Living by the line

[Daz28]

I don't live near the railway now, but when I was a youngster my house backed on to the Dartford via Sidcup line near Mottingham. I must have been about nine years old when I woke up to the sound of commotion outside and looked out to see a cement wagon lying on its side having flattened the fence at the end of my garden. A freight train had derailed in the early hours and there were wagons on their sides all the way up for at least 12 gardens.

I recall the line was closed for about a week, and it was fascinating watching the recovery and repair work each day.

This would have been late seventies, and I've been interested in the railways ever since.

 

[scotsman]

I'm 30m from the Edinburgh - Aberdeen mainline. I don't hear most of the train, just the odd 66, HST or Voyager. If it's quiet, I'll probably hear whatever goes past. I have a rule that if I hear the sleeper pass (usually 0005 Mon-Sat), then it's time I ought to go to bed

 

[ChrisCooper]

I've got about a mile over open fields to the Midland Mainline, so if the wind is right can often hear trains at night, especially during the summer with the windows open, or when engineering work is on and they are blasting their horns. Problem is there is a busy road right down the back so most of the time that drowns out any noise from the railway.

 

[Ivo]

At home we are literally 100 metres from the c2c line. Idle 357s at a red signal just shy of Shoeburyness Sidings are a common sight from my brother's window. There is also an opening between two nearby houses that it shielded from the line only by a mesh fence. My Nan (nearly six years since she died now ) used to live across Shoebury Park from the washing plant, and before that instead of a garden fence she had the embankment on which the LTS stood between the Queensway and Chichester Road bridges in central Southend! We were literally fifteen metres from the myriad slammers shooting past

Here though, you can't see the line at all (compare my first two months in Bath when I was literally ten metres from the GWML) - but HSTs passing north of the site, roughly 1,200 metres away, can be heard all too easily, even in busy periods.

 

[amcluesent]

I used to rent a warehouse conversion right beside the line from Elephant to Blackfriars. When they sent a train through at 2am the whole place shook. Madness.

My gran had a place near the west highlight line, as kiddies we used to wave at the pax. That would be banned now.

 

[Waddon]

I have the Sutton to West Croydon line right outside my house, had a lot of disturbance over the last few years due to the building of the East London line turnback siding, also tramlink passes close by too. I particularly like the Network Rail rail grinder train at 2am, looks and sounds like a firework display, and fills the road with acrid burning smoke... lovely

 

[Oliver]

When I was a kid I lived in Woking next to the SW main line. The photo in the link was taken from my bedroom window.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100148154988351270887/TrainsAroundWokingInThe1960S#5602222458490203634

The house has been knocked down now, and the trees across the road almost obliterate the line these days.

 

[btcc fan]

Where I'm a lodger at currently backs onto the West Coastway line near Chichester.

Its only the non-stop trains that can be heard from inside but everything pretty much stops after 12pm. You get used to the noise after awhile.

The only annoyance is that I need a gate directly onto the station! Would save myself walking round.

 

[Greenback]

The Llanelli - Carmarthen line is at the end of my road, about one minute's walk. I cna hear the oil trains passing, and the DMU's if the TV isn't on, but the noise is not intrusive.

I have lived within earshot of one railway line or another for almost seventeen years. I don't think I could handle not being close to the railway now!

 

[142094]

About 100ft away from the ECML and Metro lines.

 

[Hydro]

Used to live over the road from the Kent Coast line, used to watch the slammers moseying past from my bedroom window occasionally.

I now live close, but out of sight, to Derby station. At night can hear the shed alarms at Etches Park and trains departing the station.

 

[Michael.Y]

I used to live on the embankment above the Ebbw Vale line near Rogerstone. Frequent sounds of 37s tugging aluminium, later 47s. Moved before pax services resumed.

 

[Schnellzug]

I'm a couple of streets away, but when the widn's in the right direction you can hear trains quite easily. You used to be able to hear the 442s climbing the bank quite clearly, although it can be annoying sometimes, when you hear a 31 or 37 and you can't quite see it.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Parallel road , but not directly backing onto to the MML north of St Albans - railway in cutting so the electrics and EMT trains dont bother you - though in the small hours you can hear the squeal of freight wagons and there is a mega freight around 3 am which can make the house shake - despite being a good few yards away.

I wonder what it was like in steam days - far noisier if accounting for the odd steam special - very rare - that goes by.

 

[stut]

About 50 yards from a 4-track section of the ECML, not far from the station. The railway is in a slight cutting at this point, between a very flat section and a deeper cutting through the station and town.

