Train Noise heard a long way from the line

[tempests1]

A bit of a bonkers post :roll: but I live three miles from the nearest train line, yet if the wind is heading in the right direction I can clearly hear a Desiro 444/450 Horn. I cannot hear anything else as they are obviously EMUS's. Quite amazing that the noise can carry this far, can any others hear train noise's such a long distance away from the line.

 

[philjo]

I am in Letchworth - on a quiet night once local traffic noise has died down (esp on sundays) I can normally hear trains running on the ECML on the Arlesey -Hitchin section which is about 2-3 miles away (mainly only hear the fast services). Usually can tell if it is a 225 or not.

 

[Lrd]

I'm in Southampton and quite often hear horns from various stock at various locations over the city, often Desiro's or 66's.

 

[CheshirePaul]

I live in a top floor apartmernt about 2 miles from the Marches Line and when I have my windows open I hear all the trains: 150, 153, 175 and 57's.

 

[mumrar]

I live around 5 miles away from the Lickey incline but have grown up hearing the sound of peaks, 47s, and 37s on banking duties on many summer evenings.

 

[Ivo]

Depending on traffic conditions on the A4 (and driveway), from my Uni you can clearly hear HSTs on the bend between Oldfield Park and the former Saltford station (and can thus determine if they are running on time or not; 13:27 - the one I heard yesterday - would be about right for the 12:00 ex Paddington). You can't ever seem to hear DMUs though, although they tend to be coasting in the area.

Occasionally, if it's really quiet, you can hear trains pulling away from Bath Spa from my house, which given the distance involved is plausible - but given the hills...

 

[IanPooleTrains]

I live about two/three miles from the WCML in Brereton and if there is no noise, you can here the Pendolinos screaming past.

If you stand on the top of the Pear Tree Estate, where I have to go through to get to Rugeley Town, you can also hear the turbostars give a two tone at Slitting Mill crossing in the Chase

 

[rail-britain]

I can hear the Euston - Fort William sleeper as it passes through Cumbernauld in the morning
I can often hear overnight freight trains as well
Quite surprising as the rail line is shrouded by trees in this area

Worst is Lochwinnoch, as the land is flat with no trees
With no wind and/or rain trains can be heard up to 8 miles away (measured at 90mph)

 

[big_dirt]

A bit of a bonkers post :roll: but I live three miles from the nearest train line, yet if the wind is heading in the right direction I can clearly hear a Desiro 444/450 Horn. I cannot hear anything else as they are obviously EMUS's. Quite amazing that the noise can carry this far, can any others hear train noise's such a long distance away from the line.

I used to live around the Coleraine Triangle area in Northern Ireland and you could hear the class 80 trains' diesel engines from miles away.

Paul Simon has a song which has as its chorus "everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance" although beyond that one repeated line I don't think any of it is related to the railway.

 

[Hoyerman]

I used to live around 3.5 miles NE of Balloch on Loch Lomondside and have (in the right conditions) several times heard class the 303/314s arriving in Balloch, doors opening, passengers getting off and talking etc, plus car doors etc... Also heard the driver changing ends (AWS horn) door hustle alarms etc & train departure.

Cheers
H

 

[WelshBluebird]

Depending on traffic conditions on the A4 (and driveway), from my Uni you can clearly hear HSTs on the bend between Oldfield Park and the former Saltford station (and can thus determine if they are running on time or not; 13:27 - the one I heard yesterday - would be about right for the 12:00 ex Paddington). You can't ever seem to hear DMUs though, although they tend to be coasting in the area.

Occasionally, if it's really quiet, you can hear trains pulling away from Bath Spa from my house, which given the distance involved is plausible - but given the hills...

Bath Spa Uni I am guessing? (Doubt the sound would carry up the hill to Uni Of Bath!).

I lived in oldfield park last year, pretty close to the train station, and I was very surprised at how quiet it was. Thought I'd have been hearing the trains much more than what I did.

 

[class377man]

I moved in November, I'm much closer to the railway line now but I seem to hear trains less than I did at my old house.

 

[Ivo]

Bath Spa Uni I am guessing? (Doubt the sound would carry up the hill to Uni Of Bath!).

I lived in oldfield park last year, pretty close to the train station, and I was very surprised at how quiet it was. Thought I'd have been hearing the trains much more than what I did.

My avatar should give it away

I seem to recall asking you the same question many months ago...!

OLF's problem is that the lined has embankments on both sides with hills to the south (obviously where the students live, for the most part) and only 150s for the most part stopping there. So it's not as loud as it could be. HSTs tend to be fairly quiet there, given they are pretty much up to th3 permitted 90 by then.

 

[90019]

I can sometimes hear from my room at uni the horns from trains approaching a foot crossing a couple of miles away. I can also usually tell what class of train it is

 

[DavidBrown]

Probably cheating a little bit with this one, but if you walk along either side of the Exe Estuary, you can clearly see and hear the trains on the opposing line a couple of miles away.

 

[WelshBluebird]

My avatar should give it away

I seem to recall asking you the same question many months ago...!

