. Hear the train occasionally when the wind is just right. Hear the seals barking in Avila more often (prolly 6 or 7 miles away). That was a definite "WTH is that?!?!" moment the first time I heard it.

I think I would start with whoever lives in that house on the other side of the tracks or the ones who live on your side but much closer. They're going to be much closer than you will be.

So I looked up info for all three crossings. The southernmost crossing (not shown on the picture in the OP, but on Williamson road SE of the house shows a daily average of 5 trains a day. The crossing just NW of the house shows a daily average of 1 train/day. The crossing just north of that shows about 5 trains a day. The middle crossing is Norfolk Southern, the other two are BLE RR. From what I can see I wouldn't expect any trains hanging around parked idling for long. There's no siding and from the traffic volumes it seems to be a line with decent traffic but nothing overwhelming. None of the crossing are quiet zones, so any train crossing them is required to blow (2 longs, a short, and a long) them.

Got in early, so stopped in the gun store - very nice, and very polite, friendly staff. They said the trains run maybe 2 on their end, three on the other per day, and they are pretty used to it. Said they have passed in the early am before. Did say, and as I found out, the road is a pretty busy, short-cut road.

The location as far as privacy is great, 1.5 ac yard, good slope, huge fire pit, and the owner across the street owns all of the land surrounding it. It was a bit closer to the road than I might like, so that may be an issue. Lady told me her husband shoots Turkey and Deer from the back yard. I saw a reloading bench in the beautiful, heated, attached 28x32' garage, with a big two stall, A/C and heated kennel, attached, but not included in the 28x32' dims (she raises Huskies and platinum Golden Retrievers - never heard of them before). Taxes are $1300/yr.

When the husband came home, (pipeline worker - Go Trump), he told me of the 100 yard range in the back. While we were in the basement, looking over the mechanicals, a train did pass to the N. It was pretty loud, but no shaking/rattle of any kind. Talked a lot about reloading, looked at guns, and had a very nice time. Seem like nice folks, who need this sold, so they can buy another property.

Going to have to look over photos I took, as I definitely saw potential bowing in the basement block walls, and other areas of concern. It's one of those, that if just a smidge more certainty was felt in the gut, I would have written a check on the spot. I'm going to think on it, for sure (and visit that great gun-store again tomorrow. Thanks Fellas.

quote:

Originally posted by straightshooter01:
What the hell is that just 100 yards behind and to the sw of the house? Looks like a dirt racetrack oval on Apple Maps. Now that could be a deal breaker.

Hmm, good catch, and I will ask the seller about this. Sure does look like a dirt-track, and there is a gas well, at the bottom left of the oval. Yee-haw, be just like back at Brownstown all over again!

The firehouse I work at is about 300' from the nearest crossing. It's loud enough that you can hear it lightly when you're awake, but not if you're asleep.

If you sleep with the windows open you might hear it, but it won't be terribly loud at that distance.

A friend of mine lives across the river from me. I'm about a half mile from the tracks, he's about 300 feet. It's so loud here sometimes when conditions are right, it wakes me up. It sounds like the train is right outside. And those lovely CSX horns....wow. He sleeps like a rock now, but when he first moved in, it kept him awake. For about a week. then it was no big deal. If you have little kids, the main problem is that they might turn into train watchers. I did, almost from birth.

What my concern would be is what direction on the road do you need to travel in say a Medical emergency, or which way would the responders need to travel to get to you house.

If they or you need to cross the tracks for those issues, or going in that direction is in your drive to work , it would play a part in my decision.

Prevailing winds will have an impact carrying noise to you or away from you. And keep in mind noise will be worse in winter for two reasons. First, defoliation of the trees which would tend to absorb sound in the summer, and second, when it's cold at ground level noise can be refracted off warmer air aloft back down to the ground making it sound louder. So being downwind in the winter would maximize the noise.

quote:

Originally posted by SigM4:
I shot you an email to your profile address. I work for one of the big Class I railroads and can hopefully help in answering some of your questions with a little background info.

Sorry for the off-topic post, but as you work for a railroad, maybe you would know which department at a railroad I should contact about an iffy-looking bridge with cracks all over it:


There are cracks on the supports at the bottom of the other face too, parallel to the wood walkway at the left.

There is a sign near it that says "No Trespassing - Norfolk Southern Corp" so I'm guessing they own the bridge/track. No, we weren't trespassing - the bridge goes over is a river park walkway (and a river, of course) which is how we get to see the bridge this closely.

It's not an academic concern on an old abandoned piece of track....I believe this line takes Amtrak trains, among potentially others.

More than likely they're aware of the cracks as any lines that carry hazardous cargo or passenger trains have to be inspected very regularly, that includes the track itself as well as the structures they traverse.

Either way NS likely has a bridge or structures team within their engineering department with responsibility for this. Easiest route to contact them might be to find a nearby crossing. At or near the crossing should be an identification plate with a DOT crossing number, a RR milepost number, and a contact number. This should all be easily visible from the streeet (as a side note if you're ever at a crossing or nearby and have need to contact the RR use this info, that's what it's there for). I would call that number and explain your concern regarding the bridge. You'll likely reach their central contact/resource center, but it should be handed off to someone in Engineering fairly quickly. I would also ask for a follow up from someone local, that way you have some sort of closure and possibly get the contact for them vs. corporate.

That "dirt track" appears to be out of use. I didn't see any structures associated with it (if it were in use there would be buildings and stands), and the infield covered in trees is another indication--normally that area would be clear so race cars could stage there.

flashguy

I am 1200 yds. away from the B.N.S.F, I miss about half of the train noise , in the winter w/ the windows closed.

is the train going under the road way ( underpass) or is there a train crossing with gates or lights ?

quote:

Originally posted by MooneyP226:
neat there's a rr museum in town too- you could inquire there as well I'm sure.

Forgot that I snapped this photo of the museum. Know nothing of these steam locomotives, but she looks like a beaut - and Yuge!