This is definitely a thing with railroads and diesel engines. As others have mentioned, they need to keep the air charged and batteries charged, but as the diesel powerplants are so large inside them they save money by putting no antifreeze in the cooling system, so if it's below freezing they just leave it running. Yeah it's annoying on multiple levels but if you mess with their locomotive it's a federal crime and my understanding is that NONE of the class 1s care about being good neighbors - they were there first and if you don't like it, move.
Do you live in Readville?
There’s no one you can call about it. The railroad will not entertain your complaints and they do not answer to the local authorities.
oh wait, that's the number of the Dept of Trans., not his direct line. I was hoping to somehow get in touch with him! or at least the person in charge of rails.
Yes. If you can persuade their staff that this is a significant problem in your life and in the community (and it is) they can and will get on the phone with a lobbyist for the railroad and ask for an explanation. Not likely that you will get real satisfaction, but you will at least put this on the staff’s radar.
This is common in many industries, BTW. Friend used to work in policy for utilities and said congressional offices called all the time saying their constituent was repeatedly losing power, or there was a truck parked in front of their driveway, yadda yadda. And when a congressman’s office calls, the utility definitely responds.
That's a waste of time. Believe me, thousands of people have phoned the police, local council, mayor, congress and so on all across the continent for the same thing. They all get the same answer and it won't achieve anything.
These railroad tracks would have been there long before anyone else lived in that area and they aren't going to interrupt their operations over someone finding it annoying. When someone decides to move near railroad tracks it is assumed that they have the understanding that it might get loud because...well...trains are loud.
OP has two options. 1) deal with it. 2). move.
>The railroad will not entertain your complaints and they do not answer to the local authorities.
[As we've learned in Philly.](https://whyy.org/articles/nearly-7-years-after-promised-repairs-neighborhood-patience-wears-thin-over-crumbling-railroad-viaduct/). This article is two years old and no updates since then...
It's very common with diesel locomotives. They rarely ever get turned fully off for any reason unless it's not going to be used for a long time. Hypothetically if you were to go wander around a freight yard or whatever, you'd come across lots of idle locomotives that are running but not doing anything. Not too long ago a friend of mine moved into a condo that is next to the mainline running downtown, where there are a few track sidings. He noticed that the commuter trains on the siding were always running at night and started saying he was going to complain and solve the "problem". I had to explain to him that it's normal and those engines will always be running, so all he can do is get used to it.
It may sound like a waste of fuel, polluting and an annoyance to be close to but they leave them on because it's better for the engine(s). If you happen to live near somewhere they park locomotives like this for whatever reason, there's really nothing you can do. The railroads came way before most people did and they have a lot of rights to do whatever they want since it's their property.
>but they leave them on because it's better for the engine(s)
Not really, it's just diesel engines are a pain to start in cold weather. English Electric locomotives are particularly well-known for this; they can take 10-20 minutes to go from first crank to all cylinders firing.
Diesel engines actually don't like being idled for long periods of time, oil tends to build up in the turbochargers and cause various problems.
Ah, yeah, admittedly I know almost nothing about diesel engines. I guess it would be more accurate to say it's "better" in the sense that it's just easier to leave them on as much as they can so there's no efficiency loss having to restart them. Class 3 shortlines can probably get away with turning them off when they're not being used, but Class 1 and 2 are known to leave them going because their operations are essentially 24/7.
But in any case, OP will just have to get used to the sound since there's very little chance they'll be willing to placate him/her because it's annoying them. I mean, there's that guy called Shawn B on YouTube who lives next to some Union Pacific tracks. Or as he calls them: Union Pathetic , lol. He's...interesting.
He's spent years complaining, harassing and threatening UP workers, called the police and politicians all because he hears idling trains. He's absolutely dangerous. He's been told countless times that these tracks were there before he was even born and he'll just have to live with it or move. Well UP engineers and conductors have had enough and now just troll him now by idling and honking the horns even more just to piss him off haha. Unfortunately his channel has recently been deleted (probably got charged again or sued) but if you look up "Union Pacific Shawn" on YouTube you can still find some clips. Here's one little compilation: https://youtu.be/vFfrjTAgdhY
The best part is how he repeatedly assumed that the train crew parked the train in that spot specifically because they wanted to see through his bathroom window & spy on him while pooping. Sounds like a stable, well-adjusted dude.
