Living by the line

[David Dunning]

I am interested in how many members actually live by the line or can see the railway from their house. I used to own a property north of York which was 10 feet from the east coast line. It took a few months to get used to the 24/7 traffic flows and engineering work was a bit of a nightmare noise wise but by and large it was ok . No resale problems either. Who lives/lived in similar properties. How was it for you.

 

[GarethW]

Its about ten yards to the West Coastaway, which is raised on an embankment ........ train noise doesn't bother me, all night engineering is a pain though when they get the grinders out ......

 

[Harbon 1]

My garden backs onto the birmigham - derby line and can be noisey of your not used to it. Freight trains stop next to the house and its still jointed so a bit of noise from that. However, i would NEVER move

 

[IanXC]

I live right next to the Yorkshire Cost Line. Little bit bored of 158s going past now though, next to the ECML sounds like a much better location!

 

[WelshBluebird]

The place I am renting at university is in the street by the GWML through Bath. The house is on the opposite of side of the road though, so there is some shielding from the noise. It really isn't that bad, and there have only been a couple of times where the noise from passing trains has annoyed me (both times I was struggling to sleep and the last train of the day (or is it first train of the morning?) passing Bath at around 1.30am jumped me a little more awake).

 

[David Dunning]

I think I will always live within earshot of the line. My current house has a brilliant view of trains speeding along the ecml. I think on balance i prefer a field between me and the line rather than a fence though. The engineering work now sounds like its taking place on the railway and not in the bedroom

 

[yorksrob]

Geographically I'm quite near Goose Hill junction, and occasionally I hear something large giving off a beep nearby

 

[ValleyLines142]

Well everyone, I can safely say that the South Wales Main Line is effectively my back garden, and there is a signal right outside my house, so now and again trains will stop, although this only tends to happen if services are running late for some reason. A little morbid maybe, but if the train was to derail it would come crashing into my house. I will take a picture and upload on here soon (I have a good shot of a double-formed 175 stopped on the signal - rare, not many double-formed 175s booked). Rolling stock includes: 142, 143, plenty of 150, 153 (not so often), 158, plenty of 175s, 66s and HSTs (plenty). A new station is set to be built there soon, as my house is only about three or four minutes upon departure from Cardiff Central and the next station is Pontyclun, about twelve miles away.

During the night, one freight service that passes at about 3am literally makes me house shake! It's madness!

I also have the Cardiff City Line going across my house, it's further back and stretches across the South Wales Main Line before calling at Waun-Gron Park.

 

[Michael.Y]

I actually live on top of the tunnels outside Newport. Can hear / feel trains rumbling through underneath.

 

[David Dunning]

The shakes were a funny part of living there . It was like a very mild earth quake. Never enough to rattle pots and pans but you would feel it in bed. It would start with a tremor which kind of wobbled u a bit until the train had passed. A few years before I moved in in 1997 a train derailed and passed the crossing/house on the ballast. I am told then everything shook very violently.

The location was Beningbrough R/G Crossing 7 miles north of York for those who are interested.

 

[Swr28]

Im right next to the Cambrian line, a section just outside Machynlleth, excellent when i was small always woken by a class 37/4 usually 37 427 leaving with the 07.30 Aberystwyth to Euston...not quite the same atmosphere with a 158.

 

[Eagle]

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!).

 

[David Dunning]

I also rented place in Grampound Rd in Cornwall when I worked down there.
being single track it looked like a sleepy branch line rambling thru the middle of the village..until an HST thrundered thru at 70 plus .
Went back recently and its not quite the same since redoubling. Looks more "main line" now
Used to go to bed when the Sleeper to Paddington went past and wake up with the one to Penzance in the morning .

 

[150222]

I can see trains on the Caldervale line going past Todmorden viaduct but can't hear them and can hear trains on the York to Blackpool line but not see them. Strange?

 

[ert47]

At the 2 parental homes I've had, there has been a train line running behind the house. 1st one was a branch line from Crystal Palace to Beckenham Junction, and the second one had the partial view of the BML and Selhurst Depot from the back bedroom window!

 

[craigwilson]

I'm geographically quite near to the Chatham Main Line - I can see the approach to Margate station from my upstairs rear window.

