I would like a busy mainline nearby but I don't think I would want to be right by the tracks, too distracting. A friend of mine lives in an apartment building literally right next to a regional line. Nothing much goes past though, as a matter of fact usually nothing does. I usually am not too far from any local tracks, mostly passenger trains, so its easy to stop by for awhile and watch some trains. But I like not being right next door to them.
I grew up in a small town bisected by an Illinois Central branch line. Our house was about 75 yards away. Two trains a day passed thru town, each was a major event in my mother's and my lives.
Recently I moved from a house which had been our residence for 24 years. Two mainlines, each with about 30 trains/daily were within 3/4 mile and a regional line was less than that. Three railroads provided considerable exposure. Plus a regional hospital complete with helicopter landing pad and ambulance runs added to the decibels.
I didnt think it bothered me, in fact, the noise was a companion, if you will. It didnt take long to not only identify the CN vs the NS trains, but then I was able to identifiy coal trains and Triple Crowns by the pitch of the rumble.
Now, I am about 2 miles from the CN mainline and 3.5 miles from CSX.
Let me tell you... I sleep much better.
At this stage in my life, sleep is much more important than the constant horns, turbocharged engines, rumble of cars, helicopter landing, and ambulances.
Ed
I'm 100 yards south of the DM&E, in a state where the wind almost always blows from the NW, which means lots of sound. When I've got all the windows open the noise echos off of the trees and houses to the south and it's impossible to tell which way the tracks are. Waiting for the PRB coal trains to start coming through town somewhere down the road.
Reality TV is to reality, what Professional Wrestling is to Professional Brain Surgery.
No.......but, i enjoy to be in position to watch trains anytime. Of course we all must stay back the safe distance just to be sure. And legal.
I wouldn't build or buy a house with it being just a hundred or so ft. from the ROW.
Several reasons, but I suppose one would have to say the location would not be the most attractive to the average family....Just {possibly}, it would be attractive to the occasional rail fan. Resale value being the prime reason for me.
NS, Frankfort line passes about a mile north of us and sometimes in the Summer months, with windows open and with the wind / atmosphere conditions as such, it sounds like the train is passing thru our front yard. But that really doesn't bother me as far as sleeping is concerned. Sure it might wake me, but knowing what it is and being a fan of RR sounds, I'd go back to sleep and not be concerned about it....
Quentin
When my parents got a place in Katonah, NY it was 1/2 miles frome the NYC. Too far! We moved to New Rochelle, NY and were only a smallswamp/woods from the New Haven 4-track main. I beat a well-trodden path thru the brush. Cool, especially when the leaves were off the trees. I kept a log of the locos that passed by when I was home "sick"! We later moved to Fleetwood, NY, but the view was blocked. Great for commuting.... I advertised for a "BN view" when I moved from FL to Shelby, MT. Couldn't find anything. I live 1/2 mile north of the BNSF main. The yard action can get noisy, when there is a south wind blowing. My preferred spot would be about 100' above the tracks. Most hazmat spills will hug the ground, and we have a lot of ammonia coming thru here. Also the view is better. Living right on a busy line (like in an old station) could be worrysome, in case of a derailment. I spent 33 years in the army and am not really spooked by danger, but why take the chance?
Hays
I used to live 1/2 block from the B&O in defiance.Could see trains out the bedroom window.Mamma wanted to move out to the country when we got married.My scanner works well.
stay safe
joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
I sure would!! My next home will be as close to the tracks as possible...years ago I rented an apartment right next to the tracks in Montreal..The whole place shook when a train passed through...I really miss that..
Growing up, my grandparents, then an aunt and uncle lived about 100 feet from the Michigan Central Air Line. During the late 50's, I also lived there for awhile, shortly after the rebuild, that turned it into a high speed race track. Had another uncle that worked that line as head-end brakeman out of Jackson Mi, so when he was on the train, during daylight, we got the horn. Along the road I never heard anyone complain about the trains. Even the cows quickly adjusted and weren't bothered by the trains.
During my two years in grad school at BGSU in Bowling Green, Ohio, both apartments I lived in were along the Conrail main through town. The first apartment had a street and empty lot separating it from the tracks, but the second apartment was in a complex right next to the tracks at a crossing. While I got woke up during the first couple weeks up there by the trains at night, I eventually got to where I was sleeping right through the trains going by or getting woken up and going right back to sleep. The second apartment was most enjoyable since I could feel the trains coming through.
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
I already live 150 ft from the Norfolk Southern line in sims il. I sleep right through the trains.