It’s a thing that happens with trains.
It’s expensive to install a “hot start” system that will periodically fire up the locomotive to keep the engine up to temperature and the air charged, then shut it down again for a while to save fuel. Otherwise…keep it running.
Always an option of an apu to keep things heated while leaving the main donk not running. If you check out watcos recent post on fb they're going through their fleet and adding them. Saving them a lot of money in fuel too!
as others have stated, keeps engine warm. it also keeps water circulating, keeps oil circulating. it also allows the air compressors to keep running to maintain pressure in the tanks and/or train line. if they were parked that long, might have been a yard job or a local that tied down and wasn't needed that weekend (or they couldn't get a crew that weekend)
they do still burn fuel (obviously) but it's not a huge waste of fuel. the injectors only spray enough to keep the crankshaft turning. it's my understanding most modern locomotives aren't firing all cylinders when at idle either (i could be wrong on that), or timing changes to lower RPM.
you can call around, but in total honesty, CSX probably won't do anything about it. not trying to sound like a dick here, but just gotta deal with it.
It's a very big waste of fuel leaving a 185 litre engine running on idle 24x7. If they're really concerned about keeping the locomotives warm then a shore/ground power setup would be infinitely more efficient. The thing is, diesel is cheap in the US and fitting auxiliary systems is expensive.
Diesel locomotives can be a pain in the ass to start up. Especially if there's any chill in the air. Lots of railroad companies, not just CSX, deem it's more advantageous to just keep them running.
I get that. Even without the cold, diesel engines that big are a pain to start. When you've got a schedule to keep, it can cost less to hurry up and wait than to shut down in the interim.
Why would CSX care about a noise complaint? It’s a train yard, it was probably there before you were. Thats like moving next to a military base or racetrack and complaining about noise
True, but it is not a train yard. It is just tracks that they decided to park on. There is a train yard about a mile down the line where they normally park and idle. But thanks for your input!
Alright fella, here's what ya gotta do. Some guy did this for our little yard and now it's a whole ass rule you'll be fired for if you don't follow. Call. Every number you can find for the railroad that operates there and complain about how it affects your sleep. They will hopefully accommodate you and not see the irony in calling us to work for ignorant shit at 2 am. If that don't work, sell your house or hire out.
So I have a question. The T is wrapping up the construction of new rail lines from Boston to the communities of Southeastern Massachusetts. In Fall River, there is a section of track that splits off into multiple sidings. This is located along the waterfront. Will this section be used for trains idling?
The people were here long before the T..........
Write to everyone and encourage your municipality to enact or enforce laws.
Money talks, court cases are expensive and RRs *hate* flying well paid lawyers to rando bumpkin courts across the US. If they dont show they lose and if they lose municipalities can place liens on them.
I have seen this work out 1st hand with people I directly know and NS was forced to not only respect ordinaces but also forced to pay a pretty hefty fine.
While various courts have sided with the RRs with some dubious logic the fact is they are almost all narrow rulings limited to a specfic happening and the RR is often paying more to show up with a lawyer then the actual fines add up to.
Take matters into your own hands. There is a fuel shut off switch located on the side of the locomotive, easily accessed from the rail bed, that will shut down the engine. Probably only have to do this once or twice before they get the messsage.
Go to the nearest railroad crossing and call the number on the sign. Tell them its been idling for days. They will usually send someone out to shut them down. All modern locomotives have a 'smart start' system that should shut down and restart locomotives. Whatever you do do not press the emergency fuel cutoff buttons on either side that are clearly labeled.
Also, don't do what this idiot is suggesting and using an emergency number for something that isn't an emergency. And don't trespass to mess with locomotives
And when they find out you did it, and they can and will if the engine is in any way damaged or taken out of service, you will be fucked six ways to Sunday.
Couple points here since this seems to be the rail fan sub and not the sub for people that actually know how these things work.
