While everyone either knows or should know that it is imperative to keep a safe distance from railroad tracks. That evidently does not apply to houses, at least not here in southwest Ohio. I know of at least two houses that are built so close to the tracks, that it is amazing a train can even get by. I mean literally only a few feet from the tracks. While the NS locomotives that pass by them today are certainly large and noisy. I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to get good and asleep and have a NYC Mohawk rumble by, as was the case for several years. The perfect house for railfanning I guess.
Depending on how old the house is, and when the railroad was built, it is possible the house was there first. I have seen one in Ontario where one corner of the house was cut back at an angle to provide room for the railway. Branch lines were often planned and built under local ownership who were more concerned with getting it open on a shoestring than high engineering standards. Subsequent evolution after absorption into a bigger system might turn a branch into an important mainline link.
John
Tight clearances are not that unusual but you usually find them on industrial leads or other low-speed trackage. If the clearance is as close as you say it is, there may be a speed restriction for that part of the line in the employee timetable.
Choo:
What state do you live in? If I know the state I can give you the exact citation for the clearance envelope in the state? (By “clearance envelope”, I do not mean Plate A,B,C etc…Both can be found in AREMA Chapter 28)
From the 1958 Model Law:
In general, anything sticking up above the base of rail less than 10 feet from the center of track is danger close. Anything less than 8ft 6 in (plus another inch for every degree of curvature in a curve plus one inch out into the tangents from the end of the curve) is grounds for removing the track from service. There are also special rules and exceptions for docks, signal appliances, knee-braces in bridges etc. Minimum overhead clearance is generally 22’-6"…There are also rules (currently changing) for how close an adjoining track can be.
Can’t count the number of times I have removed a track from service because Joe-Bob the agridummy jury-rigged some new structure too close too the track. I don’t care if the industry shuts down or I embarras the person who designed or placed the obstruction. [8o|] Not knowing the regulations is no excuse for killing a man on the side of a car. Sadly, fatalities or maimings still happen every year if you look at the FRA reports.
I don’t know how close is too close…but my next house will be next to a rail line…(haven’t told my wife yet)…I grew up near a rail line and never had a problem with the sound of trains passing through…of course…there was only one train a day. I might feel differently with 20 trains a day rattling my windows.
I am in the state of Ohio, both the track and the house have been there for years. If I had to guess I would say that the rails predated the house. It is right in the middle of town, so I am sure that there is a speed restriction. However, this was definitely mainline. Especially back in the day.