Community Forums

ctcamper · 05-18-2011, 08:51 AM

I wake up all the time when a train rolls by.. I am a light sleeper to begin with and I never get the greatest sleep in areas with trains...
I-95 corridor is the worst. All the CG's seem to be right off the highway and next to the tracks.

I was at a CG up in Gorham, NH one time and we were right next to the tracks. I made , what I thought was, a big joke about how the train only comes by at 3 am. LOL Right on the money at 3 am it came through and rattled the MH.... Funny now, but not then.

Most of the CG hosts say you get used to it, however I never do.. I don't even like the traffic noise around home and have had to use a white noise recording...

Good man · 05-18-2011, 09:16 AM

Clever title to the post there, CtCamper... "Do trains bother you in campgrounds?"
I'm tempted to say, "Nope! Never had a train bother me IN a campground before... 'would be mighty surprised to see one leave the tracks and amble over to my rig, for sure!"
Seriously though... If it is a real concern, one should simply ask when making reservations or at the desk, "How close are the nearest RR tracks?" ...and make an informed decision whether to stay.
I can certainly understand the unpleasant element of surprise at 3 AM, but in most matters such as these, "There are no victims... only volunteers."
Travel safe,
Jim

Perry White · 05-18-2011, 09:18 AM

Only time was at the Newmar factory. Every 10 or 20 minutes and they love to blow the whistles

Half Dimes · 05-18-2011, 09:25 AM

Reminds me of our recent overnight stay at a campground next to I-95 in St. George, SC. I was prepared for traffic noise but didn't know about the train tracks 50 ft away behind a stand of trees. Must have been a crossing nearby as each train blew its whistle long and loud.

RVRon · 05-18-2011, 09:40 AM

Used to sleep on my boat in the marina on the west side of the Hudson River. The trains came by about every 30 minutes all night long and there is a grade crossing they blew the air horns for. Got so used to them, it never bothered me after a while so the ones "near" the campgrounds are cake. However, the engines of the tugboats would seriously wake you with the low throbbing that's transmitted through the water shortly before the wake dumped you out of bed and onto the floor. This, though, is not a factor in sleeping at the campground...

two-niner · 05-18-2011, 09:53 AM

Trains bother me at night ? No more than a sweeping left hook by Mike Tyson.

Kerry

kalynzoo · 05-18-2011, 09:58 AM

When looking for a campground as we travel I do check the area maps for train track locations. Yes, they can be a real bother. Nearby might be acceptable, next to is definitely not. Once, entering Utah after a very days drive we decided on a stop at a lovely little town east of Salt Lake City. It was dusk, we were tired, and the park looked nice, so we stopped. The train track was on the other side of the big trees, less than 50 yards from the MH. A real wake up experience in the night. However; it is not only trains you must look out for, in Reno we once made reservations at a park on "The River", the ad did not mention that it was also on "The Runway!" Planes were coming over the MH wheels down as they landed at Reno Airport. Then at the Grand Canyon we once stayed at a park by a lovely open field. Go know that the field was used as a helicopter base (before the airport was constructed), we moved on the next day.
It is all part of the adventure.
Happy Trails.

Go Dawgs · 05-18-2011, 10:26 AM

I too am a light sleeper. I take ear plugs with me to take the sounds out that I'm not used to. I have done this for years while traveling on the road.

njs42 · 05-18-2011, 10:30 AM

Trains and Planes--many RV sites are located near trains and in flight paths----I wonder out loud if it because the land was relatively cheap. Fortunately? for me my hearing is about gone anyway---remove my hearing aids and sleep like a baby.

Count your blessings if you can hear the train-- get some ear plugs----the alternative is a nuisance to endure every day no matter where I am.

RickO · 05-18-2011, 10:31 AM

Yes! I too am a light sleeper and sensitive to the noise. I finally gave up and now sleep using soft gel ear plugs. They work like a champ.

Rick

LVJ58 · 05-18-2011, 10:43 AM

Guess I'm odd man out here as I love to hear them. To me it's sounds of the past bringing back memories of when I was a kid staying at my Grandmother's house located about a half block from the Burlington & Rock Island lines. Once I get to sleep, never hear them.

Seajay · 05-18-2011, 10:50 AM

I put a post in here some time ago about a train beside a camp ground somewhere out in Montana I think. My Willa loves to hear a train in the distance but this was a double track on one side of undergrowth about 20 feet wide and the train tracks were right there. We didnt know this when we picked the camp spot. Without repeating the post it was a real surprise when the trains passing started shaking the coach apart. The real surprise was when two trains passed out beside the coach.

Anyhow, we love the sound of trains as long as they are in the ''far distance''away from the coach.....

Veterans day is coming on Monday May 30. Thank a vet for your freedoms...

deandec · 05-18-2011, 10:56 AM

When boating before RVing, we found that all marinas seemed to be located near train tracks.

Fortunately, destination RV parks do not seem to have that trait.

If we have shorepower, we run the rear overhead ac fan for white noise.

Otherwise we carry a small noise machine to run while dry camping.

Works great. We do not even hear the 5:30 am fishermen leaving in their diesel pickups.

ctcamper · 05-18-2011, 10:59 AM

Planes are another one lol Myrtle beach state cg and Virgina beach come to mind O_O..

I really think the engineer gets a hoot out of blowing the whistle as he passes all the campgrounds lol

Gel ear plugs, I'll have to look into that