Neighborhoods and trains (Fort Collins: buying a home, buying, schools)

[kini3]

So we have decided Fort Collins is for us, now the house hunting and narrowing of areas begins. Schools are crucial for us, but I've been pleased with options so far...
One home we saw and liked is in the Willows, backs to open space and then TRAIN tracks, so I guess I need to know how often the train would be coming by.... I have to imagine this is a negative for this home....

Any neighborhoods folks can recommend that may not be as affected??
Thanks!

[Mike Weber]

That track is used less than the track farther west. The track that runs behind Willow Springs probably sees 3 short trains per day, whereas the one that runs down Mason Street may see 6-8 in a 24 hour period.

[Mike Weber]

Neighborhoods close to Willow Springs with similarly priced homes include Westchase, Harvest, and Observatory Village.

[kini3]

Thank you Mike!

[barefootmeg]

I live in Old Town and while I can hear the train if I'm outside our by a window on the front side of our (southfacing) house, I can't hear the train nearly as loudly in our bedrooms because the house next door blocks the sound. On a day to day basis, I generally only notice the train if I'm outside.

[thitzler]

I came from an an area in Illinois that had a lot of train traffic through town. All of the RR crossings were "no horn" crossings so the only noise was just the rumbling of the train itself. In Fort Collins that is not the case. On the contrary. I think that locomotive engineers are given incentives to disturb the peace with their horns. I live near the Power Line Trail that runs parallel to train tracks for a little ways through Fort Collins. Day and night the horns blast whenever the trains come through. Fortunately, they are not commuter trains so they do not come through that often, but it is still enough of a concern to me that I would not consider buying a home near RR tracks. Why doesn't the city make the crossings "no horn" crossings?

[lanormun]

Consider the available routes to and from where you are going when thinking about the trains. I have to cross trains at Vine dr and at Riverside on my way to work. I just have to leave early because at times these trains are doing there switching. By that I mean you can sit and watch a train pull forward stop awhile then back up stop then pull forward again etc. this can really back up the traffic sometimes. I have waited on a train in one spot only to wait on the same train at another spot as well. I don't think you will ever see "no horn" crossings there have been too many accidents where people have died, over the course of time.

[barefootmeg]

"In June 2005, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued laws governing
the use of train horns at grade crossings throughout the United States. These laws,
included in the Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade
Crossings, state that a train crew must sound the locomotive’s horn when approaching
a grade crossing."

I tried to add a URL for the file that I copied that from and it was 4 lines long. :-P But you can find it pretty easily by Googling for no horn train crossing. Select the Fact_Sheet_Quiet_Zone_.pdf

The trains didn't used to blow their horns so much. But now the Feds require it except in certain situations that would cost Fort Collins millions of dollars just to explore. (I believe there was a lot of discussion on all of this back when they were working on Mason Street in Old Town.)

[Mike Weber]

Here you go, Meg:

http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/media/u...uiet_Zone_.pdf

[barefootmeg]

Originally Posted by Mike Weber

Here you go, Meg:

http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/media/u...uiet_Zone_.pdf

excellent! thanks, mike. :-)