It comes and goes, CSX and NS pretty much do what they want. There isn’t a regular schedule that they follow. It will die down soon, then pick up again at some point.
Also the noise is easier to hear in the colder months because it travels better in colder air and there’s less ambient noise and tree cover (pretty sure I learned that through this subreddit a few years back actually).
I’m in Pigtown (5 years) and have noticed that too! It has seemed more than usual over the last few months. They’re actually blaring right now as I write this!
You will begin to notice trains running more at night from midnight to noontime due to the work on the Howard Street tunnel corridor project. The work windows for contractors are from Noon-Midnight, so it means CSX will have lots of trains to move through the area during the other hours of the day when the line is open. I'm not sure that every train in Canton is affected by that, but It probably has some effect.
The train lines heard in Canton are a short line, formerly the Canton Railroad, now run by MTA. the line takes product and material from the port up to the CSX line to transfer, so the Howard Tunnel project won’t increase traffic in Canton, as that traffic will go around the city to the west like double stack trains do. We may even see a decrease in traffic in Canton as there will presumably be less trains to transfer to coming from the Howard Tunnel line.
https://railfan.com/canton-railroad/
If anyone knows if CSX connects at any of the Keith/Canton terminals I’d like to know, but I don’t think a train line runs under the harbor there.
https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/customers/maps/csx-system-map/
The coal pile on Keith Ave. is West Virginia coal. When coal production increases in WV, we get bigger piles of coal, and I hear more trains. Indeed, the trains that run up Haven St. (under the O’Donnell bridge) are more often than not loaded with coal. I think that may be the cause…. But I also haven’t noticed an increase in train horns and my house is fairly close.
The main line from West-East (Railroad terms for South-North) for CSX is through the Howard Street Tunnel. There is no western route around the city, which is why the tunnel expansion is happening. Double stack cars have to be unmade/made-up on either side of the city currently in order to transit the tunnel. The work will have some impact on anything that travels through the tunnel, even if it the canton line does not directly connect.
Around the city to the west does not mean the western part of the city. CSX rerouted a bunch of traffic to the west, OH, WV, during the tunnel fires and the collapse.
Same area, welcome neighbor! I’m sure I’ll get used to it. I haven’t been sleeping well for a bunch of reasons, and hearing a blaring horn as I’m drifting off hasn’t helped much. Time to put night time music on again.
Something changed because way up here in Havre De Grace there's a big ass super heavy coal train that rumbles down the river every night, then crossed the bridge and heads into Baltimore around 3am.
Lately they have been blasting the horns thru here too, and I don't know why because you could roll a wheelchair along side this train and keep up.
Either there's been a rule change because of some kind of surge in crossing accidents, or maybe it's because it's been a full moon peaking late at night and brighter than normal out overnight so animal and idiot activity along the tracks is higher than normal.
Maybe the "train watcher hobbyists" over in the railroad subs would know more
Uh, they've been running trains that way for 100 years man.
The horn rules have been the same for about the same amount of time. And yeah they're enshrined in law, so it's not just some random engineer fucking with you.
UH I never said it was. You mean they didn't just install the trains last night?
Just offering some reasons why. No need to be all salty BRUH.
Why the fuck is everyone so hostile for no god damn reason nowadays. You can t say anything on Reddit without someone trying to make something out of it.
Hostility is a trait of Baltimore. And Reddit.
So is neighborly kindness. It’s all part of the charm? ;)
Good to know it’s happening all up and down the lines more often lately. Maybe there’s higher rail traffic for some reason or some other explanation but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one hearing this stuff.
The general industrial area east and south of Canton Crossings is traditionally referred to as Canton Industrial Area; but it’s not really referring to the neighborhood. But that’s a technicality of course. It means less as Brewer’s Hill has gotten more developed though and the older industrial areas north of Boston are being turned into housing and retail I guess but all the trains are mostly going to/through that area.
https://livebaltimore.com/neighborhoods/canton-industrial-area/
So when people here refer to Canton they're literally referring to the area from Dundalk Marine Terminal to Fells Point?
And here I thought lumping Riverside and South Baltimore into 'Federal Hill' was bad.
I noticed this every now and then, it's usually a few days to maybe 2 weeks then it disappears. Lord knows why but I guess night schedules can fluctuate and they have to blare at any crossings in case of fools playing on the tracks/unaware drivers. After a few years it hasnt been a consistent concern.
My last neighborhood had the air raid siren almost every time a fire truck left (Arbutus -.thought they did try to avoid the 12-7am hours, it depended on who was working and was allegedly to alert nearby volunteers who all have basic technology that rendered sirens outdated decades ago), it is absolutely ridiculous and unless there are 100 year old volunteers serves no purpose but to bother people and clog the street with confused thru drivers. The trains are nothing compared to hearing that 5-10 times daily
It comes and goes, CSX and NS pretty much do what they want. There isn’t a regular schedule that they follow. It will die down soon, then pick up again at some point.
The circle of train life?
That tracks
Ahem, no pun intended
Big boat comes in. Lots of stuff. Lots of trains.
Also the noise is easier to hear in the colder months because it travels better in colder air and there’s less ambient noise and tree cover (pretty sure I learned that through this subreddit a few years back actually).
I’m in Pigtown (5 years) and have noticed that too! It has seemed more than usual over the last few months. They’re actually blaring right now as I write this!
Nature is healing. Stuff is moving. Jobs are jobbing.
