Loveland Trains (Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor: rental homes, houses, buying)

[PokeCheck]

So the family and I are moving to Northern Colorado the first week of December and we're looking for rental homes in Loveland, Windsor and West Greeley (starting new job in Greeley). While searching I'm noticing quite a few train tracks, especially in the mid-Loveland area where there seem to be more rentals.

Are the trains a big pain or what? Where we currently live, in Los Angeles, we have trains that not only cause traffic but wake us (and our 5 month old) up in the middle of the night with their loud horns. We want to avoid this ... entirely. So tell me ... should I just stop looking anywhere near these areas? "Not a big deal" will be enough of a deal breaker for us ...

Thank you in advance, folks!

[krh6609]

I own a rental property in Loveland that is about 2 blocks East of the rail line and YES, you can hear the train even though the tracks are significanty below the street height in that area. The train runs at least 3 times a day and they love to blow the horn. If you are really sensitive to train noise, then stay a few miles from the tracks. The air here is thin and sound have a tendency to travel farther tahn in lower elevations.

[oldtrader]

It is not they love to blow their horns, they are required to do so for warning there is a train going to go through a street crossing for peoples safety.

You don't get the heavy train traffic, you are used to in California.

[PokeCheck]

Yes, I know how/why they blow their horns. Right now we live in a poorly planned area where there are crossing every few hundred yards ... it's terrible.

I'm noticing more and more homes near tracks away from actual crossings, but still pretty close ... it really looks like you could throw a rock from your backyard and hit the tracks. Would I need to worry about noise if we live in one of these homes? I'm conflicted ...

[Mike Weber]

Main cross streets in this area are usually spaced about a mile apart, so if you backed to the tracks, the farthest you would be from the crossing is .5 mile. If the train is required to start sounding the horn .25 mile before reaching the crossing, the farthest you would be from the sound of the horn is .25 mile. Even without the sound of the horn, if there is a squeaky wheel, you 'll hear it. The diesel engines are not terribly quiet, either. If you are very sensitive to the sound of a train, you had probably better avoid it.

That being said, I lived right next to the tracks in Fort Collins during college and got to the point where I hardly noticed the horn blowing 15 yards from my bedroom window.

[oldtrader]

In Loveland, you can be miles away from the trains very easily, and still be in Loveland. We lived in Loveland years ago, and lived far enough in the 3 different homes we owned over that time period, and never did hear a train at our house.

[supercar]

It is funny; when we moved to Loveland we looked at one house that was close to the tracks and we thought that was a bad idea. None of the other houses we looked at seemed close to the tracks. The house we ended up buying was probably about a mile from the tracks. After moving in and sleeping with the bedroom window opened, we noticed we could hear the trains. Eventually, we must have become accustomed to the sound because I rarely noticed it, but once in a while I would still hear it. Now we are in a house slightly closer to the tracks, but the bedroom is on the side away from the tracks and I never hear the trains.

[Vic 2.0]

Originally Posted by oldtrader

It is not they love to blow their horns, they are required to do so for warning there is a train going to go through a street crossing for peoples safety.

Kinda late on this, but I think the horn blowing is completely pointless. Anyone able to get away from the train tracks will hear, see, or feel it coming with or without a horn. If the engineer should see someone STUCK on the tracks, they can blow the horn for them (It'll probably have more of an effect in an area that isn't accustomed to hearing it all the time, though) If someone has fallen asleep or is walking with their discman on the tracks, same principle: Blowing the horn goes unheard until the train is quite close to them already.

Why NOT do it? I won't argue necessarily that it's "wrong", but the various health problems that can result from noise pollution probably constitute a bigger threat, since that affects everyone in the area every single day (Yes, even people who say they like the sound). Rant over.

[Lazieboy]

I used to hit the train 2X a day. to work and back. sucked waiting for traffic. lived 1/2 block from trax it was very annoying. ya u get used to it eventually somewhat.