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Old 03-20-2013, 10:39 PM
 
Location: Tucson, AZ
1,588 posts, read 2,516,741 times
Reputation: 4188

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Even though I am a quarter mile from the tracks I still hear sharp blasts from train horns like its in my bedroom at all hours of the night three to five times per night. I figured a quarter-mile would be enough and I was conned into believing the Portland and Western tracks were "practically abandoned" as my realtor put it. She said they roll though very slowly and couldn't use horns or chimes after a certain time.

Well, it is all a bunch of BS.

I called Portland and Western to ask why they have to blare the horns at all hours. They told me it's a very complex safety issue. Apparently, before they can make our area a quiet zone they have to spend a quarter of a million dollars to upgrade the crossings so that cars can't go around the gates. So I asked her in typical 5 year old fashion.... why? Well, sir if someone gets hit at our crossing they can sue us if they claim that they didn't hear or see a train coming or that our gates were faulty.

This explanation dumbfounded me. Why, can they sue you? The gates are down, the chimes ringing lights are flashing. If They go around, it's their fault. She said "I'm with you sir, but whe have been sued before." Then she continued to say that "there is a state and federal safety agency called the Federal Railroad Administration that has mandated that trains MUST blow their horns before reaching "unimproved crossings"

So I asked her why does MAX not have to blow it's horn or have to have so much as a crossing arm for 90% of it's street crossings? Well, MAX is light rail..... So MAX... I guess it's LIGHT rail... How light is it? Last time I checked it still weighs enough to massacre a Semi truck.

So just how dangerous are these crossings? What are the staggering numbers of people killed by trains per year? 907. wow 907? Furthermore, the FRA believes that 30-50% are likely suicides. Incidents involving cars at RR crossings? only 248. There are those who say one is one too many. Sorry, I don't believe that. If you go around the arms or if your loitering on train tracks then you deserve whatever comes to you. I have told each one of my kids not to go onto train tracks unless it is at a marked crossing for any reason ever. We watch a few of those worlds scariest shows, and they have a healthy fear of trains with out me even telling them to stay away.

Now, mind you I understand the world doesn't revolve around me, and maybe I'm a lighter sleeper than most. But my kids wake up and my stupid dog starts growling and wimpering when she hears the horns. I understand there is a need for public safety at the crossings and legal ramifications.

But there are 2 things I don't understand at all.

First, The train rolls though Milwaukie at 10mph and the crossings all have gates with flashing lights and chimes. Why is it STILL necessary to blare the horn for 3 minutes. If you didn't hear/feel the rumble see the lights that are 3 times as bright as a car headlights and didn't hear the first minute worth of horn blaring, you have bigger issues. Plus what the hell are you doing on the tracks at 2 am anyway?

Second, why is MAX exempt from the same rules, why does MAX never blare it's horns? People walk all over the MAX tracks and do dumb stuff in the vicinity of MAX trains. Do they think that people will go around crossings but will magically obey a red light or don't walk order?

All I'm asking for is for them not to blare the horn between 10pm and 7am, any other time who cares. I was told by Portland and Western they have this conversation 15 times a week, but their hands are tied by government regulation. Of course everything is tied up by government regulation.

I just don't understand why with seemingly everything today we always have to make a majority suffer for few idiots who can't think for themselves or have even a shred of personal responsibility.

Anyone else live near railroad crossings have any advice? what do you do to keep the noise down? We have looked into windows, but a friend told us they would be ineffective by themselves. He was surprised by how loud the train horn is so I'm guessing our complaint is valid. We were thinking about taking the sheet rock out of the walls and putting some sound deadining devices in there as well, perhaps acoustic tiles or better insulation?

