Working rail roads and their tracks.

[buckeyefarmer]

Just found this picture of a turntable that used to be in my town. Now a gravel parking area.

 

[bcp]

Just found this picture of a turntable that used to be in my town. Now a gravel parking area.

From the other direction.

Bruce

 

[ArlyA]

these old photos are the best! I see feul oil tanks and water tanks for steam engines. From the auto's in it, maybe dated in the 30's. Is that a grain elevator on the right?

 

[Hay Dude]

View attachment 700004

From the other direction.

View attachment 700005


Bruce

Wow! Amazing.
Looks like and Industrial “work of art”.

Remnants of one in my area:

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Turntable is from around 1920, so could be the 30s

What google shows now.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Listening to the train whistles now on those tracks.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yay!!
100 pages!
(at least that what it shows on my computer)

 

[Hay Dude]

Listening to the train whistles now on those tracks.

You know, the local train whistle is almost part of my life in my little town.
If it stopped, it would feel “strange” not to hear it. Like something in my daily routine was missing.

 

[MossRoad]

You know, the local train whistle is almost part of my life in my little town.
If it stopped, it would feel “strange” not to hear it. Like something in my daily routine was missing.

Over the past few years here they've banned train horns with quiet zones at most of the crossings unless there was an emergency. When you have several dozen crossings in two side-by-side towns and 100+ trains per day, and the trains were required to blow their horns as follows:


"Train horns must be sounded in a standardized pattern of 2 long, 1 short and 1 long blasts. The pattern must be repeated or prolonged until the lead locomotive or lead cab car occupies the grade crossing. The rule does not stipulate the durations of long and short blasts."



It got old real fast as it appeared each engineer had their own "style". While it is nice to hear them once in a while, a train every 10 minutes in both directions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.... the towns had enough and enacted quiet zones.

The only exceptions are the South Shore passenger line, as it crosses about 10-12 unguarded crossings. It's only about 12 times a day and stops at night. That one isn't bad at all.

The Train Horn Rule and Quiet Zones​

Click here
Under the Train Horn Rule (49 CFR Part 222), locomotive engineers must begin to sound train horns at least 15 seconds, and no more than 20 seconds, in advance of all public grade crossings.
If a train is traveling faster than 60 mph, engineers will not sound the horn until it is within ¼ mile of the crossing, even if the advance warning is less than 15 seconds.
There is a "good faith" exception for locations where engineers can’t precisely estimate their arrival at a crossing and begin to sound the horn no more than 25 seconds before arriving at the crossing.
Train horns must be sounded in a standardized pattern of 2 long, 1 short and 1 long blasts. The pattern must be repeated or prolonged until the lead locomotive or lead cab car occupies the grade crossing. The rule does not stipulate the durations of long and short blasts.
The maximum volume level for the train horn is 110 decibels which is a new requirement. The minimum sound level remains 96 decibels.

​

Establishing Quiet Zones:​

The final rule also provides an opportunity for localities nationwide to mitigate the effects of train horn noise by establishing “new quiet zones.” “No horn” restriction which may have existed prior to the establishment of the rule may be qualified to be “pre-rule quiet zones”. In a quiet zone, railroads have been directed to cease the routine sounding their horns when approaching public highway-rail grade crossings. Train horns may still be used in emergency situations or to comply with other Federal regulations or railroad operating rules. Localities desiring to establish a quiet zone are first required to mitigate the increased risk caused by the absence of a horn.
Learn how to create a Quiet Zone here. Additional resources on Quiet Zones can be found below.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Like your wife, once you get used to certain sounds you just tune it out and don’t notice.