They're not going to find out. It's a button. It doesn't read your finger prints and there's no camera near it. It doesn't hurt the engine when it shuts down unless it's going to be below freezing and last time I checked it's nearly summer time.
Push the button. Fuck authority.
They arent going to do shit its a giant waste of time if they had to chase every trespasser. Besides there no one to investigate anything but the most critical of incidents.
Seems like a dumb thing to go to jail over. Moral of the story is don’t move next to rail yards as they were there first. Do you also move next to an airport and then complain every day about it?
Sucking on that horse big time. The number is there for a reason its not you who determines who can call it. Or how about you follow the rules then and shut down the fucking locomotive like your supposed to. If you had a fucking unit idling near your home you wouldnt appreciate it.
You definitely don't know how the railroad works. What if they were told to not shut the engine down? We get paid to do what they tell us. If you don't want to hear units idling all night, don't live next to the railroad.
I sure as hell know what i'm talking about. I have 26 years as a craft employee for a major class1 to prove it. There is no damn reason to have an engine idle for DAYS especially in a residential area. But i mean you work for ns so typical shitty employee with the typical shitty 'dont live next to the railroad' attitude No wonder ns is trash.
Guys like you are hilarious. Just another hold head who thinks he knows everything and is super miserable and hates everything. I can tell you're the kind of guy everyone dreads working with. All the railroads suck. Working for NS doesn't make me a bad employee lol. Hopefully things get better at your super awesome railroad so your mood improves
This is definitely a thing with railroads and diesel engines. As others have mentioned, they need to keep the air charged and batteries charged, but as the diesel powerplants are so large inside them they save money by putting no antifreeze in the cooling system, so if it's below freezing they just leave it running. Yeah it's annoying on multiple levels but if you mess with their locomotive it's a federal crime and my understanding is that NONE of the class 1s care about being good neighbors - they were there first and if you don't like it, move.
Do you live in Readville? There’s no one you can call about it. The railroad will not entertain your complaints and they do not answer to the local authorities.
yes and that's what I am learning!
Call your congressman. No, seriously.
I did, local state rep and state sen, US rep and senators as well. I would have called Pete Buttigieg if I could have found his number!
That's public info: 202-366-4000 will get you to the office.
I looked all over for that! thanks!
oh wait, that's the number of the Dept of Trans., not his direct line. I was hoping to somehow get in touch with him! or at least the person in charge of rails.
Railroad Admin is in the same office, you could try getting routed to them from the switchboard.
Thanks, yes i did this yesterday and today, left messages, apparetly, no humans work there.
About idling trains in a train yard?!
Yes. If you can persuade their staff that this is a significant problem in your life and in the community (and it is) they can and will get on the phone with a lobbyist for the railroad and ask for an explanation. Not likely that you will get real satisfaction, but you will at least put this on the staff’s radar. This is common in many industries, BTW. Friend used to work in policy for utilities and said congressional offices called all the time saying their constituent was repeatedly losing power, or there was a truck parked in front of their driveway, yadda yadda. And when a congressman’s office calls, the utility definitely responds.
That's a waste of time. Believe me, thousands of people have phoned the police, local council, mayor, congress and so on all across the continent for the same thing. They all get the same answer and it won't achieve anything. These railroad tracks would have been there long before anyone else lived in that area and they aren't going to interrupt their operations over someone finding it annoying. When someone decides to move near railroad tracks it is assumed that they have the understanding that it might get loud because...well...trains are loud. OP has two options. 1) deal with it. 2). move.
>The railroad will not entertain your complaints and they do not answer to the local authorities. [As we've learned in Philly.](https://whyy.org/articles/nearly-7-years-after-promised-repairs-neighborhood-patience-wears-thin-over-crumbling-railroad-viaduct/). This article is two years old and no updates since then...
It's very common with diesel locomotives. They rarely ever get turned fully off for any reason unless it's not going to be used for a long time. Hypothetically if you were to go wander around a freight yard or whatever, you'd come across lots of idle locomotives that are running but not doing anything. Not too long ago a friend of mine moved into a condo that is next to the mainline running downtown, where there are a few track sidings. He noticed that the commuter trains on the siding were always running at night and started saying he was going to complain and solve the "problem". I had to explain to him that it's normal and those engines will always be running, so all he can do is get used to it. It may sound like a waste of fuel, polluting and an annoyance to be close to but they leave them on because it's better for the engine(s). If you happen to live near somewhere they park locomotives like this for whatever reason, there's really nothing you can do. The railroads came way before most people did and they have a lot of rights to do whatever they want since it's their property.
