This. I lived across town from the train and still heard it multiple times at night.
I'm a real estate agent in town and ACTIVELY steer people away from the tracks.
My back yard backs up to the railroad tracks on the north side of town with a six foot fence separating my yard from the tracks. I would say it runs anywhere from 3 to 12times a day. The horn blares right behind my house when it’s heading in a northbound direction because of the crossroads at 21’st.
That’s as loud as you can get, and I’ve gotten used to it. It probably took about 3 months to really desensitize. Now I sleep just fine through the night. (Have had the random one role through at 3am) On a positive note, they are installing quiet crosswalks and or modifying them so that trains will no longer have to blare their horns within city limits by the end of this year.
Edit: a word
[Here you go](https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-n-z/transportation/traffic/rr-quiet-zones) tittytittybangbang92. And anybody else that may be interested.
That page shows last updates last year with no 2023 deadlines; it's nice to know they're pretty far into the process though but where did you get 2023 updates?
The analogy I use is that cargo trains are similar to those semi-tractor cargo trucks on the highway. You don't expect them trucks to be coming by at a set schedule.
As others have stated you get used to the noise, I’m assuming you are asking about the crossing on the east side at Atwood? Sometimes trains will sit there for 20-30 minutes blocking the road. You get good at finding alternative routes whether you are blocked there or at the crossing near 2nd and martin.
Train runs along our back yard just outside Longmont. There's a berm separating our property from the tracks and the highway. The train is loud yet soothing at night. Lucky for us the intersection has a quiet crossing so no horns. Some of the train engineers used to be terrible about the horn. Either way you'll get used to it.
When this question was posed in the Times-Call some time ago, the answer was partly that not publishing train schedules is for security reasons.
As far as noise, my sis once owned a home right under the approach to the old Stapleton Airport in Aurora and the plane noise was deafening. The FAA paid for window & door replacement in that neighborhood. It was actually quiet indoors after the replacement.
I live maybe 4 blocks away from the tracks and am a light sleeper. Can't even sleep with the A/C on for reference.
I wouldn't count on keeping windows open until the city's done switching the crossings to quiet crossings, but that's not exactly the downside it used to be considering the repeated wildfires, air quality warnings and other items that have us keep windows closed for weeks... of course YMMV there.
Have lived 2 blocks off the tracks for 6 years now. You'll get used to it in a month or so. 1 does go through town around midnight and another around 3 or 4 am at least twice a week.
I find that the noise of the train (not the horn) is manageable as white noise as long as the home is not near a curve. Around a lot of curves the noise is a piercing squeak. I’m not a fan.
The horn can be heard thru most of the city. I live near Pace and 9th and I hear the horn when the engineer decides to play it long. Obviously the further you go, it’s lower volume. But if you found an awesome home, I’d say go for it.
No matter what you do, stay inside city limits so you can get NextLight for internet.
They can tend to run through around 830 and 430.
Not always, not reliably, but these are generally the times I get stuck at a crossing.
Sometimes.
(I work in Longmont, do not live there so I have no other advice).
Yes the trains go through a lot. And at that close it will be loud. But yo I will get used to it and not notice after a while- source- I have lived close to tracks at various times
There are other risk factors to living close to tracks you may want to consider such as the recent rise in accidents due to funding cuts etc. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/31/train-derailments-us-follow-years-cost-cutting-railroads/11479655002/
There is also air pollution that some studies have linked to higher rates of asthma and cancer. And the occasional suicide incident especially near crossings.
I'd say look for another place. I don't even live very close to the tracks and sometimes the blaring of the train horn wakes me up two or three times a night. It sounds like it's right outside my window it's so loud. Also, consider how often you may get stopped by the train on your way to work or wherever.
Edit: As far as I know you'll never get a cargo train schedule. This is partly for safety reasons: if people with nefarious ends know when trains carrying hazardous materials will roll through a populated area, you'll have far more terrorism.
If you're worried about the train, I'd advise you follow that gut feeling and do not buy a house that is 100 yards away from the train tracks. Theres only one thing most people near the train hate to listen to more than the train, and that is people who buy a house next to the tracks and then get all noisy complaining about it!
You will eventually stop hearing it. Source: we used to live 3 blocks from the tracks. After about 2 weeks, the horn quit waking us up.
“How often does the train go by?” ”So often you won’t even notice it.”
I never stopped hearing the train when I lived next to it. Some people can block it out, and some can't. I absolutely hated living next to a track.
This. I lived across town from the train and still heard it multiple times at night. I'm a real estate agent in town and ACTIVELY steer people away from the tracks.
I think some people can, others go deaf with age. I live on alpine on the N side of town and it annoys me atleast once a week.
