How do YOU know when a train is coming?

[MP57313]

It all depends...at some locations with continuously lit signals and a lot of activity, just watch the signals (Fullerton-Placentia, CA). At other locations where signals are not visible, maybe 1/4 mile from a grade crossing. Enough to hear the bells/chimes but not deafening.
In quiet areas (UP/SP coast line early in the morning) you can hear the rumble of the approaching engines for a few minutes before they pass by...
Local branches with less-than-daily service....drive by on "train day" and hope for the best

[OldArmy94]

When I was a kid trainwatching on the KCS mainline south of Texarkana, I used to hear the trains coming many, many miles away. For one thing, KCS used a lot of motive power on their long trains. Also, the woods had a "funnel" effect on the sound. Best trainwatching I ever did!

[Train Guy 3]

Listening for the distant sound of air horns and the roar of approcching locomotivie or sometimes I look at the signals. At night I have a great trainspotting area, you can watch the light of the locomotive snake its away at the top of the trees.

[espeefoamer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by RI4310

I put my head on the rail and listen. Old Indian trick. lol

I tried that once,and got a splitting headache,caused by an SD40-2.[B)]
LOL

[route_rock]

Good answers one and all LC amen to all.Hissing works yes even on wood ties plus if you know of a grade near you you can hear the units pull for miles.I lived on a grade(1.10) and BN would send their ore trains by on it.Hear them coming from about 10 miles off and they would shake my house on the other side of town when they got to within 5 miles.

[kenneo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by RI4310

I put my head on the rail and listen. Old Indian trick. lol

Him no dummy, him Flathead (Indian, that is). Found many train just when put head on rail.

OUCH

Ugh.

[jeaton]

Obviously, when I get anywhere near train tracks and don't have my camera. Trains also show up when I have no time to stop.

Jay

[Anonymous]

The phone rings at 3:00 am.

[Anonymous]

I ALWAYS USE MY SCANNER! SOMETIMES LOOK AT THE TRACK SIDE SIGNALS OR JUST SIT AND WAIT.......................................AND WAIT!
[bow]BNSF[bow]

[ClinchValleySD40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by RI4310

I put my head on the rail and listen. Old Indian trick. lol

I had a fellow do that in front of my train once. Trouble was he never took his head off the rail. Messy.

[Anonymous]

"OUCH" ILL BET THAT HURT!
BNSFfan.

[wabash1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

The timetable tells you what the train is when it comes (not when it is going to come), along the lines of "Oh, a southbound steel train, it must be NY3 because that's the only one running today!". The timetable for this state can be downloaded from the official website, at least when I last looked.

If I'm in the mountains, you can generally hear trains coming, either in power or dynamic brake. The automatic signals only tell you if you've just missed a train.

At Goulburn, (the major station in the area) you can tell by the signals, which are set manually on the approach of a train, and often you can hear crossing signals from the north end of the yard.

Peter

Maybe i should go to the trainmaster and have him give me a new time table with train in it. mine dont have it in there.

the other way i know of telling if a train is comming is. check box 8 .( seems to be the one i get the most ) clear main track last named point.

[Anonymous]

I hear the train for quite a while before it gets to my area, The horn, But mostly the rumble of the locomotives in their higher notch settings. We live along the WSOR tracks on kind of a gentle crested hill setting & to the east about a mile & a half we have a marshy low land area where they slow the train considerably. After they pass this area they throttle up with 2 to 7 locos in charge, They scream & rumble alot! Also to the west of us they slow for a bridge in town with a speed restriction of about 10mph. Then throttle up big time to climb out of town.

[Anonymous]

My trusty ears or i look at the rails if they glow thats a good thing.[^][:D]

[UPTRAIN]

I use a scanner or when it comes around the curve!!!

[Anonymous]

On UP, you follow the crew van...lol

LC

[UPTRAIN]

Or on BNSF or NS or CSX or CP or CN, all of those you could follow the crew van!!! [:P]

[Nora]

I drive the crew van to wherever they told me to find the train...

[Anonymous]

My uncle use to say "there is always one coming, It's just a matter of how long"

[cprs8622]

The CN/WC have a little switching job over by me and I listen for the whistle, see which way the switches are lined, and I watch the traffic because everyone slows down if they see something.

