Close encounters of the train kind!!! Tales of fright or enjoyment?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I changed the name of this post from "Backyard Enjoyment! Pictures to prove it" to the present title. I thought it would be a better title. So, if you have any close encounters of the train kind let's here it. Include pics if you have them?

I thought I would post some pics of what is in my backyard. Yep, you guessed it, it's a railroad. The track is about 50 ft. from my house. So, please enjoy.

1

2

3

4

1. A view of the track in relation to my house.
2. A train as it approaches my house.
3. The train almost behind my house.
4. The train right behind my house.

Again, please enjoy.

[gvdobler]

So every night at 02:13 the train came by and you got used to it and slept like a baby. Then one night the train didn't come and you woke up at 02:13 and yelled "What the heck was that."

Nice view and a great place to make flat pennies.

Jon - Las Vegas [:D]

[Anonymous]

Must be fun in the middle of the night when a train passes by! My wife's family lived near a railroad track (not quite this close!) and when we were first married we returned to our home town for the night. I slept on the livning room sofa for this visit.

A train went by in the middle of the night and it scared the crap outta me! The house was shaking and rumbling and the noise was out of this world. It took me a few seconds to realize that the world wasn't ending and it was just a train passing by. My heart was beating really fast! Next visits I stayed at my parents' home!

Enjoy it if you can! (No one else in the house was awakened, because they were all used to it.)

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

Bob, it does get a little scary at night. And yes, the house does shake, and all. They do wake me up all the time. Not because i'm not used to it, but because my ears are tuned to the trains frequency.[:D][;)]

gvdobler, there is no precise time frame for trains to come by (that I know of). They come at different times day and/or night.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gvdobler


So every night at 02:13 the train came by and you got used to it and slept like a baby. Then one night the train didn't come and you woke up at 02:13 and yelled "What the heck was that."

That's not far from the truth, in my case.

In the early 70's we lived a block from the West Shore line in Haverstraw, NY but soon got used to the sound of the trains. A train derailed in the tunnel there & caught fire. It burned for a week, shutting down all rail service.

I used to wake up in the night with an uneasy feeling of something being wrong. It stopped when trains began to roll again.

Wayne

[Anonymous]

By the looks of the foundation the house has gotten used to the vibration as well.
Well settled.. LOL

[Anonymous]

We have a quiet branchline just over the road from our house - normally we just get the occasional single-car railbus cruising past, though sometimes we get rerouted main line trains (the line is used as a bypass if another section of the network is closed for repairs) and the odd steam/diesel special. One night at about 2am I was in bed reading, when the most amazing noise began. There was a deafening whistling roar (sounded rather like a jet airliner at takeoff). Really had no idea what this thing was - had visions of waking up to find bits of aircraft scattered over nearby fields! It wasn't until it happened again a few days later, this time in daylight, that I figured out what it was - they were re-routing steel-hauling trains along our line and the noise was due to the crews opening the throttle wide as they cleared the town - engine revs going up and turbo spinning up. At least I know what it is now!

[steveblackledge]

I could live there no problem, and my boys would sure love to but my wife might not
Great pics Robert

[gvdobler]

LilRob1974

Sorry, that's an old joke, apparently older than most people.

[cacole]

If you all think it's bad now with diesels, you shoulda lived close to the railroad in the good ol' steam days -- steam engines really shook the ground and their chuffing made the windows rattle as they went by.

Ah, the good old days.... oops, my age is showing.

[tatans]

Say... Isn't that an 85 car freight with all propane tank cars stopped on the tracks? HMMMM, Say Marg, do you smell something?????

[Anonymous]

Before ConRail was split up, I lived in an apartment complex that stradled the double track CR mainline in Clark, NJ. I was never really that interested in trains before that. But then I used to spend alot of evenings next to the tracks in a lawn chair listening to the radio. Lots of trains, all the time, going to and from Oak Island yard in Newark, NJ.

I really enjoyed seeing what foreign power might be in the consist along with the blue Conrail engines ...... lots of black NS and grey CSX, loved seeing some green BN or red CP, once in a while western roads.

Corny, I know.

Ken

[hdbob]

wwow talk about "good vibrations"

[MisterBeasley]

I lived that close to what used to be the Boston and Maine once. At one point, an annoying neighborhood dog was barking and keeping me awake. Then the freight came through, drowned out the dog and I drifted peacefully off...

[SpaceMouse]

This one out the front door of my store.

[RedSkin]

Well I don't have any pic but, my housing is right next to a Deutch Bahn(German Railservice) line that is rather active...I see all kinds of equipment from passenger service to Military trucks on Flats. At first it was rather anyoing. They drowed out my TV at times.... But after a year here its not so bad. Great shots.

[Anonymous]

SpaceMouse, those are some cool pics. I'm glad to see that I am not the only one who lives/lived close to the tracks. Oh, and great stories from all.

[RoyalOaker]

That's great lilrob,

I would love being that close.


They are building some high end Lofts/Condo's in the city of Royal Oak where I live. These things are starting at $500,000 and go to over a mil and they are as close to the tracks as your house. They are also right on a road that crosses the tracks. Everytime a train approaches the road, HOOONNNKKKK. This is the GT Holly sub and the double tracks are pretty active

I sure hope these rich folk love trains. Maybe for $500,000 you get extra insulation.

