Griz Bear Comments: : Cooler nights and louder trains
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/decatur/Opinion/2873/
Now that the weather is finally beginning to cool off a bit in the evenings, the thought of opening up all the windows and sleeping with fresh air blowing through my house at nights sounds inviting. But when I tried it, I was reminded of a little problem Iíd forgotten about over the warm nights of summer.
Iíd fall asleep enjoying the fresh night air and sleep for a while, but then Iíd be awakened by the sound of a locomotive sounding its horns at the railroad crossing to the south of the new primary school. Within about a quarter of a mile, it would sound again for the South Collins crossing. Then there was the Main Street crossing and, yes, the crossing by McKee Foods. From the continual blasting of the horns, I have been wondering if there arenít a few more nearby crossings I forgot to include in my late-night calculations of the trainís location.
Iím not sure why the horns bother me. I used to think the occasional sound of a train whistle in the distance was a welcomed reminder of the old days when most folks traveled by train. But, for some reason, these horns wake me up.
Perhaps it goes back to the days when I hauled gasoline. The terminal was next to a railroad yard where many trains were disassembled and reassembled again to send the rail cars to their proper destinations ó I even delivered fuel to the railroad there from time to time.
The first thing we had to do when pulling out of the gasoline terminal was cross the railroad tracks. It was a common thing for a big locomotive to be idling close to the crossing, but if it wasnít moving and the gates were up, we could stop, look and proceed. Well, it seems a few of the engineers liked to scare us by sounding the horn and beginning to move when we were about half way across the tracks. The gates would come down, and weíd have to hurry not to be caught between them. But, after a while, I got used to this trick and quit hurrying. I knew they wouldnít really keep coming and hit my truck unless they were determined to be incinerated along with me.
If it were only once that a train passed in the night here in Gentry, I think I could go back to sleep. After all, my front yard bordered railroad property back in Kansas, and a passing freight, if it was really moving, could shake the whole house.
Sometimes a train would pass in the middle of the night. My dog would let me know of the trainís coming by howling for a few minutes before I ever heard the rumbling of the big engines. I could say he was faithfully giving me warning; but I suspect he heard it or felt it and knew the horns would soon sound at the crossing in front of our house, and that hurt his ears. Though a passing train was likely to wake me, I could at least go back to sleep again in peace when it had passed, knowing it would be another day or so before the next train would interrupt the quiet of the night.
Even when a locomotive would stick around a bit and switch cars at the local grain elevator, I knew that the sounding of horns, the rumble of engines and the spouting of air from train braking systems wouldnít last all night.
I now live far enough away from the tracks not to hear much more than a distant rumble from the big engines, but apparently there is nowhere in Gentry far enough away not to hear the horns which continue to sound all night as train after train passes through town. If I leave the windows open, I wonít make it back to sleep again after the first train passes before I can hear the horns of another in the distance making its way toward town. I donít even need my train-alerting dog to warn me.
Yes, I realize Gentry was located here and survived for years because of the railroad. In fact the town was named after a railroad man instrumental in building the Kansas City Southern lines which pass through here. The day could possibly even come again that the rail lines through town become an important source of revenue for the townspeople.
Iíve also been told by many locals that Iíd get used to the horns, but Iím beginning to have my doubts. They trouble me as much or more now then when I first came.
Listening to the horns at night, one can almost recognize the different engineers. Some hit them lightly and maybe donít even quite sound them long enough to meet all the federal requirements. Others must figure, since the Gentry crossings are so close, itís best to just sound the horn all the way through town with only a let up of enough time to release the pull cable and then yank back down on it again.
As I lie there awake at night, I sometimes wonder if certain engineers begrudge the fact that they must work nights and are trying to make sure nobody else can sleep either while they must stay awake. Then, too, thereís the possibility that some just take delight in making as much noise as they can in a quiet little town. But thereís also a likelihood that a number of train operators have seen cars or pedestrians crushed and donít want to see it happen again.
Thereís a lot to think about while listening to the sounds of trains passing in the night. I could tell you a few more of my thoughts, but you might think less of me if I did.
Well, though some engineers may overdo it a bit, I canít really blame them for the blasting of their locomotivesí air horns as they pass through town. Federal regulations require it.
According to a Federal Railroad Administration fact sheet, engineers must sound those horns that awaken me in the night for 15 to 20 seconds before each public grade crossing. Though some engineers occasionally toot their horns to the beat of a different drummer, they are supposed to use two long blasts, one short and then another long blast to alert any drivers or pedestrians of their impending presence. And, yes that last blast is to sound until the lead locomotive or rail car occupies the crossing.
But Iíve wondered, with all the concern over noise pollution and municipal laws regulating the not-near-as-loud engine brakes on big trucks, how is it that railroad companies can keep me awake at night with air horns that can cause serious hearing loss to a fellow if heís close to the tracks ?
But then I learned from the same FRA fact sheet that trains, which may now blast as loud as their horns will toot, will be required to keep their horns sounding between 96 and 110 decibels by 2010. Maybe that will be an improvement ó I havenít gotten up in the night and measured the decibels yet, so I donít know.
The FRA says municipalities may also set up quiet zones and quiet times when the horns donít sound. There are requirements to be met and hoops to jump through, but it sounds workable. Maybe Gentry will want to look into that for its future planning ó at least if it wants to be known as a quiet and peaceful town.
With the cooler nights now at hand, sooner would be better. It sure would be nice to open the windows at night and still be able to get a good nightís sleep.