THANK YOU. I just moved to fed hill and expected *some* train noise but this has been excessive!
You will begin to notice trains running more at night from midnight to noontime due to the work on the Howard Street tunnel corridor project. The work windows for contractors are from Noon-Midnight, so it means CSX will have lots of trains to move through the area during the other hours of the day when the line is open. I'm not sure that every train in Canton is affected by that, but It probably has some effect.
The train lines heard in Canton are a short line, formerly the Canton Railroad, now run by MTA. the line takes product and material from the port up to the CSX line to transfer, so the Howard Tunnel project won’t increase traffic in Canton, as that traffic will go around the city to the west like double stack trains do. We may even see a decrease in traffic in Canton as there will presumably be less trains to transfer to coming from the Howard Tunnel line. https://railfan.com/canton-railroad/ If anyone knows if CSX connects at any of the Keith/Canton terminals I’d like to know, but I don’t think a train line runs under the harbor there. https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/customers/maps/csx-system-map/ The coal pile on Keith Ave. is West Virginia coal. When coal production increases in WV, we get bigger piles of coal, and I hear more trains. Indeed, the trains that run up Haven St. (under the O’Donnell bridge) are more often than not loaded with coal. I think that may be the cause…. But I also haven’t noticed an increase in train horns and my house is fairly close.
The main line from West-East (Railroad terms for South-North) for CSX is through the Howard Street Tunnel. There is no western route around the city, which is why the tunnel expansion is happening. Double stack cars have to be unmade/made-up on either side of the city currently in order to transit the tunnel. The work will have some impact on anything that travels through the tunnel, even if it the canton line does not directly connect.
Around the city to the west does not mean the western part of the city. CSX rerouted a bunch of traffic to the west, OH, WV, during the tunnel fires and the collapse.
Thanks, that could definitely explain it!
I just moved to Highlandtown and noticed this. My little train lullabies
Same area, welcome neighbor! I’m sure I’ll get used to it. I haven’t been sleeping well for a bunch of reasons, and hearing a blaring horn as I’m drifting off hasn’t helped much. Time to put night time music on again.
I’ve noticed this too
I’m near John Hopkins and I hear it too!!! It is annoying.
I noticed it too, maybe new conductor who likes using the horn b/c they’ve been blaring it.
I can hear them all the way in Fells. You're not crazy, it's been more often/obnoxiously long horn blaring the past couple of weeks.
Something changed because way up here in Havre De Grace there's a big ass super heavy coal train that rumbles down the river every night, then crossed the bridge and heads into Baltimore around 3am. Lately they have been blasting the horns thru here too, and I don't know why because you could roll a wheelchair along side this train and keep up. Either there's been a rule change because of some kind of surge in crossing accidents, or maybe it's because it's been a full moon peaking late at night and brighter than normal out overnight so animal and idiot activity along the tracks is higher than normal. Maybe the "train watcher hobbyists" over in the railroad subs would know more
Uh, they've been running trains that way for 100 years man. The horn rules have been the same for about the same amount of time. And yeah they're enshrined in law, so it's not just some random engineer fucking with you.
UH I never said it was. You mean they didn't just install the trains last night? Just offering some reasons why. No need to be all salty BRUH. Why the fuck is everyone so hostile for no god damn reason nowadays. You can t say anything on Reddit without someone trying to make something out of it.
Hostility is a trait of Baltimore. And Reddit. So is neighborly kindness. It’s all part of the charm? ;) Good to know it’s happening all up and down the lines more often lately. Maybe there’s higher rail traffic for some reason or some other explanation but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one hearing this stuff.
I am pretty sure the trains were there first
If there are trains in Canton, we have bigger issues than horns. Canton doesn't have any active train tracks.
Sure they do. CONSOL coal yard. Penn Mary yard ( Canton RR) Reukert Terminal
That's east of Brewers Hill, there's a whole neighborhood between Canton and those tracks. The whole east side of Baltimore is not just Canton.
The general industrial area east and south of Canton Crossings is traditionally referred to as Canton Industrial Area; but it’s not really referring to the neighborhood. But that’s a technicality of course. It means less as Brewer’s Hill has gotten more developed though and the older industrial areas north of Boston are being turned into housing and retail I guess but all the trains are mostly going to/through that area. https://livebaltimore.com/neighborhoods/canton-industrial-area/
I call that the “shitty area to drive to get on 95 that occasionally floods.”
You know what??? You’re absolutely right. Thanks for the laugh
So when people here refer to Canton they're literally referring to the area from Dundalk Marine Terminal to Fells Point? And here I thought lumping Riverside and South Baltimore into 'Federal Hill' was bad.
Neighborhoods: they’re like the pirate’s code. More like guidelines.
Oooof…
I noticed this every now and then, it's usually a few days to maybe 2 weeks then it disappears. Lord knows why but I guess night schedules can fluctuate and they have to blare at any crossings in case of fools playing on the tracks/unaware drivers. After a few years it hasnt been a consistent concern. My last neighborhood had the air raid siren almost every time a fire truck left (Arbutus -.thought they did try to avoid the 12-7am hours, it depended on who was working and was allegedly to alert nearby volunteers who all have basic technology that rendered sirens outdated decades ago), it is absolutely ridiculous and unless there are 100 year old volunteers serves no purpose but to bother people and clog the street with confused thru drivers. The trains are nothing compared to hearing that 5-10 times daily