Durand, Michigan (CN diamond) is quiet. Very strange to see a high-speed intermodal trains racing through town with no horn. That would make me very nervous if I were an engineer or conductor. The town insisted on it and of course the first resident that gets t-boned by a train will sue the city and CN for all they've got.
Ross
Somehow, it just doesn't seem right. Didn't know that Ames, Nevada, and Denison were already a quiet zone.
Don't the people in these towns realize that this is the "Overland Route" - the most important mainline in the world?
tregurtha wrote: Durand, Michigan (CN diamond) is quiet. Very strange to see a high-speed intermodal trains racing through town with no horn. That would make me very nervous if I were an engineer or conductor. The town insisted on it and of course the first resident that gets t-boned by a train will sue the city and CN for all they've got.Ross
They will be after the idiot (if he/she/they lives) when the whistle ban is revoked under the rules at the next review evaluation of the no-horn zone.
cnwfan51 wrote: As iof 0001 today the city of Boone Iowa has joined the ranks of cities and towns that are now horn free zones. We now join the ranks of Ames Neveda and Dennison Iowa that will not allow us to sound the horn unless there is an emergancy. I live on the west side of Boone and about 6 blocks of the main line, just cant get use to the quiet Larry
Wow, I heard about this when I was up there watching 3985 last Tuesday (9/23/08), but I didn't realize it was happening so soon! When I was there, the Challenger and all the freight trains blew for all they were worth. I guess it's a good thing I brought my video camera...once again capturing history in the making. I did hear from a local that the trains would still be blowing at the main grade crossing (on Story St. I think) but none others...not sure if that's actually what they're doing or not.
I can't stand quiet zones ... in IOWA of all places. Gee whiz? One guy I talked to in Boone said that trains are their heritage, they've been there for years and nobody has ever had a problem, so why should they now? Like I (and many others) have said, if you don't like the noise, then leave! They're blowing for a reason!
The real ironic thing is that all of these smaller cities are getting quiet zones, yet I don't think there's a single quiet zone in Des Moines. You hear trains all the time when you're there. Of course, there aren't near as many through there, but I wouldn't think it would make much difference.
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
Los Angeles Rams Guy wrote: Somehow, it just doesn't seem right. Didn't know that Ames, Nevada, and Denison were already a quiet zone.Don't the people in these towns realize that this is the "Overland Route" - the most important mainline in the world?
Ames has been silent since 1999.
Boyd wrote:Well if I was an engineer and saw a dummy with headphones on looking down as they walked and were texting on their phone,,, I would blow the horn. But I would refuse to buy the person a new pair of underwear.
There are exceptions to the horn ban. The above scenario is one. Some more are to warn workmen along the tracks. When meeting or passing the front or back of a train on an adjacent track. To warn animals.
Story Street in Boone, right by the yard office, does not currently have a median divider or four quadrant gates. When asking a manager, I and a few others were told that because of it's close proximity to the rest of the quiet zone area it was included. There are plans to upgrade the crossing sometime in the future. Probably after someone gets hit.
My first trip on Friday. We just barely started to move, the gates came down and a pickup truck drove around them. Shouldn't be too long before we have that first "winner."
Jeff
RRKen wrote: Los Angeles Rams Guy wrote: Somehow, it just doesn't seem right. Didn't know that Ames, Nevada, and Denison were already a quiet zone. Don't the people in these towns realize that this is the "Overland Route" - the most important mainline in the world? Ames has been silent since 1999.
Los Angeles Rams Guy wrote: Somehow, it just doesn't seem right. Didn't know that Ames, Nevada, and Denison were already a quiet zone. Don't the people in these towns realize that this is the "Overland Route" - the most important mainline in the world?
There are quiet zones and there are quiet zones, apparently. A place like Ames has those crossing horns that sound a synthesized version of the crossing signal time after time until the train gets into the crossing (that's more annoying to me, the innocent bystander). Locally, though, we have a totally quiet zone. No horns (unless it's one of those scenarios Jeff mentions). It's been this way since I hired out. Locals don't have a problem with it.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
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