This is what is happening downtown Des Moines Iowa. There are people who complain that train whistles ruin the quality of life. The tracks have been there a lot longer than the housing, but you always have people who complain.
It got so bad in our quiet little Ontario town that someone actually shot at a crew running through the night. Fortunately the shooter’s aim was no better than his intelligence. One thing I haven’t been able to get a satisfactory answer to… the RR laws here in Canada are federal. How does a local town by-law prohibiting whistles take precedence??? The whiners need to hear the whistles and think to themselves " hey, people here are safer and commerce is working."
You are all right railroads and their enginers should have the right to blow their horns at any time they want to even though it might be illegal to do so at certain times of the day or night. And it might even be illegal to do in some states but. I still think it is a real big safety issue hear.
And always remember to look right left and right again before crossing tracks because trains dont keep time tables
This is why the Constitution has the Supremacy Clause which dictates that Federal Laws trumps all other laws. If one of these “Quite Laws” made it to the Supreme Court, they would strike it down.
bobchuck
Not sure how it works but in Canada, towns can pass bylaws or whatever and have the railroad not blow at crossings. As a railroader we have a few crossings that have the no whistle blowing posts. They do have wigwags and crossing arms though. I believe their liability insurance goes way up as rumor had it that one town was going to do it but the insurance cost was to high. The wierd part is that we do not have to ring the bell anymore at crossings except those that you do not need to whistle at.
Although I faithfully blow the crossings I am not sure how effective it has really become in this day and age. Most near misses I have had was simple the drivers were not paying attention even with me blasting away. The last grade crossing that happened on my subdivision killed a man. A school bus was stop at the crossing by the wigwags, The truck was crossing the opposite way and just kept on going. I felt very sorry for my 2 railroad buddies. The conductor had only 1 month to retirement and the engineer was pretty shook up as he saw the whole thing unfold and all the whistle blowing did not help. How effective is a horn, with a vechicle’s windows rolled up and the radio on or using the cellphone and just not paying attention. I have often thought that if a spike belt came out for those that try run the gate they would end up with 4 flat tires. Maybe that would get them thinking. For other crossing I thought maybe a high intensity strobe light that would flash when a train was approaching could get their attention.
I know from the near misses I have had they were not even aware of how close they got to being hit. One I had been involved in got out of his car and puked after he seen how close he had come. In my opionion nobody goes out with a death wish and they are truly tragic accidents. I wish I knew of a better way to get people’s attention.
Brent
Just when I thought the “Quit Zone” on the River Line in Kingston was bad enough, I read in my local paper that comunity groups are staunchly opposed to triple-tracking the LIRR mainline in Nassau County, NY because of noise; even though this project would eliminate 5 grade crossings that have been notorius for accidents. It high time our politicians and the MTA told these NIMBY idiots to F— off!
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!! [:(!] I couldn’t agree more. I mean, if you don’t like it, LEAVE IT!! That’s what I think. If I was an engineer on those trains and was going through a horn-restricted zone, you know what I’d do? I’D JUST BLAST THE HORN ANYWAYS!! One of these days a lot of people will be killed at one of those “silenced” crossings, then maybe they’ll learn. Maybe! [:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!]
Eliminating the horns would go a long way towards eliminating all the stupid people . . . I would just feel bad for the sensitive train crews.
Wasn’t this stupid new law on no Horn blowing at grade crossing was sapposed to go into affect if im am correct. If it where me,Since the stupid public wants this sinceless law so bad. I think that the Railroads should not be held liable for the damages to what ever accadents that might occure at our nations RR crossings anymore. “You cause that Train to hit you…Well,Your on your own”. You “can not” sue the RR because of your own Stupidty. Allan.
The new federal law went in effect June 24. Communities needed to talk to the FRA regarding any new or grandfathered whistle ban. To qualify as a “Quiet Zone”, need to have 4 quadrant gates, a median, barrier gates, stuff that a motorist probably can’t get around.
