There’s a general question for all, besides a specific question for Beatle.
The Beatle Part:
I know you live in Houston, and you must live somewhat near me because when you could hear the race cars a few weeks ago, I could hear them too. Now I’m really getting annoyed by trains! Can you hear them? I can hear trains blowing horns from my place, but I can’t figure out where the noise is coming from: There are tracks in the Heights, and going E-W more or less, and then a line going N-S that crosses San Felipe, Westheimer etc. And I seem to hear the horns migrating from one side of my house to the other. But, geez, it seems too loud to be those tracks – the line across San Felipe must be several miles from my house, and the heights line is only a little closer. Is there another line towards downtown or south around 59 that I don’t know about?
This morning it woke me up around 4:30 or so and continued off and on until I got up, 3 or 4 trains I think. (And I hope your answer isn’t “Train Horns? I don’t hear any train horns.”)
The General Part:
What are the rules for blowing these train horns, anyway? I expect they blow them as they cross road and highways to warn away errant cars and persons. But these old engine driver guys are leaning on them. It’s no “TOOT! TOOT!” as the engine approaches the road, it’s a “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhhh! Waaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhh!” that seems to go on for minutes. And one time the Wagh! will be muted, and then the next Wagh! will be just as loud as any.
Could the sound be travelling several miles to my place and still be loud enough to wake me? I’m not a real light sleeper – this is loud. If that’s what it is, how do those of you sleeping near railroad tracks fare?
I’ve seen a map of rail lines around Houston, but can’t recall at the moment whether there’s any lines in addition to the ones you mention. In that end of towen, most of the tracks belong to Burlington Northern Santa Fe, although there may also be a Union Pacific line in the area.
The rules are, two shorts, a long and a short, blown for each highway crossing. Many engineers have their own style, however, as they can vary the strength of the horn sound a bit. When there are several grade crossings over a short distance, the engineer will likely just lean on the horn all the way through.
This is not 'cause they want to wake you up, but because automobile drivers have this annoying habit of pulling out right in the face of approaching trains. There are many freights in and out of Houston each day, and with the terrain being dead flat, as you know, there are many crossings at grade. Hence all manner of cacophany at night.
Up here at Squirrel Manor, in eastern PA, there is a crossing about 1 1/2 miles away, and I can hear the trains blowing for it clearly. Fortunately, it’s just loud enough to be a comforting sound rather than throw me out of bed.
You bet I hear 'em! If I awaken during the night I often just lie in bed and listen to the trains until sunrise. And it surprises me that I hear them so well.
I live in the Montrose area, basically across the street from St. Thomas University. So the lines I’m hearing from have to be either the north-south line you mention that runs parallel to the 610 West Loop or the other you mention that runs near I10 in the Heights and bifurcates east of Studemont.
There is a track still along Westpark just south of, and parallel to, the Southwest Freeway. But it ends around Buffalo Speedway and, since it goes nowhere, is little used. North of downtown is a switching yard and east of downtown there are several lines associated with the Port of Houston and the plants along the Ship Channel. Nothing else is even close to the south.
But no way am I hearing from anywhere but one of the first two (the ones you mentioned). And, yes, I’m miles from both. One thing I did notice was a definite increase in traffic on the one running beside the West Loop after they pulled out the track that paralleled the Katy Freeway in 1998.
I don’t know what else to tell you, Enkidu. Yes, I hear them, and yes, I’m surprised at how well I hear them. And I was a little surprised at the amount of wee hours activity. I can hear them at home during the day (heh - I can hear one right now), but I don’t hear them at my office, which is (much) closer to the West Loop.
El_Kabong: Perfect answer. I expect that what I’m hearing the most is a train traveling on the N-S tracks, which cross in short succession three significant roads (Richmond/Westheimer/San Felipe] at grade level. So the old engine driver is giving a fairly continuous blow on the old horn as he goes along. And I do think they are trying to wake me up, they hate me, I know they do. Kidding. I bet it makes them giggle once in a while, though. Must be fun blowing that horn.
beatle: I’m not far from you, over near the Christy’s Donuts on Montrose and W Gray.
On further consideration, I must add these factors: I recently moved from a brick to stick residence. Also, now that it has cooled off considerable in Houston, I’m not running the window shaker A/C unit at night. Reckon that accounts for me recently picking up on some more of the ambient night noises. But I’m glad you agree, it seems odd that it is as loud as it is at that distance. And it seems odd that you don’t hear it more at work down that way. I was thinking that there is some pretty high priced realty between me and those trains. Guess folks just get used to it.
Thanks for your replies, now let’s have a smile for an old engine driver.