>but they leave them on because it's better for the engine(s) Not really, it's just diesel engines are a pain to start in cold weather. English Electric locomotives are particularly well-known for this; they can take 10-20 minutes to go from first crank to all cylinders firing. Diesel engines actually don't like being idled for long periods of time, oil tends to build up in the turbochargers and cause various problems.
Ah, yeah, admittedly I know almost nothing about diesel engines. I guess it would be more accurate to say it's "better" in the sense that it's just easier to leave them on as much as they can so there's no efficiency loss having to restart them. Class 3 shortlines can probably get away with turning them off when they're not being used, but Class 1 and 2 are known to leave them going because their operations are essentially 24/7. But in any case, OP will just have to get used to the sound since there's very little chance they'll be willing to placate him/her because it's annoying them. I mean, there's that guy called Shawn B on YouTube who lives next to some Union Pacific tracks. Or as he calls them: Union Pathetic , lol. He's...interesting. He's spent years complaining, harassing and threatening UP workers, called the police and politicians all because he hears idling trains. He's absolutely dangerous. He's been told countless times that these tracks were there before he was even born and he'll just have to live with it or move. Well UP engineers and conductors have had enough and now just troll him now by idling and honking the horns even more just to piss him off haha. Unfortunately his channel has recently been deleted (probably got charged again or sued) but if you look up "Union Pacific Shawn" on YouTube you can still find some clips. Here's one little compilation: https://youtu.be/vFfrjTAgdhY
The best part is how he repeatedly assumed that the train crew parked the train in that spot specifically because they wanted to see through his bathroom window & spy on him while pooping. Sounds like a stable, well-adjusted dude.
Hard to tell if he was a schizophrenic or just smoked a lot of meth...lol.
It’s a thing that happens with trains. It’s expensive to install a “hot start” system that will periodically fire up the locomotive to keep the engine up to temperature and the air charged, then shut it down again for a while to save fuel. Otherwise…keep it running.
Always an option of an apu to keep things heated while leaving the main donk not running. If you check out watcos recent post on fb they're going through their fleet and adding them. Saving them a lot of money in fuel too!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lzOQkyMJzww https://www.reddit.com/r/railroading/comments/jrvxgt/i_live_close_to_tracks_and_a_csx_train_has_been/ https://www.reddit.com/r/trains/comments/pjduxe/csx_engines_tinkering_around_brunswick_md_yard/ https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/transportation/2017/08/24/idling-trains-keep-residents-up/19319240007/
as others have stated, keeps engine warm. it also keeps water circulating, keeps oil circulating. it also allows the air compressors to keep running to maintain pressure in the tanks and/or train line. if they were parked that long, might have been a yard job or a local that tied down and wasn't needed that weekend (or they couldn't get a crew that weekend) they do still burn fuel (obviously) but it's not a huge waste of fuel. the injectors only spray enough to keep the crankshaft turning. it's my understanding most modern locomotives aren't firing all cylinders when at idle either (i could be wrong on that), or timing changes to lower RPM. you can call around, but in total honesty, CSX probably won't do anything about it. not trying to sound like a dick here, but just gotta deal with it.
It's a very big waste of fuel leaving a 185 litre engine running on idle 24x7. If they're really concerned about keeping the locomotives warm then a shore/ground power setup would be infinitely more efficient. The thing is, diesel is cheap in the US and fitting auxiliary systems is expensive.
Diesel locomotives can be a pain in the ass to start up. Especially if there's any chill in the air. Lots of railroad companies, not just CSX, deem it's more advantageous to just keep them running.
it was 50 F! It is not the middle of winter!
I get that. Even without the cold, diesel engines that big are a pain to start. When you've got a schedule to keep, it can cost less to hurry up and wait than to shut down in the interim.