[MidlandPacific]

QUOTE: I sure hope these rich folk love trains. Maybe for $500,000 you get extra insulation.

There's a guy in Florida who has made himself rich developing an airstrip with housing along it where you can park your private jet: John Travolta helped him by buying one of the first lots, so he would have both a place to park his 707 and a view.

Who here WOULDN'T want a condo with a view of, say, the line out of Chama, NM, so you could drink your morning coffee and watch a pair of doubleheaded K-36s storm out of town on their way to Cumbres Pass?

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by LilRob1974

SpaceMouse, those are some cool pics. I'm glad to see that I am not the only one who lives/lived close to the tracks. Oh, and great stories from all.

I have a definate advantage for photos in that the signals were down and they had to cross at 5 MPH. Notice the flagman.

When I was in kindergarten, I lived on an SP mainline. Our small backyard ended on the ballast. I thought it was cool, but my parents were glad to move away.

[cwclark]

I grew up in a location just like your's ..the SP SAKV ran past my house..it was a local run and usually went by in the morning about 8 am and returned about 5 pm...it was great until they had to work OT...then the train came by about 12 - 2 Am and they had to blow the whistle at my house before the next road crossing..they had to peel me off the ceiling from coming out of a dead sleep by the blast of a diesel train air horn right thru my room's window...no wonder my folks took the front bedroom...Chuck

[Anonymous]

Back in 94 & 95, I lived in an apartment building about 75 feet from the BNSF line between Chicago and Aurora.

I could hear the freights coming for a good, long way.

One day, I was visiting with a neighbor, and heard a train whistle - but it sounded strange. As it got closer, I heard the "chuff chuff chuff chuff" of a steam engine!

I tore out back and jumped up on the earth berm between the apartments and the tracks, and all I saw was the cloud of smoke. The loco was already out of sight. It was like some strange episode of the twilight zone, where you expect to have a1930's train that disappeared suddenly come into the station 60 years late. :)

Anyway, during the nice weather, when our windows were open, we got good at using the remote as the trains came through... up up up up up up up...down down down down down down down. :)

Rob

[Anonymous]

Guy's, these are all great stories. They sound all too familiar....oh yeah....they are things I've experienced and did as well. Keep the stories coming.

QUOTE: by D_Davis: By the looks of the foundation the house has gotten used to the vibration as well.
Well settled.. LOL

That and add termites, old age, and rot to the mix. Now you see why my house is in the condition it is.

[mcouvillion]

LilRob,

I grew up 50 feet from the SP's Sunset Line in Orange, Texas. I could always sleep through the trains coming by. A few years ago, the SP installed crossing gates and bells at all the crossings. Now, when I visit, the bells wake me up because I never got used to them. Some of the engineers still just barely blow their horns at night, while others let 'em rip. The track is now all ribbon rail, so the vibrations are reduced and there are no clickety-clacks any more. It is still easy to tell when the train is heavy, as it really shakes the house. Empties glide by with little effect.

Mark C.

[bn7026]

Hmmm. THe cloesest I came to having trains to me where I slept was when I stayed a couple of nights at the Isaac Walton Inn at Essex, Montana about 3 years ago. Think I awoke when every train on the BNSF main came through. And there was a pair of SD40-2 helpers idling away on one of the adjacent tracks as well.

One thing I realised was that there are a lot of freight cars with flat spots on their wheels.

Tim

[Anonymous]

When me & my mom were out taking pictures last year we crossed this some
worn, beat up, almont unballasted track to get this really neat pitcure. I don't know
if it was the power of suggestion, but as soon as my mom's friend(on the other side)
said these rails probbally weren't used in 20 yrs a train burst out of the tunnel behind
us & stopped right there(this is a freight train) to un-load a construction shovel.
Because of where we were standing there was 2 feet between the train & the cliff.
I have never seen my mom more scared!

[alcodave]

I dont have a picture of this, but there is a house in Fostoria Ohio right At the Norfolk Southern/CSX diamond.This house is is like 50' from a from a crossing that has around 80 trains a day. I think this would be to much for even the most hardcore railfan.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by alcodave

I dont have a picture of this, but there is a house in Fostoria Ohio right At the Norfolk Southern/CSX diamond.This house is is like 50' from a from a crossing that has around 80 trains a day. I think this would be to much for even the most hardcore railfan.

I imagine it would be. The traffic here where I live isn't too busy, from 0 trains a day to 5-6 trains a day. So, it's not so bad, except when they go by at night.

[JohnT14808]

Pretty close to the tracks. I'm not sure I'd want to be THAT close!!

I would like to see some photos from RedSkin that are of the local German stock going by his place. Just to see what's current in European locos....

[nickinwestwales]

evening all,I`m across in the U.K.,was born next to a Southern Electric commuter branch terminal just as the first up train of the day was pulling out[shades of Chuck Berry here!] Now living out in West Wales,near whats left of the old G.W.R main line-spent many happy evenings watching double-headed tank car trains braking hard for the sharp bend into Haverfordwest station with sparks flying from every wheelset & waiting for the bang...still here to tell the tale,regards,nick