Not near enough to feel the trains but close enough to hear them!

 

[Poolie]

I live in the nearest house to Seaton Carew, but the strange thing is I can hear the warning horn, but then no clickety clack as the GC or coal trains go by

 

[ainsworth74]

Well if I walk five minutes up the hill out the back of my village then I can see the Darlo-Saltburn line. But I can't actually see it from my house. At uni I can hear the horns of the trains on the Yorkshire Coast Line as they go through Cottingham and sometimes on a quiet night you can here the rumble of 158s as they power out of the station.

 

[caijinzhi]

en... that s wonderful.it s my dream!

 

[The_maiLman]

Not quite the same, but at my nans house you could hear either the Northern or Bakerloo line rumbling underneath

 

[Blindtraveler]

i used to live in one of the blocks of flats you can see on the right as you approach Inverkeithing station, just before you go under the road and approach the platforms.
Im now 2 minutes away from the ECML and craigentiny depot. Can hear traffic using the mainline
and if a heavy freight is going along things sometimes vibrate a bit but its rare. The downside of being near the depot is that XCs voyagers stable there and have the toilets emtied! a pongy opperation! Funny how they stil stink in traffic as on a hot night you are lead to believe there cant be any more crap left in them!
upside of course is idaling HSTs and have particularly enjoyed the X EMT set when it visits. Shame its being reengined.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
mTU or not it was stil a lot of fun on the 27th hearing all these0power cars being restarted after Xmas! I was out and about as was doing voluntary work and at 4.40 in the morning with nothing else round it was as clear as a bell!

 

[DarkestDreams]

My flat overlooks the NXEA line between Liverpool Street and Stratford. Luckily, we have triple glazing so you can't hear a sound unless you open the windows.

 

[warrior33]

Currently have Southeastern (Greenwich Line) running at the back of my house, soon to have Crossrail, taking the private land and garage, at the back, for their running lines soon enough!

Certainly feel the rumble of freight trains, right bugger at night time. Add the Network Rail engineering trains with thier high powered lights all over it!

Not complaining however, feels quite nice living so close. Stations only a 3/4 minute walk.

 

[NSEFAN]

I live near the south western mainline. I can't see the trains but I can hear them, especially the intermodals with their wheelflats!

 

[EM2]

An overbridge on the Gospel Oak - Barking line is next-door-but-two to me. If there's an eastbound 172 in the platform at Wanstead Park, I can see the rear cab from my bedroom window. I have a picture on my home PC somewhere, I'll see if I can find it and upload it later.

When I was younger, I had a bedsit in a house that had a garden that backed onto the northbound platform of Maidstone Barracks. I could quite easily throw a stone from my first-floor window onto the platform.

 

[TheJRB]

I live quite close to the Marshlink. I can't see it (although it's only a short walk till you can) but I hear it with the windows open along with the sound of the A2070. The best part is hearing a 37 or 20 powering through on the flasks. There's a bridge I sometimes go to not too far away that gives a nice view of the line. It's going to be quiet without any passenger traffic after today until March!

 

[Tramfan]

I live about a mile away from Blackpool North, but on a still day (rare in Blackpool!) I can hear trains clattering over the pointwork from the front garden, as well as the occasional blast on the horn.

Not the same, but I could hear Blackpool's Trams rumbling by at night when the TV's off, before they closed for engineering work.

 

[linesider]

I have the ECML at the bottom of my garden.From a noise point of view it is much quieter than living next to a main road.I sometimes have northbound trains come to a stop outside as the nearest signal is only 50 metres away.

 

[ushawk]

I live close to Willingdon Jct on the East Coastway, not that bad during the day as i only usually hear the horns on the approach to a foot crossing, but during the night the trains going past are a lot louder. Rather nice on days like today, where there is no trains between Polegate and Bexhill via EBN, havent heard any engineering trains so thats good

 

[stephen_78]

I used to live in an apartment overlooking Chester railway station. It took a while to get used to the constant announcements and the trains stabling overnight right outside my bedroom window (especially the engineering trains!), but it more than made up for it when a rail tour arrived and the steam engine would be watered and stocked up with coal just 10 metres away from me! Miss them now i've moved...