My parents just bought a house one block from from a old conrail line up by paris il.
I'd go a house in a rural area 300 to 500 yards up a nice rise from the tracks, with an open view.
But a house with a backyard up to the ROW? Forget about it. The idea of an errant box car sitting in my kitchen has no appeal.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
I spent my entire childhood in a house only 100 feet from an Illinois Central mainline in the days of steam. You get used to the noise and don't even notice the trains after a while.
Heavy rail - no
Light rail - maybe; I would have to look at it first.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Got to agree..Wife and I, bought the worst conditioned house on the block; she found it on the Internet.When we got here we found we were about a quarter mile from (MP226 on BNSF Emporia sub) the double track main. The only time it gets a little trying is in the early moring when a couple of trains meet, at first the noise was a little obnoxious, but after awhile it is kind of comforting, and not nearly as noticeable. I had never lived near a line with as much activity, and speed as there is through here.
I live about a 1/2 a block away from UP's Geneva Sub, but several miles from any grade crossings. I really don't mind the trains. I can look out the back door and watch the trains go by behind the wood fence along the right-of-way. Also a couple of GEVO's powering out of the Kish River valley with a heavy coal train make for a nice sleep aid. Heck I thought the earthquake earlier this week was just a train going by.
Go Huskies. Forward Together Forward
Fan of - C&NW - Milwaukee Road - CGW -
Once lived next to the NYC mainline west of Buffalo. There was a crossing nearby so lots of horns. The only time I lost sleep was when they were on strike and it was quiet.
I might do it again except for one word: RESALE.
I lived my teen years about a half mile from what is now CSX's Saginaw Sub. In its day, it was a busy line. The town I lived in had 4 crossings in less than a mile, with three in the "just stay on the horn" range. I didn't mind a bit.
Like many here, I consider a train horn music, so I think I'd do just fine near a line.
My daughter and her husband just bought a house near a little-used CSX line here in NY. She called me after they looked at it to see what I knew, which was that it's not all that busy. I think busy would have been a minus for them.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
CShaveRRBoyd Say you were in the market to buy a house and a railfan. Why would I want to buy a railfan? Most of them would gladly come along for free!
Boyd Say you were in the market to buy a house and a railfan.
Say you were in the market to buy a house and a railfan.
My railfan came along free, to start with. That changed with time. Our next anniversary will be golden.
And she was the one who found the house that had the only steam-powered rail line in suburban Tokyo right over the back fence...
Chuck
We currently live about 1.25 miles from the EJ&E main and about 2.25 miles from the BNSF main in Aurora, and that's plenty close enough for me, thanks. As much as I love my trains, I also love my sleep and peace & quiet at times. A good mix is what I have right now and that's just fine for me.
The real question you've got to ask in a situation like this is: "Do you really want your kid's to grow up to be railfans?" Look...my mother's parents lived about a block away from the LIRR Jamaica station and my mother and I stayed with them until my father returned from WWII. By the end of 1946 my parents purchased a house about 200 feet off the westbound main line of the DL&W RR, less than a hundred feet above the tracks and quarter of a mile west of the junction of the Boonton Line and the Morris and Essex Line in Denville, NJ. To top that off, my fathers' parents lived in Dover, NJ less than a block from the CNJ Hibernia branch. All this exposure to trains while and kid and you see what it did to me!
P.S. I wouldn't buy a railfan either, they are cheaper to rent and you're not tied down. They are also reportedly useless for getting work done around the house especially in a timely manner..
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
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In a heartbeat. And the busier, the better!
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Lets see here 1/4 from the BNSF transcon 2 blocks from the BNSF connector with the NS ex conrail ex NYC and that passes less than a 1/8 mile from my back door. So I am in HEAVEN. All this action and I pay less than 550 month for a mortage insurance and taxes a MONTH TOTAL stay here.
Maybe the railfan is a closing bonus!
BoydSay you were in the market to buy a house and a railfan.
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)
YES! I have lived along the BNSF for many years.
the only people that ever jump on my trains was guys riding with coolers and they didnt mind giving you a cold beer on a hot day, ( now how can you call that bad) but would i buy a house close to the tracks NO!!! I want to be as far from them as i can be I want no noise anymore and if the crickets get to loud ill get the poison out and spray.
I would not mind living next a branch line with a low speed limit (and probably nobody riding the freight cars). But I would not want to live closer than a half mile from a mainline due to haz-mat, see the Kingman BLEVE thread, and the fact that some rather bad people hop freight trains (Rafael Ramirez for example).
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
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