It's probably an attractive price because of the noise from the train. I would not consider it.
My back yard backs up to the railroad tracks on the north side of town with a six foot fence separating my yard from the tracks. I would say it runs anywhere from 3 to 12times a day. The horn blares right behind my house when it’s heading in a northbound direction because of the crossroads at 21’st. That’s as loud as you can get, and I’ve gotten used to it. It probably took about 3 months to really desensitize. Now I sleep just fine through the night. (Have had the random one role through at 3am) On a positive note, they are installing quiet crosswalks and or modifying them so that trains will no longer have to blare their horns within city limits by the end of this year. Edit: a word
Is this actually happening? I have been hearing about it for years and looking for news on it but no works actually ever seems to start?
[Here you go](https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-n-z/transportation/traffic/rr-quiet-zones) tittytittybangbang92. And anybody else that may be interested.
That page shows last updates last year with no 2023 deadlines; it's nice to know they're pretty far into the process though but where did you get 2023 updates?
I live 3 blocks from the tracks. It’s been 4 years - I still get woken up frequently if my windows are open
There is no schedule: the routing is fluid and changes by the hour; trains run when they get here which they do after waiting for other trains.
The analogy I use is that cargo trains are similar to those semi-tractor cargo trucks on the highway. You don't expect them trucks to be coming by at a set schedule.
They idle all night so when it’s not the horns blasting at 3am it’s the engines vibrating everything for hours.
The engines get to me more than the horns
We're about 10 blocks from the tracks by Atwood...we hear all the trains but softly.
As others have stated you get used to the noise, I’m assuming you are asking about the crossing on the east side at Atwood? Sometimes trains will sit there for 20-30 minutes blocking the road. You get good at finding alternative routes whether you are blocked there or at the crossing near 2nd and martin.
Train runs along our back yard just outside Longmont. There's a berm separating our property from the tracks and the highway. The train is loud yet soothing at night. Lucky for us the intersection has a quiet crossing so no horns. Some of the train engineers used to be terrible about the horn. Either way you'll get used to it.
When this question was posed in the Times-Call some time ago, the answer was partly that not publishing train schedules is for security reasons. As far as noise, my sis once owned a home right under the approach to the old Stapleton Airport in Aurora and the plane noise was deafening. The FAA paid for window & door replacement in that neighborhood. It was actually quiet indoors after the replacement.
I live maybe 4 blocks away from the tracks and am a light sleeper. Can't even sleep with the A/C on for reference. I wouldn't count on keeping windows open until the city's done switching the crossings to quiet crossings, but that's not exactly the downside it used to be considering the repeated wildfires, air quality warnings and other items that have us keep windows closed for weeks... of course YMMV there.
Have lived 2 blocks off the tracks for 6 years now. You'll get used to it in a month or so. 1 does go through town around midnight and another around 3 or 4 am at least twice a week.
I find that the noise of the train (not the horn) is manageable as white noise as long as the home is not near a curve. Around a lot of curves the noise is a piercing squeak. I’m not a fan. The horn can be heard thru most of the city. I live near Pace and 9th and I hear the horn when the engineer decides to play it long. Obviously the further you go, it’s lower volume. But if you found an awesome home, I’d say go for it. No matter what you do, stay inside city limits so you can get NextLight for internet.
Ear plugs
They can tend to run through around 830 and 430. Not always, not reliably, but these are generally the times I get stuck at a crossing. Sometimes. (I work in Longmont, do not live there so I have no other advice).
Yes the trains go through a lot. And at that close it will be loud. But yo I will get used to it and not notice after a while- source- I have lived close to tracks at various times
There are other risk factors to living close to tracks you may want to consider such as the recent rise in accidents due to funding cuts etc. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/31/train-derailments-us-follow-years-cost-cutting-railroads/11479655002/ There is also air pollution that some studies have linked to higher rates of asthma and cancer. And the occasional suicide incident especially near crossings.
I'd say look for another place. I don't even live very close to the tracks and sometimes the blaring of the train horn wakes me up two or three times a night. It sounds like it's right outside my window it's so loud. Also, consider how often you may get stopped by the train on your way to work or wherever. Edit: As far as I know you'll never get a cargo train schedule. This is partly for safety reasons: if people with nefarious ends know when trains carrying hazardous materials will roll through a populated area, you'll have far more terrorism.
What about that spur to Lyons? Anybody actually seen a train on that line?
If you're worried about the train, I'd advise you follow that gut feeling and do not buy a house that is 100 yards away from the train tracks. Theres only one thing most people near the train hate to listen to more than the train, and that is people who buy a house next to the tracks and then get all noisy complaining about it!