My neighbors said they have gotten used to it but still hate it and can't figure out how it's still so loud at our distance from the tracks. They told me that this will be a quite zone once they re-do the crossings for MAX but the P and W spokes woman said that isn't set in stone. I'm not waiting around until September 2015 for a quite zone either.
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Old 03-21-2013, 12:28 AM
 
Location: Pacific NW
6,413 posts, read 12,094,855 times
Reputation: 5860
I grew up in Milwaukie, on top of the ridge above the train tracks. We could hear them, but I enjoyed it. It was great for imagining where they might be going .... so sorry, no complaints from me.
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Old 03-21-2013, 12:49 AM
FSF
 
261 posts, read 310,640 times
Reputation: 551
Wow! I feel for you. That would totally suck. I think you have two viable options off the top of my head:

1) You can start a grass roots campaign and get as many people in the area to sign a petition and try to get the "government" to see the error of their ways (yeah...I realize how stupid that sounds). It would be hard to imagine not being able to get a substantial percentage to sign.

2) You can begin to talk in the only language these people seem to understand and coral some kind of a class action suit, against Portland and Western. Hopefully you'll have a decent litigious lawyer (yeah I know...redundant) in the neighborhood who is as fed up as you are.

I'm personally too lazy and aloof to get involved in this types of matters but if I were a neighbor, I would certainly be willing to sign a petition and join any suit (though I've never personally been involved in any sort lawsuit), as well as offer financial support. Regardless of what you do, I wish you well and sympathize.
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Old 03-21-2013, 12:53 AM
 
Location: Pacific NW
6,413 posts, read 12,094,855 times
Reputation: 5860
I failed to add that when, in my childhood, I listened to the trains was about 40 years ago. I'd say you're going to have to hope that there are all new residents, if you expect them to rise up and object. They've seemed mostly able to deal with it.
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Old 03-21-2013, 08:49 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,779 posts, read 4,004,115 times
Reputation: 924
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnricoV View Post
I grew up in Milwaukie, on top of the ridge above the train tracks. We could hear them, but I enjoyed it. It was great for imagining where they might be going .... so sorry, no complaints from me.
My sentiments too. I love hearing train horns in the distance. Feels like it's calling me to a long journey somewhere. And now I live right near a MAX line. No big deal either way.
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Old 03-21-2013, 10:15 AM
 
3,633 posts, read 6,142,017 times
Reputation: 11376
I lived about a half-mile from railroad tracks that go right through the middle of Davis, CA, and had the same issue, but I grew up fairly close to train tracks and enjoy the sound - if not TOO close. The engineers are required to blare their horns at level crossings, it's true. When I purchased my house there, my realtor suggested sitting outside the houses I was interested in at times the trains went through during the day to get a feel for how noisy it would be at each location. Your realtor did you a disservice to downplay the noise. We actually had one resident in town who was able to get the real estate company to buy their extremely expensive house back because of such unethical practices.
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Old 03-21-2013, 10:29 AM
 
Location: Portland, Oregon
10,987 posts, read 20,469,687 times
Reputation: 8261
Neither the city or the state can do anything about train noise. A train is obligated by statute to sound its horn when transiting an uncontrolled crossing. Portland installed crossing barriers in NW 9th to abate train noise in the Pearl.

To some extent train noise is reduced when old tracks are replaced by welded tracks.
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Old 03-21-2013, 10:42 AM
 
Location: Jennings Lodge, OR
478 posts, read 878,136 times
Reputation: 454
I also lived abut 1/4 mile from the Oak Street crossing. I sleep with earplugs anyway, so the train noise wasn't an issue; waiting 20 minutes for a very long train to clear the crossing was more of an issue!

I thought that Milwaukie had gotten some funding and was working on a project to improve the Oak Street crossing so it could be made into a silent crossing? If that's the crossing you are near, you might check with City Hall and see what's up with that.
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Old 03-21-2013, 10:43 AM
 
Location: Just outside of Portland
4,828 posts, read 7,413,637 times
Reputation: 5115
There have been several people killed in train accidents in Milwaukie through the years.

Let them blow their horns all they want if it saves a life.
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Old 03-21-2013, 11:08 AM
 
192 posts, read 450,740 times
Reputation: 334
I'm about a mile and at a different elevation from the nearest train tracks, and I can still hear it at night on occasion. I grew up in a train town as well; that may help a person's brain learn to ignore it a little. I wonder if you would adjust the same way after more time. A white noise machine may help lower your brain's response to the horn.

I also have a drama queen dog who gets upset at "scary" noises; it can be very disruptive. Have you tried a Thundershirt at night? or a DAP collar?
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