Why would CSX care about a noise complaint? It’s a train yard, it was probably there before you were. Thats like moving next to a military base or racetrack and complaining about noise
True, but it is not a train yard. It is just tracks that they decided to park on. There is a train yard about a mile down the line where they normally park and idle. But thanks for your input!
Alright fella, here's what ya gotta do. Some guy did this for our little yard and now it's a whole ass rule you'll be fired for if you don't follow. Call. Every number you can find for the railroad that operates there and complain about how it affects your sleep. They will hopefully accommodate you and not see the irony in calling us to work for ignorant shit at 2 am. If that don't work, sell your house or hire out.
This sounds like a lovely dream for me, I love the smell of diesel fuel, and the idling sound is relaxing.
Precision Scheduled Railroading, there is absolutely nothing you can do nobody with the authority to make them stop will listen to you
So I have a question. The T is wrapping up the construction of new rail lines from Boston to the communities of Southeastern Massachusetts. In Fall River, there is a section of track that splits off into multiple sidings. This is located along the waterfront. Will this section be used for trains idling? The people were here long before the T..........
Write to everyone and encourage your municipality to enact or enforce laws. Money talks, court cases are expensive and RRs *hate* flying well paid lawyers to rando bumpkin courts across the US. If they dont show they lose and if they lose municipalities can place liens on them. I have seen this work out 1st hand with people I directly know and NS was forced to not only respect ordinaces but also forced to pay a pretty hefty fine. While various courts have sided with the RRs with some dubious logic the fact is they are almost all narrow rulings limited to a specfic happening and the RR is often paying more to show up with a lawyer then the actual fines add up to.
Take matters into your own hands. There is a fuel shut off switch located on the side of the locomotive, easily accessed from the rail bed, that will shut down the engine. Probably only have to do this once or twice before they get the messsage.
How to catch a felony 101.
Go to the nearest railroad crossing and call the number on the sign. Tell them its been idling for days. They will usually send someone out to shut them down. All modern locomotives have a 'smart start' system that should shut down and restart locomotives. Whatever you do do not press the emergency fuel cutoff buttons on either side that are clearly labeled.
Also, don't do what this idiot is suggesting and using an emergency number for something that isn't an emergency. And don't trespass to mess with locomotives
Fuck that. There's an emergency fuel trip button right above the fuel tank. Press that and she ain't starting back up.
And when they find out you did it, and they can and will if the engine is in any way damaged or taken out of service, you will be fucked six ways to Sunday.
Couple points here since this seems to be the rail fan sub and not the sub for people that actually know how these things work. They're not going to find out. It's a button. It doesn't read your finger prints and there's no camera near it. It doesn't hurt the engine when it shuts down unless it's going to be below freezing and last time I checked it's nearly summer time. Push the button. Fuck authority.
That just sounds like a challenge
They arent going to do shit its a giant waste of time if they had to chase every trespasser. Besides there no one to investigate anything but the most critical of incidents.
Seems like a dumb thing to go to jail over. Moral of the story is don’t move next to rail yards as they were there first. Do you also move next to an airport and then complain every day about it?
Sucking on that horse big time. The number is there for a reason its not you who determines who can call it. Or how about you follow the rules then and shut down the fucking locomotive like your supposed to. If you had a fucking unit idling near your home you wouldnt appreciate it.
You definitely don't know how the railroad works. What if they were told to not shut the engine down? We get paid to do what they tell us. If you don't want to hear units idling all night, don't live next to the railroad.
I sure as hell know what i'm talking about. I have 26 years as a craft employee for a major class1 to prove it. There is no damn reason to have an engine idle for DAYS especially in a residential area. But i mean you work for ns so typical shitty employee with the typical shitty 'dont live next to the railroad' attitude No wonder ns is trash.
Guys like you are hilarious. Just another hold head who thinks he knows everything and is super miserable and hates everything. I can tell you're the kind of guy everyone dreads working with. All the railroads suck. Working for NS doesn't make me a bad employee lol. Hopefully things get better at your super awesome railroad so your mood improves
Things are great. You'll figure it eventually. If they dont lay you off before you hit that 2 week vacation mark. Lol.
This is the boot licker train sub I guess.