Have Trains Waking You Up At Night??? Read this..................

Castle Rock residents hope to quiet trains traveling through town

 

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — The railroad has long been part of the history of Castle Rock–trains running through the town since the 1800’s.  But now, the community wants to quiet the locomotives.

 

It’s part of a national effort, as communities try to silence train horns after federal law forced them to double their noise levels a few years ago.  On Thursday night, the town listened to one noise-reducing option.  It’s trying to establish a quiet zone at three railroad crossings in its downtown.

 

Residents say the noise has gotten so loud, it’s disrupting everyday life.  The deafening rumble of passing freight trains shatters the quiet of Castle Rock.

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Federal rules require train engineers sound their horns before all public railroad crossings, for at least 20 seconds.  “The sound of the horns is usually 100 decibels, which is louder than a jackhammer, for example,” says Public Works Director Bob Goebel.

 

But there may be some railroad ruckus relief.  “The wayside horn will be a more focused beam of sound, rather than filling the whole valley with sound,” says Goebel.  Instead if a train blaring its horn, the town tests a horn that’s attached directly to the railroad crossing.

 

“I’m curious what these horns are going to sound like here.  ”Williams and his neighbors show up to see how it sounds. They learn the volume is considerably lower..........................