OLF's problem is that the lined has embankments on both sides with hills to the south (obviously where the students live, for the most part) and only 150s for the most part stopping there. So it's not as loud as it could be. HSTs tend to be fairly quiet there, given they are pretty much up to th3 permitted 90 by then.

Didn't notice that! Shouldn't you get a new photo saying SPA1 or SPA2 on it now though

Out of curiosity, something I did notice last year is that some HST's passing will slow right down, as if they were going to stop (to the extent that you could quite easily open the doors and jump on if they weren't locked). Yet others thunder past. Is there any particular reason for that or is it just signalling / timetabling?

 

[Ivo]

You never seen anything interesting on the SPA1 or SPA2; I've seen on Solo (as in the avatar) on the SPA1, but then only idle in the bus station on standby (so it may have been showing SPA1 for no reason; I think this was the same day as the Solo!), and one double decker on the SPA2 (which I used! - but their displays have no SPA2 function, so it said 418 - why not 419? - and I didn't have my camera with me that day). If I see something interesting, and have my camera, I will snap and/or use it! I've been on a double decker 10 this month...

Seriously though, I think the slowing down thing is to do with the freight sidings between OLF and BTH. You do occasionally see things there, and when there are the signals don't seem to favour FGW as much as they probably should. Still, they give a nice photo opportunity from the bridge on Brougham Hayes!

 

[dieselbashdave]

I live about a mile and a half away in a straight line over fields from my local line but at night if all is quiet I can hear the night train clattering past if I am in the kitchen at the right time.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Just to get bit back on topic. You can hear the horns on the pacers for quite a way around the valley lines. Again, it is kind of nice as it gives a bit of an idea if its one time or not (and as its only 20 minutes or so from it going up till it comes back down, so the likely hood is that if its on time going up, it will be on time coming down again).

I've been on a double decker 10 this month...

Now that is an odd one!
You can understand it for the uni route (I would guess it ends up being similar to the bendy buses then as you essentially have two "normal" buses together), never would have thought they'd use it for the 10 though.

 

[Ivo]

I'd be a bit worried if a double decker 18 or SPA1 appeared in Oldfield Park... it might have an nasty accident!

It's a frequent occurrence on the 8, and an occasional occurrence on the short 18s.

Back on topic (again; sorry...), it's easy to hear 357s at my home in Southend - but not as easy as it used to be at my dearly-departed grandmother's old house with the older slammers...! (My home in Southend is less than 200m from the line; Nan's old house in the town centre had the line for a garden fence!)

 

[scotsman]

50m from a mainline, so I hear nearly everything

 

[90019]

I can sometimes hear train horns from my room at home. The nearest railway is around Waverley, about 3 miles away on the other side of a hill.

 

[Eng274]

I live about 200m away from the ECML with lots of high tenement buildings everywhere, but with no wind and no cats scrapping in the gardens, I can hear a class 91's fans very clearly

I lived near Tollcross in Edinburgh (densely built-up) for a while, but in the early mornings you can occasionally hear a train's horn, which after much bemusement I reckon must've been freight trains on the south sub at craiglockhart!

I also used to live 50m from the Edinburgh - Glasgow fast line, at least 16 tph overall, bliss..

 

[lm321412]

About 1.0 miles away from Erdington and I can occasionally hear Class 323 horns (of course though, upon telling a member of family this I think they were prepared to have me down as a nutcase and fetch out the straight-jacket!)

I have heard them about 4 or 5 times in about 3 years, so I definately have not lost it!

 

[duffman82]

I live about a mile from wolves station and i used to hear the Wrexham's and shropshires come through on a quiet day. Occasionally hear the 158's too!

 

[Ivo]

You never seen anything interesting on the SPA1 or SPA2; I've seen on Solo (as in the avatar) on the SPA1, but then only idle in the bus station on standby (so it may have been showing SPA1 for no reason; I think this was the same day as the Solo!), and one double decker on the SPA2 (which I used! - but their displays have no SPA2 function, so it said 418 - why not 419? - and I didn't have my camera with me that day). If I see something interesting, and have my camera, I will snap and/or use it! I've been on a double decker 10 this month...

Guess what was running the SPA1 today :cry:

and someone's camera would not be ready at that time

 

[fgwrich]

Probably cheating a little bit with this one, but if you walk along either side of the Exe Estuary, you can clearly see and hear the trains on the opposing line a couple of miles away.

Certainly can! Especialy if its a Voyager droaning away in the distance

 

[adc82140]

I live at least 3 1/4 miles from the GWML at Twyford. if Heathrow is quiet (!) I can clearly hear the MTUs at full belt, but not the Turbos.

 

[NXEA!]

I live in a village 3 or 4 miles from Bures and occasionally I can hear the 153/156's pulling away from Bures if its quiet down my road and the winds blowing in my direction quite clearly. At my Grandparents in Southend its about a mile from Prittlewell, and everytime I go down, I always hear the sounds of the 321's traction motors very loudly as they pull out of Prittlewell. And at my other Grandparents in Hainault, they live about a 5 minute walk away from the station and depot and at night you can hear the horns very clearly and the clatter as they go over points in the depot.

 

[TomJ93]

I live 1/2 a mile from the line, can easily make out Pendos and Voyagers, but not the Desiros.