I rather like it - the rumble of the late-night freight trains is comforting rather than annoying. When there is engineering (and we're soon to have some more), Network Rail have been very good at notifying and involving residents. There are also some sidings which see idling, but never at unsociable hours (and it's not particularly loud, anyway).

You also get to know the sound of each train type as it passes!

I also love seeing the steam specials go by - you get good advance notice thanks to the number of farm crossings south of here!

 

[CosherB]

About a mile from the Manchester - Crewe line near Alderley Edge. When the wind's in the right direction you can hear in the distance the southbound Pendelinos accellerating from their Wilmslow stop, and also the diesel locos on freights.

 

[Ploughman]

I am about 3 fields and a ditch from the York - Scarborough line near Haxby.
Often used to see the Scarborough Spa steamers passing but the trees have grown too much now.
Also used to hear the 56s when they took the freights north from York late at night if the A1237 wasn't too busy. Locos are a bit quieter now.

 

[mikebillabong]

The line between Crewe and Piccadilly is 10ft from my house. Im a few hundred yards from Holmes Chapel ststion so nthe Northen 323s come past quite slow on the approch to the station.

After two days here we stopped noticing the passenger trains and sometimes we dont notice the containner trains (unless its a 70 when the bed shakes)

 

[telstarbox]

From my flat I can see the Manchester Metrolink and the Liverpool - Manchester Southern Route, so I see the trams plus Pacers, 150s, EMT 158s and TPE 185s, and some mixed freights too.

 

[NSE]

At uni right over looking the station throat south of Wembley Park, quite enjoy watching the trains go into/out of the depot in the unsociable hours

 

[IanXC]

If I had an excuse to move to Manchester Bovis are building new houses right next to Newton Heath depot

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The line between Epsom and wewll west runs at the back of our garden, but alas! The trees...!!








Incidentally, does anyone on here have a photographic line of sight from a window to and part of the Wimbleware or Hammersmith branches ( for C Stock )?

 

[313103]

When i was a very young boy the house my Mum nad Dad rented had a garden that backed onto the North London Line near Canonbury station. We later moved to a place near Holloway Bank and from my room i could see the Deltics storm up the bank.

I now live very near the Gospel Oak - Barking line between Upper Holloway and Crouch Hill stations. Although cant see the railway i often know when a freight train is going past.

 

[BlythPower]

My garden in Kenilworth backs onto the railway line. There's a good deal of freight, containers mainly, and an hourly Voyager each way. The angle my bedroom window is at I can see right into the driver's cab (not yet been able to spot XCDriver despite the fact I know what he looks like!).

I can see the rooves of this lot passing under the Spring Lane bridge from my bedroom window. Also get no waving from XCDriver.

 

[Yew]

I can see Lincoln level crossing from my kitchen (well. The stuff that becomes Lincoln crossing, the 4 track bit)

And fro my non-uni house, I can sometimes hear the robin hood line

 

[hacman]

My last house was right outside South Gosforth station.

We lived there for about 3 years, and the noise was considerable but never bothered us. The house quite often used to shake with trains coming and going, and when one of the works trains went through that was often rather interesting!

If anything the excess light from the station used to bother us more than the noise!

From my bedroom you could see the entire station, the junction beyond the road bridge, and even into the control centre!

Current house is a bit further from the railway (TW Metro and ABT), but you can still hear the trains if the wind blows in the right direction... Daft as it sounds I almost miss the noise, even after 2 years!

Jon

PS - anyone on here remember the webcam from South Gosforth station?

 

[umontu]

Within very good hearing distance to the north of the Blackpool to Preston line at Wesham. Used to live within viewing distance of the South Fylde line, still remember the old dmu's from when I was young and seeing the signal box lights on when it was dark.

 

[ert47]

I can see Lincoln level crossing from my kitchen (well. The stuff that becomes Lincoln crossing, the 4 track bit)

Is that from the Courts or from the Pavillions?

 

[Yew]

Pavilions, From my old flat, I could see free Nottingham line from one window, and all 4 for the other

 

[PFX]

My apartment window overlooks the Lagan bridge on the Belfast Central approach along with the junction of the Larne and Bangor lines.

My alarm clock used to be the 4SRKT powered 80's and Castles (450's) leaving for Larne first thing in the morning but this is becoming an increasingly rare sight/sound since the withdrawal of 80's last year and the near complete withdrawal of the Castles.