anyone live near Bayview or Leslie and John St? Thornhill? or near Train Tracks

[boomie]

How loud are the trains that go by the area?
How often do they come by?
Do they always sound their horn?
Does the ground shake?

Looking to buy a house in the area, but are very concerned with the trains.

[circa76]

I used to live near there, on holmes crescent actually. This was about 4 yrs ago approximately.

The trains that pass by are not very loud at all. In fact, the only time I can really here them was when it was really quiet on the street and I had my windows open. So I don't think you'll have a problem unless you're house is right beside the tracks.

Two types of trains go by, GO trains and Cargo trains. The Cargo trains can be a pain because they take quite a long time to pass, but ever since they built that overpass on John st it hasn't been a problem.

If you're buying a home in that area, check for pests (i.e. mice).

[boomie]

so do they blow the horns???
would you consider that area a quite area to live otherwise?

[talktwo]

Hi there, I live in Richmond Hill about 5 houses (frontage about 35') from a railway track. Depending on your tolerance level your experience may vary. When trains pass by (the morning GO train, CN Trains in the evening etc.) we can hear it rumbling past and at times the furniture and lights do shake.

We live just 2 houses north of the crossing and never have we heard a train sound its horn.

It's something you learn to live with I guess? It would also assume that the quality of the house plays a large role.

Hope that sort of helps :)

[boomie]

every bit of advice helps...

man this forum rules.

[circa76]

so do they blow the horns???
would you consider that area a quite area to live otherwise?

umm.. I lived there for almost 10 yrs and I don't recall ever hearing a train horn.

In fact, that route is not that busy that you'll be hearing trains all of the time, only once in a while will you see a train pass by (morning/afternoon GO train obviously). It's a pretty quiet route.

[acca]

I live pretty much next to the track. It's not too loud and you do get used to things. I once lived in a small town close to the fire department and hospital ... and got used to the trucks and ambulances but I digress...

I think there are bylaws/regulations that trains have to slow down in residential areas during certain times (e.g. night) so that cuts down on the noise level. And I agree with circa that I only hear the trains with the windows down.

[Sprite_TM]

yes, u will hear trains at night, booyah!

How loud are the trains that go by the area?
How often do they come by?
Do they always sound their horn?

Looking to buy a house in the area, but are very concerned with the trains.

[CRXGSR]

Are you looking to buy one of those Condo/Homes right beside the shopping center? I was considering buying there as it's a great location! The prices have already gone up $20,000 in just a few months.

[tkl]

The trains are not so bad, you really notice the slight vibration more than the noise.

It's the fire station with the trucks blaring that even noisier. There could be nobody on the road and they still toot the horn.

[Indeed]

Are you looking to buy one of those Condo/Homes right beside the shopping center? I was considering buying there as it's a great location! The prices have already gone up $20,000 in just a few months.

What's even better is that the Canac and Raywal factories next door are closing down by the end of next year.

[acca]

What's even better is that the Canac and Raywal factories next door are closing down by the end of next year.

Why are they closing? More condo/housing?

[Indeed]

Complaints from residents and environmental issues.

[boomie]

bump..

Still looking for more feedback. Its a tough area to buy cause of 404, 407, hydro wires, tracks.

BTW.. does the 404 bother anyone if you live close to it?

[delphine]

I don't but I live 5-10 minutes away from a train track in the Markham side. In the winter, I don't really hear anything but in the summer when my windows are open, I can hear the train going by at night and the horn blowing. It doesn't bother me. If you're a light sleeper, that may be a problem for you. I wouldn't want to live very close or backing onto a train track though.

Here's an article that was mentioned in the Markham Economist & Sun newspaper recently... a resident complaining about the train noise at the area you're looking at.

TRAINS GIVE BAD VIBRATIONS
BIGGER LOCOMOTIVES MEAN MORE NOISE FOR RESIDENTS NEAR TRACKS

Jan 13, 2007
David Fleischer, Staff Writer
More from this author

(Markham) - Trains rumbling through their neighbourhoods are getting louder and longer, say some Thornhill residents.
But is it their imagination?

"You can hear it from as far away as John Street," said Ward 1 (South) Thornhill Residents group president Evelin Ellison, adding residents on Morgan Avenue and Glen Cameron Road are most affected.

"The trains have always been a factor in our area," said Grandview Area Residents Association president Jerry Ambrozic, representing those who live on the south side of the east-west line.

The line crosses Bayview Avenue south of John Street, goes under John and Leslie streets before crossing over Hwy. 404 north of John.

The noise and vibrations from trains "have been unbearable" for residents near the tracks, Markham Councillor Valerie Burke said.

One resident, Lou Butkovic, has lived across from them, on Proctor Avenue, for almost 40 years.

"There is a difference," he said. "There's noise from this any time day or night, which is disturbing. It's getting worse, not better."

His wife, Margaret, said they returned from a vacation to find trains loudly blowing horns several times throughout the night.

"Things have deteriorated," she said. "They're going way too fast and with a heavier load."

Sound and safety barriers should be installed to counter the possibility of a derailment, Ms Butkovic said.

Nonetheless, CN spokesperson Mark Hallman said he has not heard a single complaint.

While he acknowledged trains are now using locomotives with 4,400-horsepower, he said they were quieter than the 3,000-horsepower units that used to run on the line.

"It's just normal freight operations," he said.

Mr. Hallman's description contradicts an e-mail sent by CN to residents last year saying the company "has recently received new 4,800 horsepower locomotives that allow us to haul much larger train sizes in terms of trailing tonnage that these locomotives can pull."

While Mr. Hallman said the more powerful locomotives reduce the number of trains, Ms. Ellison said residents believe the trains are louder and longer than before.

The e-mail from CN seems to be on her side, saying, "The public will notice the noise a train makes while passing does appear to be louder and longer in duration. The good side to this is we require less trains to haul the same amount of cargo."

The problems do not seem to be an issue on the Vaughan side of Yonge Street, where tracks run several metres below street level.

Markham conducted a summer noise study after years of complaints from residents in the Bayview Fairways and German Mills areas.

Those areas are near a diamond-shaped junction where north-south and east-west lines converge, just south of John.

"We felt because it was a unique situation we needed to understand the problem," Markham Councillor Erin Shapero said.

The town now has a draft of the study results and hopes to present it to residents at a meeting by early February, she said.

While dealing with CN, residents also asked about fixing up fading, rusty rail bridges such as one crossing Bayview Avenue north of Laureleaf Road. But, eyesore or not, they can't expect any help there, either.

"We don't paint bridges," Mr. Hallman said. "All we're concerned about is their structural integrity."

Intrepid locals who want to grab a can and prettify the bridge should know CN considers such an act to be trespassing.

Graffiti declaring "Esso: Iraq's Blood for our Oil" stayed on a bridge over Bathurst Street for three years before being painted.

The slapdash white paint covering the graffiti suggests it was not CN that took action.

There are have also been persistent problems persuading CN to pick up garbage on its property at Green Lane and Bayview, Ms Shapero said.

The town has been talking with CN about hanging banners over unsightly bridges and progress is being made, she said.

Nonetheless, she acknowledged CN's refusal to partner with communities needs to change.

[monomono]

I live close by a Go line in Markham, near some crossings. Every time the train goes over a crossing it has to sound the horn a few times, and it's pretty loud. This happens only around 6-8am and 4-6pm, but I wouldn't like to be near a freight line or it would be 24 hours. After 1 week in the house we didn't notice it anymore. However, every time someone comes to stay in our house, they say it wakes them up in the morning.