[trainster1073]

Well where I live it's depends on the day I guess. Mostly I listen for the loco coming down the tracks. The low rumble and the engine which is unmistakeable.......sometimes. Then sometimes I hear the horn long before it comes past my house. So really there's no real definet way of telling just by looking and hopfuly hearing, I would have to say.

Dustin

[joegreen]

I have a signal just west of me, I go outside and look at it and depending on what color it is I'll stay and listen for the horn at the many grade crossings east and west of me.I can hear trains from both ways depending on the weather and sometimes I can't hear both ways and just have to listen to the scanner or stay outside and wait for a train to come eventually(20-25 trains a day).

Over time you know what particular train is coming at a particular time.For example....usually the BNSF CHCSTP comes by at 1400 hrs.This train is more recognizable since it is shorter than most trains and has mostly UPS trailers.

[emd_SD_60]

Well lets see I have 3 ways of telling if a train is approaching:

1. Watch the signals to see if they illuminate. A sure fire way a train is coming...[:)]

2. Listen for the sound of the approaching engines, usually this comes into play whenever I am at Gorham, when a northbound comes around the sharp curve east of town is the best time to hear it. Usually I gotta run to the truck and get my gear at that time, if not by then. Usually I tell it's coming by then because I hear it blowing for the Oakwood Bottom Road 2 miles south[}:)]

3. Last but not least, the whistle. This comes into play about 95% of the time.[;)]

[Anonymous]

This almost ALWAYS works...They come whenever I leave the photo pavilion in Flatonia to come home. I always pass one or two before I get to Schulenburg. I don't think anyone mentioned the almost eerie neat glow the headlights make at night. I love that.

mike

[Anonymous]

Number one. Scanner Radio tuned to 452.9375MHZ.
Number Two. Train crews calling out Mile Post Signals.
Number Three. Train Horns.
Number Four. GRAB THE CAMERA QUICK!
Allan.

[Anonymous]

The topic query: How to tell when the train is coming.

Watch a near by signal?
Listen on a scanner?
Have a timetable (for you rail workers)?
Listen for the rails to 'hiss'?
Or your trusty ears?
Or a different way?

I'll take all the above, plus a side order of fries, please. [:p]

Mainline signals that go from four reds to three reds and a green have worked well for me. Scanners tell me that something is coming, but not necessarily how quickly; all the more so for equipment detectors. Timetables are guidelines, not rules -- I think we all understand that. It does seem to me that, although sometimes I can hear rail "hiss," the scratchy sound of pre-ribbon rail days was a bit more pronounced (but then, I have lost some hearing). My ears--thru the air--is probably the safest. I would also add "My eyes" because the headlights on the newer stock is so strong, on an overcast day or late afternoon in Rochelle, it happens quite often that we can see those triples shining on the rails before the engine is heard. [bow]

Oh, and on the UP commuter line I sometimes ride (from Rogers Park station), sound is only a sometimes thing, especially since going downtown the loco is stationed at the rear of the train (the north end), pushing. But I can count on the flutter among the native wildlife: the commuters at the north end of the platform get all a-twitter when they sense/hear/see the train a-comin'! [:p]

[espeefoamer]

At Fullerton,where I usually watch trains,some friends have a computer hooked up to ATCSmon.com.This is hooked up through a scanner,and shows BNSF tracks between Hobart yard and Riverside.This system shows where the trains are[:)].

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

At Fullerton,where I usually watch trains,some friends have a computer hooked up to ATCSmon.com.This is hooked up through a scanner,and shows BNSF tracks between Hobart yard and Riverside.This system shows where the trains are[:)].

Ya but can you get deep trouble for just doing that? I have heard of it, But I wouln't take no chances.
Allan.

[spbed]

At the Colton Ca diamond when a EB is coming going over the Cajon pass there is a signal that lites about 5 minutes before the train arrives. WB off the Cajon pass there is crosssing signals that giveyou about a minute notice of it arrival. From the Sunset route WB just watch the signals. EB just watch the hill & you will see the ditch lites pop up [:o)][:p]

Originally posted by Brak710101
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Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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