train noise (Naperville, Lansing, Grayslake: apartments, renting, new home)

[kjkkad]

i'm thinking of moving to lansing and the house i'm looking at sits one street over from what looks like a major train track (sherman ave near the golf course). can anyone tell me about train frequency, noise, etc?

(I mean Lansing Illinois)

[tcs1366]

I live near the Metra Rail line [milwaukee west] and Ugggggggg, i honestly do not know how some folks can live so close to the tracks [in back yards, across the street, etc]

their homes must just shake and rattle.

I used to live 3 blocks away ... and i had this dresser drawer that had handles that clanked very time a train went past. .... ALLLLLL hours of the night.

7yrs ago, we moved 3 more blocks farther away .... and while we still hear them... i have nothing that rattles.

my point being.... I'd NEVER live close to train tracks AGAIN.

I can't tell you specifically about that rail system in Lansing.... but it's possible it is Freight and Passenger... then the frequency will be high.

I know there are some tracks where it may only run once per week.... but i highly doubt it.

Hopefully someone familiar with that area will jump in.... but i for one would avoid any and all tracks.

[Steve-o]

I used to live right on top of the Metra station on Rt. 59 in Naperville and never had an issue with anything rattling, etc. The apartments had nice, thick glass to drown out the sound and it worked wonders. You really had to strain to hear the trains, thats how insulated the place was. But if youre going to buy and older home right next to the tracks, it might become annoying. I dont know how some people do it, or also live right under the airports. Ugh, no thanks.

[cohdane]

I'll second what was said about Freight and Passenger tracks above. We're looking in areas that have various railroad tracks and our realtor said to avoid any tracks that have freight cars-- they're a lot louder and they take FOREVER to pass-- all hours of the day and night.

Commuter tracks are not as bad, according to her. The heaviest traffic is during rush hour-- when you may not be home anyway-- the trains pass quickly and relatively quietly (except when they blow their horns), and there isn't any traffic in the middle of the night.

[kirstie707]

I completely agree with tcs 1366! We just finished renting for 8 months in Grayslake with a train in our backyard (freight and metra). Even once a local law passed for "quiet corridor" with no train horns the house would still rattle at night. I completely slept through the earthquake because my body was conditioned to rattling!! The freight trains run all night- esp. on Sundays.
Don't think it is a good idea for resale either...

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by kjkkad

i'm thinking of moving to lansing and the house i'm looking at sits one street over from what looks like a major train track (sherman ave near the golf course). can anyone tell me about train frequency, noise, etc?

(I mean Lansing Illinois)

I live right in the area you are looking at (around 186th and Sherman). The trains (mostly freight, occasionally Amtrak) come through pretty frequently (I'd estimate one every two hours or so) and we only hear the train whistle/horn, not the actual train. However, after a few days of moving in, I didn't even notice. I don't know if you would adjust the same way, but it doesn't even register with me anymore.

[tcs1366]

Yes -- Steve -O, we did live in an old home [built in th '20's] . but even if i was in a new home... I'd still never live near tracks.

our next home will be 50 miles from trains, planes and highways ... i currently have all 3.

[kjkkad]

thanks everyone, especially skye1974
if you happen to take a walk in nice weather down to the end of Sherman, maybe you could ask anyone you see on the street about it????

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by kjkkad

thanks everyone, especially skye1974
if you happen to take a walk in nice weather down to the end of Sherman, maybe you could ask anyone you see on the street about it????

I will do that.

[evergreen07]

i live behind the metra in the chicago suburbs and dont even notice a thing. i've lived there 20 years. but it's a commuter train which is significantly less noisy than say amtrak trains. in college i got a dorm right behind an amtrak route and it's livable, but a little more noisy. also check out if your town has a law requiring a train to blow its whistle every time it passes through a station. if you're close to the station, that's going to be unbearable.