I find nothing wrong with living along a busy rail line… I rather enjoy it, besides, as the ex (well, not really the ex any more) will tell you, I can sleep anywhere, through almost anything.
Part of the problem could also be that the idling locomotives vibrate something just right in this person’s house, creating a rattle that is fairly annoying. Do they want the railroad to handle this home maintenance, too?
(It may be a little ironic, but out of all of the trains that went by on the “mains” a few hundred feet from my tower today, the only thing that resonated one of my windows was a pair of CN Draper-tapered EMDs, both when they brought in a train and when they went back light to the other end of the yard. This was noted before I saw the story.)
If they can hang on, perhaps traffic will be lessened when CN’s routings begin to utilize the EJ&E. I’m sure I can find someone out around Eola who won’t mind! [;)]
P.S. Crossing fingers for you, Tim!
Look at KATO or KIM/Hotstart (www.Kimhotstart.com) for openers.
The BNSF (ex-Frisco) main line goes past my back yard, within about 300’ of the house. We are at the top of the grade, and have been here 45 years. The line has welded rail and there are no switches. It wasn’t always like that, and I miss the clickety-clack which used to put me to sleep.
There is a crossing about 500’ feet away, and they always blow. Yet we in the neighborhood are well satisfied and I’ve heard no complaints. One fellow, older than me, told me a few years ago that the steam engines used to shake the neighborhood, with the pounding of their counterweights, and my house did have some cracks in the wall when I moved in. The cracks have been fixed and have stayed fixed. The diesels are easier on the rail and the ground.
We did have a visit from Frisco #1522 some years ago, and they did shake, but it was worth it.
I know I’ve seen some CSX loco’s that had some sort of auxiliary system that allows the prime mover to shut down. Haven’t actually seen it in action however. I almost think I’d prefer to listen to the prime mover idling than a smaller auxiliary Diesel, which is going to run faster.
I would imagine that a high percentage of the noise complaints are aimed at the GE units. They don’t idle at a constant speed, then there is the screech when the fan kicks in, the main reservoir blowdowns sound like a small explosion, and don’t forget the electric air compressor motor.
As already pointed out the EMD’s share some of these problems
On the other hand one unit must be kept running (or be operational smart start equipped) to keep the brake pipe charged to at least 60psi. If the train sits over four hours with less than 60# the FRA requires a No 1 air test be performed. Of course the railroads don’t want that extra delay, no matter how long the train has sat there.
When I was out in Elburn shooting some photos, I shot a picture of the METRA yard that is there, and the units weren’t idling, but rather appeared to be connected to some sort of “shore line” that plugged into the locomotive, (see photo)
Were all engines to be shut down, then there is no air supplied to the train brake system. After 4 hours without air on a train, a complete terminal brake test must be performed on the train…
Yes, I am aware of that… got the gauge to prove it.
Common practicce around here is to keep one engine idling, or with the autostart jogging.
Berwyn is the city that loves to bill trucks for damage to city proprty however the property turns out to be of PRIVATE TYPE. I hit a tree branch in Berwyn that was overhanging ROUTE 34 a city desingnated Truck route which means the way for a semi to get through the town. I was billed over 1500 bucks for the disposal of the tree limb a 3 inch limb man that must have been a expensive city contracter. Then the court crap started they refused to bill my insurance carrier for my boss since I was driving a truck at the time. I finally jumped thru all the hoops the city prosecuter laid out for me and got lucky the last month got the same judge for the 2nd time. I handed the JUDGE THE RECEIPT FROM THE CITY WITH A COPY OF THE CHECK ON THERE SHOWING THAT THE BILL WAS PAID IN FULL. He then goes city boy and goes he meaning me has met EVERY SINGLE ROAD BLOCK OBSTRUCTION AND BOONDOOGLE YOU HAVE THROWN AT HIM. I AM DISMISSING ALL CHARGES AND RETURNING HIS LICENSE HE POSTED AS BOND. THE CITY ATTY RIPPED THE LICENSE OUT OF THE JUDGES HAND AND WENT HE WILL GET THIS FREAKING THING CLEANED UP FOR BERGIE WHEN I AM GOOD AND READY TO GIVE IT BACK TO HIM AND THAT IS WHEN HELL FREAKING FREEZES OVER. The judge goes I have had enough of your attitude CONTEMPT OF COURT BALLIAFS TAKE THE CITY ATTY TO THE JAIL AND TO THE COURTROOM ALL CASES DISMISSED. My insurance company had a note on the check stating that the tree the city claimed was city owned was actually private property. They also refused payment on the check after making sure the charges against me were dismissed.
And people make fun of small-town Southern speedtraps (sigh). “City boy” notwithstanding, though, doesn’t it feel good to have finally gotten justice from the judge? Especially since your prosecutor/persecuter got chewed out? And the branch was privately held all the time – how incredible venal: and I thought Chicago cops were to
Surely this great story about the Berwyn city attorney being jailed for contempt and all other cases dismissed made the local newspaper. I’ll look for it. What was the date?
