The TP&W runs right through where I live, and a few miles west From Lafayette Ind. north theres CSX, and to the south of me from Lafayette North Norfolk Southern .
I am 3 blocks away from the CN Grimsby Sub (Toronto to Niagara Falls, ON) a mile or so from the CN Stamford Sub (Niagara Falls to Fort Erie (to get to Buffalo)), two blocks from Trillium Railways’ Interlake Paper lead, and 3 mile north of the CP Hamilton Sub (runs between Guelph Junction to Fort Erie via CN Stamford Sub at station sign Robbins East).
The old MNS, then SOO, now CP, runs diagonally across the street in front of my house south of Milwaukee Junction. My front door is about 75 ft from track! Naturally I photograph unusual loads and cars on the morning run to Bloominton where the CP delivers the cars for Progressive Rail, which runs the rest of the old MNS High Line through Bloomington, Richfield and ends in south Minneapolis. It has built up the business. Many Monday’s 20-30 car loads are taken south. TC&W pulls grain trains from western MN to Savage Barge facility, usually 26 car trains.
Pictures available.
Part of my backyard is the former right of way of the old Wabash/NS branch into Urbana, IL. It was torn out about 1980, the track relocated to connect with the former NYC (P&E) further east in town and the ROW divied up to adjacent landowners. Eventually, the relocated NS line was also taken out (ca 1990) and now the old NYC/Conrail line doesn’t even get past the city limits.
I bought the property after the RR was torn up and the trains only run in the basement here now, although I have some G scale stuff that may eventually run in the backyard. So I’m happy to have a piece of the old ROW, even though I’m a Rio Grande modeler and not Wabash. Digging around has turned up a few pieces of hardware, but nothing specifically RR-related, except a bit of old ballast.
I live a few blocks from what used to be the Southern Pacific tracks. They are now used by Caltrain which is a commuter line that runs from San Francisco to San Jose.
lets see… I live about 100 - 150 yeards away from the Union Pacific’s West Colton Yard in Fontana California… also Amtrak uses the lines as well… and a couple miles north we have MetroLink… not to mention BNSF all over the place as well.
Where I live in San Diego, we have a trolley system no trains. But in our visit to Las Vegas, at the closest strip mall to where we were staying the UP has a track between the stores and the apartments. I saw more trains in 5 days in Vegas, then in 45 years in San Diego.
That was cool
Tim
I live about 4/10s mile from the BNSF trunk line through Central Oregon. Can’t see 'em from my house but can sure hear 'em.
Interesting, just as I was typing this, a train made it’s presence known.
“Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance, everbody thinks it’s a dream”- Paul Simon Dan
Tim - one thing you forgot about is that amtrak runs into downtown as well as BNSF I think… maybe it’s UP… not sure though… I used to ride the amtrak once a week down there from anahiem to visit a girl I was dating in La Mesa.
I’m about 30 miles or less(dont really measure it)From the Maryland and Delaware RR.Not alot of action but its a athril to see a RS3m hauling cars around
Four miles from the AT&L railroad, and about 9 miles from the UP Railroad.
I live about 1.5 miles from the old Wabash line to Peru In. Yes it belongs to NS but its still the Wabash!!! We can hear them blow for the 2 crossings that are nearby. When they are coming into town you can hear the Engines struggle as they are heading into the grade. I havent made out which engines are which yet. I should know, cause I worked for NS for a couple of years. We also have the NKP to Chicago to the North of us. Its about 2.5 miles from us. We also can hear the NS boys Blow for the numerious crossings that are in hearing distants…
Got to love that!!! Kevin
I live about a mile from the main line from the west coast and south to a big port Lyttleton, 9 coal trains (return) and freight roar thru 24/7.
Two passenger trains leave in the morning (6.30 coastal pacific and 8.15 Tranz Alpine) and return in the evening.
If you guys ever want a nice scenic train ride come over about June/July/August for a train trip thru the most beautiful snow capped mountains in the world!!
Ken.
I live about a half-mile from a CP line in Milwaukee. Through the city, and neiboring Chicago, you can see equipment for just about every line in America and Canada. CP, CN and UP run though Milwaukee and the number of railroads in Chicago is too long to list!
I love it, there’s actually a thread on the Trains forum about Chicago drowning in trains!
~METRO
I bought my house in Chateau-Richer (about 20km/12miles east of Quebec City, Canada) at the end of August 2004. It is situated across the street from the CFC – chemin de fer de Charlevoix (or, for you non-francophones : Charlevoix Railroad), a subsidiary of CN. Its a single track short branch-line. One train per day passes in each direction (Monday to Friday). [^]
I can sit on my deck and watch the train pass on warm summer afternoons. In the 6 months since I moved in, I’ve grown so accustomed to the noise (and vibrations) that I hardly notice it now. However, I do miss it on weekends when there are no trains. The trains don’t follow a set schedule – they seem to run whenever they have enough freight to make it a worthwhile trip. So, the Quebec City bound train may pass as early as 2pm or as late as 4pm. The out-bound (empty) train is usually about 3 to 4 hours later.[8D]
I could be so bold as to suggest that I am one of the few lucky ones to live that close to an active railway.[swg]
As you may have seen me brag elsewhere, I live 1/2 block from NS’s ex-NKP line from Chicago to Cincinnati via Ft Wayne. I can see the trains in winter (trees and bushes get in the way during summer) from my living room window, if I stretch around a bit.
I live about a mile or so straight down the street from a Union Pacific line with lots of traffic. Though I can’t see the trains , I can certainly hear them clearly.
I live 6 houses away from the old CNJ seashore branch. To bad I never saw a train on it. Now I never will its a bike path. Joe A.
I live 150 metres from a short line, nice seeing as trains only go by 2 times a day and almost allways in the day.
Morgan
I live near the CSX main line that runs from Phila. to Baltimore about a 1/4 mile away. You can hear the horn blow as the train cross at Main St. in Darby,Pa. Also about 1/2 away is the old Pennsy mail line that runs from Phila to Washington D.C.