Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary
 [Register]
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-11-2013, 10:32 AM
 
Location: Sanford, NC
2,108 posts, read 2,713,967 times
Reputation: 4042

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by VickiR View Post
Trains in your backyard...that would take a special person to live with it!
Vicki
*jumping up and down waving hands wildly*

ME...ME...ME...I'm that special person!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-11-2013, 10:49 AM
 
5,570 posts, read 7,251,416 times
Reputation: 16562
Quote:
Originally Posted by VickiR View Post
As we were leaving, we asked the neighbor about the noise from the train. Her comment was, "we like trains and look forward to it seeing it and hearing it!". "And, the house only shakes a bit but you get used to it.".
I took Amtrak from Cary to DC a couple years ago. Somewhere along the route, there is a very small town with old homes (by old, I mean historic-ish, not dilapidated) whose front doors face the tracks. Their front yards were only separated from the tracks by a small road (and maybe sidewalk).

What really stuck with me about this town is that *everyone* stopped what they were doing to wave at the train. The guy raking leaves, the kids playing, the guy on his bike ... they all stopped to wave. It really struck me that these people seem to LOVE living by the train tracks.

It was a nice surprise, and probably the highlight of that trip. I'm taking the same train in a couple weeks. I'll have to see if I can figure out where that is.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-11-2013, 01:48 PM
 
875 posts, read 1,159,356 times
Reputation: 1174
Quote:
Originally Posted by apexgds View Post
I took Amtrak from Cary to DC a couple years ago. Somewhere along the route, there is a very small town with old homes (by old, I mean historic-ish, not dilapidated) whose front doors face the tracks. Their front yards were only separated from the tracks by a small road (and maybe sidewalk).

What really stuck with me about this town is that *everyone* stopped what they were doing to wave at the train. The guy raking leaves, the kids playing, the guy on his bike ... they all stopped to wave. It really struck me that these people seem to LOVE living by the train tracks.

It was a nice surprise, and probably the highlight of that trip. I'm taking the same train in a couple weeks. I'll have to see if I can figure out where that is.
Ashland, VA maybe?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-11-2013, 03:08 PM
 
5,570 posts, read 7,251,416 times
Reputation: 16562
Quote:
Originally Posted by netbrad View Post
Ashland, VA maybe?
Not sure ... I'll get back to you after Thanksgiving. ;-)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-11-2013, 03:19 PM
 
36 posts, read 77,807 times
Reputation: 25
We are moving to Apex in just a couple of weeks and our house literally backs up to the tracks. We'll be so close that we could sit on our roof and hit the tracks with a rock.

The home owners said that the train runs about four times daily and that we'll hear every one. They mentioned that some trains seem whistle happy and lay on the horn while others seem more understanding of the residential area. However, they're all required to blow the horn at the crossing.

We love the sound of trains although they've always been at a bit of a distance. I imagine they'll seem really really loud initially and then we'll just get used to it. We loved the house and neighborhood enough to risk it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-11-2013, 03:27 PM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
45,113 posts, read 60,214,676 times
Reputation: 60714
Quote:
Originally Posted by jodinc View Post
We are moving to Apex in just a couple of weeks and our house literally backs up to the tracks. We'll be so close that we could sit on our roof and hit the tracks with a rock.

The home owners said that the train runs about four times daily and that we'll hear every one. They mentioned that some trains seem whistle happy and lay on the horn while others seem more understanding of the residential area. However, they're all required to blow the horn at the crossing.

We love the sound of trains although they've always been at a bit of a distance. I imagine they'll seem really really loud initially and then we'll just get used to it. We loved the house and neighborhood enough to risk it.

How close, exactly?

If as close as you say your china will rattle, pictures on the wall will tilt and things will fall over. Really.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-11-2013, 03:41 PM
 
36 posts, read 77,807 times
Reputation: 25
Default Yep, we're really going to be that close

Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person View Post
How close, exactly?

If as close as you say your china will rattle, pictures on the wall will tilt and things will fall over. Really.
Yes, we will be that close. I'd say we're about the length of a basketball court away. I was thinking that I'd better put that mesh-type shelf paper in the cabinets so things don't move around.

Call me crazy but I think it will be just fine.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-11-2013, 04:16 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
12,475 posts, read 32,189,719 times
Reputation: 9450
LOL...y'all ARE crazy!

I live on the side of a busy road. I'm used to it. I don't mind it at all except on hot summer days when I want to sit on the deck and it is rush hour. But I knew when we built this home what I was getting in to. I knew I'd have to get a good price to compensate when it is time to sell. And, that is what I did.

Sure hope y'all did the same OR when it is time to sell, you find someone else that loves those trains!!!


Vicki
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-11-2013, 07:03 PM
 
Location: Sanford, NC
2,108 posts, read 2,713,967 times
Reputation: 4042
Quote:
Originally Posted by netbrad View Post
Ashland, VA maybe?

Ashland, VA is on my bucket list for railfanning. Hopefully soon!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-12-2013, 08:49 PM
 
Location: Berwick, Penna.
16,214 posts, read 11,290,935 times
Reputation: 20827
Quote:
Originally Posted by second right View Post
Everything I never wanted to know about train horn blowing:

UP: Federal Railroad Administration's Train Horn & Quiet Zone Rule

Here, in Wake Forest, the train horn blows but there seems to be some "code" to it. Two long, two short...one long two short...etc. I'm downtown so fairly close. They certainly don't lay on the horn though and we don't have many trains come through.
Railroads operate by a uniform set of rules; the sequence and duration of whistle or horn blasts relates to the specific action involved. These developed at a time when crew members had to perform their duties without the aid of radio or similar communication, and some even to back to the days of hand brakes and telegraph keys.

The practice of "two long, one short, one (sometimes very) long", has been prescribed since engineers first had to warn vehicles and pedestrians at street and highway crossings. It's possible that some states mandate sounding a warning at all grade crossings, but I'm not aware of any specific laws. More often, the operating rulebook (usually called an employees' timetable) will list specific points where the general rule may be waived.

There are still plenty of fools out there who play "chicken" at rail crossings. An engineer runs a significant risk (perhaps as much as 1 in 3 over a 25-year career) that if his job involves medium-or-greater speeds, he will be involved in a fatal crossing accident, and there is very little he can do to stop in time. Even more fearsome is the possibility that he might encounter a tank truck containing flammable liquids.

Last edited by 2nd trick op; 11-12-2013 at 09:15 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:



Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top