How active are these train tracks? (Kyle: apartment, houses, neighborhood)

[Megan1967]

This looks to be an ultra cool house, but the description even says:

But, backs to train tracks.

I don't think that was meant to be in the description as it isn't a real selling point.
Listing Details (http://austinhomesearch.com/Search/Details.aspx?li=34907&or=1&cp=1# - broken link)

[Trainwreck20]

I mentioned in my listing that my house backed up to RR tracks. that way people were Tnot surprised and at least thought/asked about it before they had a knee jerk 'no' response.

But to answer your question, I have no idea how busy that stretch of track is .

[car957]

I live a little farther South and about 1 mile west of the Missouri Pacific rail line. If I listen on a quiet evening, I can barely hear the engines and sometimes can hear the train blow the horn when it crosses Dittmar. I do here them on quiet evenings sometimes idling on the track waiting for another train to pass - the spur is near Slaughter Creek.

I can assure you they run trains most every hour of the day and night.

[Megan1967]

Thanks for the info. I love the sound of trains in the distance, I live about a mile from tracks now, but I'm not sure how thrilled I'd be with them in my backyard. Too bad. It does look like a nice house.

[Trainwreck20]

I had a train in my back yard (literally!). It all depends on where they blow their horn. The train itself is usually very quiet, and the more bass pitch of the engine/cars is not very intrusive. The horn, though, is another matter. Trains blow their horns at very specific distances from very specific intersections, so there is not much variability, really, although an occasionaly (every 4 or 6 months, maybe) snafu will make you jump out of your skin.

The speed of the train makes a difference, too. Very slow and very fast are less intrusive than the moderate speed trains.

[melinda_design]

I lived in an apartment on Manchaca (near Slaughter) that my unit (which was at the back of hte complex) was so close to the tracks I could see the conductor when he waived to kids playing outside form my porch!

Anyway... You get used to it but the first few weeks they would wake me up at night and if I was outside or even inside with the windows open and on the phone I would get a "what's that" if the train went past.

I'd look at the house but see if you can find exactly how close the tracks are. That house looked about as close to the tracks as the apartment was.

I now have a house down in Kyle and I'm probably about a mile away and still hear both the train itself (especially when going fast) as well as the horn.

Not to discourage you but just know what you are getting into.

[AGA]

Today I learned that the train does not blow its horn when it goes under the bridge at slaughter (near the indoor soccer thing), but does blow it when it reaches dittmar. *i live at Brodie and Davis and heard it this morning about 7am. I was chatting with a neighbor who know all about it and that is what she said. She said we only hear it over this way when there is lots of cloud cover!! Who knew??!!??!!

I looked at the google aerial map of where that house is you are looking at and it seems to have some good tree cover there and other houses seem closer. Maybe you could ask the neighbors.

Does look like a neat house, though!!

[roverchris]

It looks to be the same track that runs down MoPac. I can tell you from experience that that train runs all night....all night! That's one reason we're moving. It might be different in your area. I'd suggest asking the home owner if you can come back for a bit and listen to the noise level when the train runs.

[jco]

I'd imagine those are the ones that go through my neighborhood since I'm just south of that zip code. I hear trains come through several times a day. I'm a few neighborhood streets and a pond away from the actual tracks, and it's very pleasant to hear it in the distance!