In MADison, WI, there is a whistle ban. We can still blow the whistle if there is imminent danger. The crossings with gates I’m not too worried about not blowing for. It’s kinda nice not having to blow for every crossing when they are so close together. Less noise in the cab. The crossbuck ones and the ones with lights and bells, people just don’t stop. Both times I have hit automobiles at crossings (no injuries or deaths) have been at crossing with lights and bells.
Here in southern Delaware we are getting more and more people moving in from other states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland). They’re not used to farming operations or chicken houses. So when there’s an occasional unpleasant odor they want to make a fuss. Well, too bad. The farms were here generations ago.
I really suspect that the people who try to ban train horns are just trying to exercise some sort of power play. These are probably the same kind of people who run around telling their neighbors when to mow their grass, get ordinances passed to ban motor homes and boats from being parked in one’s driveway, and form civic associations.
Picture this: instead of blowing a horn, the engineer would push a button activating a device in any car getting to close to the crossing. A hand would come out of the dashboard and slap the driver in the face.
Maybe they bought their house back when loco’s still had romantic sounding whistles? so how can you blame their choice of residence? Come to think of it, all those instructional sighs don’t have and “H” on them , do they? No, they have a “W” for whistle…So I think the lady may have some grounds [8]
Romantic sounding whistles? As in steam? Ah, then, she’s probably lived there at least fifty years and usually folks that old aren’t out circulating too many petitions around the neighborhood.
Schemerbob, you blow the whistle in the “quiet zone” and you’ll be in trouble with the railroad because then you’ll be in violation of the rules and it wouldn’t take any time at all to find yourself turned in, things just don’t work that way.
Back in the seventies, there were at least three no-whistle ordinances in Indiana that I was aware of: Frankfort, Wabash, and part of Fort Wayne, where only the bell was sounded and the whistle was to be blown on in the case of close calls. As for crossing accidents, don’t specifically remember an excess of them but one is too many.
They really are letting this out of hand, they have a whistle for a reason people, you dont like it, MOVE!
Alec
As I sat down in my patio a couple of hours ago ,The whistle from one of
UP freight trains blew a few times.I only live a couple of miles from the station and the tracks.That sound bounces off the little hill I’ve been living on for the past 15 years.I think the people on the other side of the hill can hear
that whistle on a clear day also.To me those horns and whistles are a must.
and those persons that can’t stand them should either wear ear plugs or
move back to their homeland.I just wonder how close to a freeway they
live.The ones with no soundwall yet.
The whistle of a train is worth a million words.The petition from that woman isn’t worth 2 cents…
DaveBr
I agree!!!
They can just pack there bags and move.
[#ditto][#ditto][#ditto]
Why did they move near tracks anyways?
Some people are such idiots.
Railfans should live near tracks, not people who complain about train horns!
I realize that I would be in trouble with the railroad, but there’s just something I don’t like about silenced crossings. I agree that it may be kind of ignorant to blast your horn everywhere in urbanized areas, but if your just going through a town less than say 60 or 70 thousand people (not really considered a “town” anymore) I don’t see why it’s such a federal case. Hey, there are a lot of nice, quitet, and “peaceful” placed to live where you are about 20 or 40 miles away from any railroad track. If you don’t like it you should just move there…it isn’t like there aren’t any places in cities where you could move to either.
People are thinking that with this federal law will stop all train whistles immediately. My local newslpaper had it all figured out. But like most uninformed reporters, they didn’t. There is a branch line that serves a local power plant and sees one train a day to the plant. They think UP will rush in there and install lights, gates, etc. just to please them. Boy are they in for a rude awakening. No way will a railroad, or the local DOT spend the money on a line that has slow moving trains once a day.
Perhaps these NIMBY’s can dig into their own pockets and pay for the lights/gates.
She is a idiot! I was railfanning near the local CSX line and right as a train came into view, some @#$%ing moron drove his raised Dodge Ram through the gates!!! Not two seconds after he cleared the gates, the train came barelling through at 60MPH. What an idiot!!!
If by chance this woman was around with steam, I’m sure she complained about the smoke!![:D]