Sorry Poppa did not make it I check the next day Sept. 24th 1996 called Berwyn wanted no egg on face that week this is when their SCANDALS WERE BREAKING.
The noise of trains roaring past or idling for hours cannot be any worse than living at the bottom of a long hill alongside U.S. 41 in the days before I-75/85 in Atlanta. Truckers, as you may know, don’t just push in the clutch peddle and hit the brakes as they roll downhill. They are constantly downshifting to try to conserve those brakes and the 24-hour a day noise was very, very loud in my bedroom on the front side of the house. For about a month. After that, I never heard it again. When someone tried to burn my homeroom, I didn’t hear the fire trucks heading up the hill.
The fact is that we are wonderfully made to become insensitive to the aggravations around us - except for the jerk I used to have to work with until he went to third shift. But sounds and smells just seem to go away after a while. If that guy in Berwyn would just get a life, he’d find that he doesn’t even hear the trains again. But then some people are only happy when they are upset.
I live within sounding distance of three railroads and a hospital (2 blocks away).
The trains dont awaken me at night, but let me tell you the sound of a helicopter circling to land on a roof less than 200 yards away has the tendancy to make you jump out of bed. You wonder if it is coming in your bedroom window.
If I lived adjacent to a railroad and there was constant movement, it would be something you could live with. However, to have a locomotive idling right outside your house is unacceptable. The man has every right to go to the city in my opinion. That is just poor planning and operations. Like Carl said the constant vibration will drive you crazy.
About a month ago a similar thing happened in my neighborhood. College students returned and had a party on a Saturday night. The constant droning of the bass kept me away for quite awhile.
I like trains, own stock in the CN, understand the points made of knowing there is a railroad in the backyard, but seriously…a droning idling locomotive for hours on end is unacceptable.
ed
when I was a kid, for a while we lived in a house with a very busy B&O and NYC three track mainline 200 feet from the back bedroom where I slept.After a week or two I could sleep all night longand neveer hear a train. We had a crabby neighbor who claimed the trains kept her up all night and constantly complained to the RR, for years.My dad would always yell back "Why did you move here in the first place?"I think the guy in Berywn is bothered by the trains for the same reason as the crab because he’s paying conscious attention tothem. He might as well move because now aftwer the newspaper story made him famous he will never be able to ignore those trains agian. He probably sees himself as a crusader. LOL
Chico
This reminds me of a scene in the movie Blues Brothers:
Jake moves in with his brother Elwood . The tiny flat has a window right next to the Chicago “el” tracks, with trains roaring by loudly. Jake asks how often they run, and Elwood’s reply is something like “so often, you don’t even notice.”
As for people moving into a predictably noisy zone and suddenly being shocked, I am reminded of the people here in Southern California who bought tract homes in the flight path for MCAS El Toro, then started complaining about the Tomcats flying over! Some people embarrass themselves without feeling a thing.
I’m not all that familiar with Berwyn (much less the IC’s route through there!), but I wonder whether there is any wat the CN can mitigate the problem.
Here in Lombard, we have/had a similar situation. Trains have been held out (“staged”, in UP parlance) at Finley Road forever, but when UP took over the operation it became much more common–trains waiting to get into Proviso, or waiting for the IHB or CSX to accept them, or just a convenient spot to go dead after a grueling trip. West of Finley it’s well over a mile to the next grade crossing, so this is one of the best places to hold trains out for that reason.
Besides happening with added frequency, you also got bigger, newer power. Again, vibration was probably the chief culprit here, as people across the street from the tracks (on Glen Oak Road) complained loudly to the railroad. As a consequence of that, UP told crews to stop further west by Milepost 22–well out of Lombard, and west of the DuPage River. Just one problem–there are houses there, too, and the folks in unincorporated Glen Ellyn were now upset. (In fact, one resident came out to yell at an engineer whose train was idling on the center track, and got herself bumped off by a scoot on the adjacent track that the engineer was trying to warn her about.)
So now, trains still stop at “Finley Road”, but it’s actually closer to Interstate 355. The “begin locomotive staging area” and “end locomotive staging area” signs are about 100 feet apart.
I wouldn’t mind the sound of idling locomotives too much, but cracking walls or rattling windows might be another story. And sometimes the low-idle setting sets up stronger vibrations than “normal” idle.
Well you’re assuming that it’s the same train.
I doubt that most non-railpeople can tell the difference. It could very well be several trains coming, waiting for a few hours and going from the area all the time
I think NYC has hit the nail on the head.
MC - thanx for info - kind of like the old diesel Rabbit my daughter had many years ago.
I still would rather listen to all trains than the constant loud stereos that vibrate the windows. (At least I can sing to the trains…)