Tracks through a backyard

One of the places I lived while going to college in Winona, MN had a backyard the abutted the Milwaukee Road Chicago-Minneapolis main line. It was double-track at the time, and there was no back fence or hedge, so the railroad literally ran through the backyard. My room faced onto the back yard.

It didn't take long to get used to the trains passing through. My favorite train to watch (late at night or early in the morning) was the "Fast Mail". I could see clerks sorting mail in the RPO cars. This train carried passengers only eastbound.

Les

The old Barre and Chelsea RR, now the WACR-Barre Sub, has a section of mainline that runs through someones back yard. The track is actually the tail track for the upper switchback, and also serves as the loading and unloading site for the Rock of Ages Quarry. When we restarted operations on the top of the hill we had some fun times with the owner of the house who was not too happy to have a train running through the middle of his property. At the peak of our conflict, one of the crews was threatened with a loaded shotgun, and the sheriff and a tow truck had to be present for every move we made through the area due to the before mentioned threats, and random cars and farm tractors being placed on the tracks.

The area is quite grown in, and we don't go up that far too often, so our passage through the area is described as that of an angry rhino, exploding out of the woods grunting and snorting, only to disappear on the other side of the clearing leaving a wake of broken tree limbs and traction sand. There is a chicken coop on the south side of hte tracks that is about 6 inches from the side of the train, not something to forget if you are focusing on getting the train up the hill and leaning out the window!

I actually found a great example of what I was looking for...right under my nose on the railroad I work on. On an old wye that I knew was there but never looked at. Ive been going there for 5 years and never saw it. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54915214@N05/6316688713/" title="IMG_1307 by gunsnclapton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6102/631 ... fcf13f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="IMG_1307"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54915214@N05/6316688495/" title="IMG_1306 by gunsnclapton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6102/631 ... 3f452b.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="IMG_1306"></a>

It was vary common on the Skaneatlas Jct Short line Railroad before it was pulled up in 1985. you can still see where the ROW is today.

Along the East Side of Cayuga Lake from Ithaca, NY to the Power Plant there Norfolk Southern passes in and out of many front and back yards on there way to service the power plant.

There is also a short stretch in Cayuga, NY where the Finger Lakes Railway I guess you could say passes threw a few front yards to some summer cottages?

Ha, have to laugh reading this, reminded me of a 1950's Sid Ceasar comedy skit.

He was sitting on Imogene Coca's living room couch, trying to steal a kiss, when
alarms go off-

She jumps up, pushes the couch aside, turns this huge wheel on the wall,
and the back wall slides open, like a big door. Then you see the headlamps of
an oncoming train approaching, head on-
The ROW was THROUGH her living room!

sorry if its a bit off topic, but I had to share this..

CSX passes and out of frount and back yards once they get up near Valley Field and Beauharnois, Quebec can Most of us guys in the Sperry cars can remember seeing some intresting sights at 6:00a.m. when were moveing along at 5 mph even had a teenage girl flash us once.