With the demise of the local branch lines, I am curious how many railfans are caught living in a place without any railroad nearby? For example, it seems like parts of northern New England could be frustrating to live from a railfans perspective. They used to be full of railroads and yet today few remain. Imagine living in St. Johnsbury for example. A former rail mecca that now sees what 2 or 3 trains a week if you’re lucky? If you’re in this situation do you find your interest in railroads diminishes over time? How far away are you from an active railroad?
Used to be 3 houses from the tracks with a siding for mow stuff behind our local Jr.high.I am 5 miles north of town now but still can hear them.I am also within reach of 4 csx, I&O,maw and 4 ns lines.just depends which way I want to go.(usually east to Deshler)
stay safe
joe
I’m in good shape myself, but according to a Trains article about all 50 states a year and a half ago 46% of all of the track that has ever existed in South Dakota has been pulled up. Rails were coming up as far back as 1930.
And if the state hadn’t purchased all of that Milwaukee Road line in the late 70s the percentage would be MUCH higher. Then of course there’s DM&E. If all of the C&NW lines had been pulled up too, we would have been left with next to nothing.
The state leased the line to BNSF for over 20 years before they purchased what they wanted from the state. Dakota Southern operates on what’s left, plus they have trackage rights on BNSF from Mitchell to Sioux City.
I live 20 minutes by car from Worcester, MA (on the CSX ex-B&A mainline), but unfortunetely I don’t have a car… I can bike to two lines (long trip though, I’ve never attempted it), but they only get a few trains a day…
I live about 2.5 miles from the BNSF triple track Chicago-Aurora “Racetrack” mainline and about 1.5 miles from the EJ&E as it comes north through Aurora/Naperville area and so I can hear trains at night on both lines very clearly when my windows are open.
The BNSF is right across the street from me… Around the Chicago area, it’s hard not to live close to railroad tracks, although, in southern Illinois, the story is a bit different. There are a few (as far as I know) unused lines that used to be active, or trackage that had been torn up.
For the record, as metioned above, the BNSF is right across the street. Add to that, I live about a mile from the IHB, about 4 miles from the BNSF’s ex-SantaFe line, and the Willow Springs/Hodgkins UPS intermodal facility. To the north about 6 miles or so is the Union Pacific, and at about 10 miles or so is the CP Rail C&M Subdivision out of Bensenville. Then, just about 3 miles to the north is the CN’s ex-ICG through Hillside. Farther south is BRC, NS, and CSX lines that come into Chicago, as well as the CN’s trackage out of Markham Yard. Out west is the EJ&E.
I often wonder about railfans who live in areas nearly devoid of rails, or train traffic, and what the level of frustrtaion might be. We are spoiled here in the Chicago area with all of the rails, and train traffic we get to see. My oldest son is attending job training down in southern Illinois, near the Kentucky border, and he has no idea where the closest railroad is, and since he grew up around here, the lack of train noises is the first thing he noticed.
I live close enough to an NS line that I can read the engine number from my back windows. If I look hard enough I can see the former NKP Cloverleaf line that is now a short-line. The NS New Castle District used to see upwards of 24 trains a day before the Conrail split. Now it varies between 12-20 a day. The short-line runs as needed. At night, if I leave the windows open, I can hear their GP10s idling between the cicadas. Now, with the cost of fuel, I suppose they will shut them down between runs.
I lived for over 40 years in Richfield MN along the old MN&S “highline”, through Soo Line, CP and now Progressive Rail running trains on it. The line was across the street from me. Every time the line changed hands the city thought it was going to be abandoned and tried to get it to turn it into a “rails to trails” (which would have been a disaster), but each time it never happened and trains kept running…if only a couple times a week, opposed to twice a day c.1968.
Not nearly close enough for my liking. I can hear CN trains in Sussex about 6.5 miles away, but that’s about it. And they mainly run at night around here. Sigh. At least I get to be immersed in them at work! 
Kathi
My mom lives in a condo in a southwest suburb of Milwaukee. There isn’t a single railroad, not even an abandoned one within 10 miles in any direction. The CP (ex-MILW) main runs about 15 miles east of her place, but nowhere close to being in earshot. That, and her stubborn determination to never buy cable TV, can make visits a bit dull.
I live about three miles from the CSX line between Louisville and Cincinnati. Closer yet to the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant. At the end of the month we are moving to Shelbyville and will live less than a mile from the NS Danville line. I will now have to get used to NS instead of CSX. And the R J Corman line will be a couple of miles away too!
The “Mackay Branch” mentioned in my location has not seen a train for more than 20 years. The right-of-way still can be seen in most places where the farmers have not removed the embankment.
The only significant railroad activity in my area is the Union Pacific in Pocatello, about 130 miles away.
At $4.50 per gallon, I am not doing much railfanning at the moment.
Wow, 130 miles. If I could send you some of the view out my front window, I would! [:)] From a railfanning perspective, that’s rough… how do you get your railfanning “fix”???
I live 4 blocks from an active shortline, 8 blocks from the BNSF mainline and yard.[8D]
I used to live in Fredericton, New Brunswick…a provincial capital with no rail service. Soon after CP and CN pulled out in the early 90s, the last tracks were pulled up in 1997.
I live about 5 minutes from the EJ&E Western Sub in Joliet, and about 15 minutes from Joliet Union Station and the EJ&E Yard in Joliet.
Six years ago we were looking for a house to buy. we looked at one 100 yards from the Union Pacific line thru Idaho. The house had a picture window facing the tracks, with a clear, unobstructed view from horizon to horizon.
Although the house was in good physical condition, it had a massive mold problem in the basement. I lasted about 5 minutes when we went inside. I am very alergic to mold.
In the lear after we looked at the house, UP had two derailments right by the house.
Oh, and did I mention, there was a large rusted water tower just down the tracks that UP never got around to removing?
I grew up in California were I could hear the Southern Pacific freight trains going under a highway underpass. I now live on the east coast and the nearest railroad tracks are two and a half hours away. My wife of thirty years knows what’s going on when we slow down as we near a railroad track. I very seldom see live moving trains. But with the help of the internet (Trains webcam and You Tube) I get to see some train action. Another web cam of the Dunsmier siding in California, or the Tehachapi line also in California would help, but I can’t pry the membership fee out of my wallet. Other web cams are available if you look on the internet.
Ahh right in the front yard the WSOR (formerly MILW road i wish i could have seen them!) i can pretty much wave to them in my front yard just to many trees.(time to cut them down to see the trains!!)
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I live between Milford and Holley Michigan, have the CSX right in my back yard and man she sure is busy… I must see at least 3 trains north a day and 2 empty south at night, mostly coal, grain, and I think chemical cars. Sure would have been cool to see some passenger trains come by back in the day.
I will never forget the look on the real estate agent when she said “I’m sorry about the train running through the lower area there”. And I replied “sorry for what” I’m sold!