Who can see or hear trains from where they live?

[Andrew Blaszczyk (2)]

Listening to the NJT rush two blocks away from the comfort and warmth of my bed this morning got me curious. Who hear can either see or hear a railroad line from their home?

[Hatchetman]

I can hear horns for sure. The train itself if the wind blows right. I have two main lines within about 1.5 miles of my house (CP & UP).

[troy12n]

I hear all sorts of things... not trains too often though.

I do have a CSX branch 1.8 miles from my house, and under ideal conditions, I can her them blow for the crossing. They run once a day each way M-F, and I am usually not home when they run, but if they are running real late, and I have the windows open, and the wind is blowing in the right direction, I can hear them. It helps when they use one of the ex-SCL or L&N GP38-2's with Leslie RS5T or one of the ex-Conrail GP38-2/40-2 which still may have a Leslie horn.

[Joe the Photog]

I can hear CSX on thed old Columbia, Newberry & Laurens. At my last place, we lived within sight of the CSX and NS lines out of Cayce, SC during the fall and winter. Brush and leaves cut off our view in April and May. Before that we lived across the road from the L&C Kershaw District in Lancaster. Another time e lived right off the L&C's Original 29 mile line twice and out in West Memphis we lived across the road from the Union Pacific line to Texas which saw about as many BNSF trains as Pete. Some of these places were by accident; othrs I moved there because of the trains.

[bigbassloyd]

Yes.

Loyd L.

[KevinM]

Yes. I can occasionally hear the horns and/or the rumble of MBTA Commuter Trains, the Amtrak Downeaster and Pan Am Freights. I am probably a mile or two from the tracks. I am a light sleeper and that's far enough away that the trains don't wake me.

I love trains and airplanes....I've been a fan of the former since I was a little kid and I've been flying the latter for 30 years....but I have no desire to live close to either tracks or runways.

[CSX1702]

The CSX Toledo Sub and the NS Dayton District are both just blocks away from me. They converge in my small town. At about midnight, they sound like they're storming through my house sometimes.

My profile picture was actually taken about a quarter mile from my house.

[Mr. Pick]

Can't see them, but can hear the horns under most weather conditions. It's about 1.5 miles as the crow flies from my house to the CSX line.

[WMHeilman]

I've got a shortline about 2.5 miles north of me that I can hear when I'm around, and CSX's busy Garrett Sub around 3 miles to my south that I can hear almost all the time.

[magicman_841]

I live two blocks away from CN's transcon. My apartment shakes when a heavy freight rolls by. It's not a good view, but I can see them roll by at the end of the street from my balcony.

[Bob Pickering]

About 2 miles away I have the FEC I can hear the whistle for the crossing and the rumble, the engines and sometimes the clack clack as they hit the switch at Dorena.

[trainmaster_1]

I live about 800 ft away from a busy double track CPR mainline, cool summer nights with the window open you can hear them bang across the diamonds at Davenport and West Toronto a mile west of my place or listening to the east bounds (especially with SD40-2 power) in a low throttle setting begin to throttle up when the engineer sees the clear signal, hearing them getting closer and closer in full throttle. Not bad for a guy who works for CN and lives next to CP.

[Chase55671]

I have a Norfolk Southern secondary line about 50 yards from my bedroom and I have CSX about a half a mile across the river. I certainly don't complain.

Chase

I have 2 CSX subs within 3 miles of me, the Union Railroad on the opposite hill to me and the NS Mon Line on the opposite river bank from me. I can shoot the Union at the Irvin Works out of my bedroom window if I open the window and make a small effort.

[travsirocz]

Directly across the street from the UP depot in Altoona, WI, and it is for sale.

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by travsirocz

Directly across the street from the UP depot in Altoona, WI, and it is for sale.

Future studio for dewitzphotography.com and captureyourselftoday.com?

[travsirocz]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

Future studio for dewitzphotography.com and captureyourselftoday.com?

If only money grew on trees

[Freericks]

Closest active track is about twenty miles away, although a light rail line is being built that will come less than a mile from the house, and my house is between four abandoned rail lines, all within two blocks (two were the legs of a turnaround balloon track and the other two were an ATSF freight line and a PE passenger and freight line).

That being said, I've lived within bedroom window view of the tracks in South Orange NJ and North Hollywood CA. Loved watching the trains go by in both locations.

Before I remember, we lived in a house in Colonia NJ that was right on the Pennsy main line, so as a newborn I heard trains from my window constantly. My mom thinks this is why I am still so interested in trains.

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by Freericks

Closest active track is about twenty miles away, although a light rail line is being built that will come less than a mile from the house, and my house is between four abandoned rail lines, all within two blocks (two were the legs of a turnaround balloon track and the other two were an ATSF freight line and a PE passenger and freight line).

So you live in a tent in the middle of a post-industrial wasteland? Do you shower at work?

[Freericks]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

So you live in a tent in the middle of a post-industrial wasteland? Do you shower at work?

I live three blocks from the ocean in one of the nicest towns in America (amazing public schools, extremely robust police force that is a part of the community, some of the most successful shopping centers in the country, the largest Little League in America, huge PTA, huge AYSO, great houses of worship, 4th of July parade, oh, and lots and lots of movie stars). [Hmmmm... wonder if I took J's response personally... ]

Sadly, it got that way through a massive renewal that included the elimination of all of those train lines.

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by Freericks

extremely robust police force that is a part of the community, some of the most successful shopping centers in the country

They need to go up north and pick up a trick or two about using pepper spray!

[Freericks]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

They need to go up north and pick up a trick or two about using pepper spray!

Davis?

We don't have the spiders, extreme heat, or hogs either.

[Dennis A. Livesey]

I live on an island with maybe a hundred miles of tracks on it with some of the busiest rail junctions and some of the greatest densities of rail traffic in the world...and 95% of it is underground. In heavy weather I hear Metro North trains as they use the horn on enter/exit of the oldest (circa 1850's) working railroad tunnel in the US, the Park Ave.

I am about a mile from the tunnel's entrance on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

[n70guy]

I am about 2 miles from the UP Line in Eugene Or., and I can hear them... mostly at night.

[jac_murphy]

About 500' from the point where AMT commuter trains from Candiac, Vaudreuil and St-Jérôme converge for the run to Lucien-L'Allier station in downtown Montreal. Also about a half-mile from CN's main line east from Montreal and CP's line south, which also hosts MMA freights. CP's St-Luc yard is just under 2 miles away, and I on occasion I can hear bangs from a particularly violent coupling.

-Jacques