ᐅ Is it possible to have a quiet home despite an uncontrolled railroad crossing (train horns)?

nordanney schrieb:

Is there good Schlager music that isn’t annoying? 😱

The real question is, does good Schlager music even exist? 😀

I'll let Wendler in on this… he is a self-proclaimed composer and has written at least 20,000 pop songs. Compared to that, Mozart was more of a low performer.

I live about 2-3 km (1.2-1.9 miles) from the main train station. Depending on the wind, I can hear the announcements. I always hear the trains. Two years ago, when they were working on the tracks day and night, the horn sounded every 15 minutes. When I was inside, I heard it less with the windows closed. Outside, it was quite annoying. But it was really frequent.

What bothers me more are other people. Loud chatting under the window or in the neighbor's garden in the middle of the night. Or my neighbor’s deep voice that cuts right through you. Or the lengthy farewell ceremonies next door with doors slamming 100 times in the middle of the night. Or car horns being honked to announce someone's arrival.

Everyone is different, of course. I would rather have the trains than my two neighbors.

nordanney schrieb:

Is there any good schlager music that isn’t annoying? 😱

Good schlager becomes at least danceable starting from about 0.1% blood alcohol content. Bad schlager is just always bad.

Tolentino schrieb:

There is also a difference depending on the source of the noise. Something that nobody can do anything about anyway, like trains, highways, or even airports, is different from a neighbor who turns up their stereo full blast with bad pop music at 2:00 AM.

My neighbors listen to heavy metal, whether they like it or not 😉

We are also 150m (490 feet) in a straight line from a railway crossing here. I first consciously noticed the train two days after moving in. You can hear the horn if someone is still rushing across, but it’s okay. The neighbors around here are definitely more disturbing when they sit on the balcony late at night.

Hi and thanks for your helpful responses.

Nordlys schrieb:

Are trains running there at night at all, or is it quiet after 10:00 PM?

The last train is just before 1:00 AM and the first train at 5:00 AM. Twice per hour. Only regional trains, which run slowly, no freight trains. No vibrations at all. The noise from rails and wheels is not audible.

ypg schrieb:

Where are the tracks located in relation to the property? Otherwise: go there and spend some time.

The tracks are south of the property. There will be another row of houses and trees and shrubs at the edge of the construction site. We have been there many times. During daytime I don’t find the horn noise disturbing. What I’m missing is how it sounds at night inside behind walls. Trying to spend a night in a camper didn’t reassure me 🙂 The metal walls don’t dampen anything, and with such an unusual overnight situation, sleep was not very deep anyway.

Nida35a schrieb:

Or keep looking.

Nowadays, and in my region, turning down a building plot requires careful consideration. That’s why I’m asking here.

Bookstar schrieb:

You often find many children in a new housing development.

That actually speaks in favor of a new housing development for us. We have two children who tend to be loud 🙂 But then at least it is quiet in the evenings.

Bookstar schrieb:

A solid, heavy building envelope (calcium silicate brick, Poroton with insulation) helps a lot, and windows, joints, roof etc. must all be designed accordingly. Altogether, it should achieve at least 40 dB, better 50 dB, noise reduction.

Thanks for the detailed advice. I think if I go ahead, I will definitely focus on soundproofing. Is there a roof shape that offers advantages for sound insulation?

guckuck2 schrieb:

In general, a new housing development is not for you – too many children and years of construction noise. Here, some older residents have moved away after only 2–3 years. A new development is not a retirement home.

I’m young, with kids 🙂 We had construction noise near our apartment for years. That didn’t scare me. I just don’t know the nuisance of train horns, especially at night, so I can’t judge how annoying they are.

ypg schrieb:

Isn’t it comparable to church bells?

Probably similar in loudness. Don’t church bells have to be turned off or muted at night? Where we live now, they don’t ring from 8:00 PM to 7:00 AM. I think that is reasonable.

Gille D schrieb:

If it bothers you now, it’s very likely to bother you much more later.

You may be right. Ideally it’s like with parquet flooring — at first I was upset about every small scratch, but over time it stopped mattering in daily life.

haydee schrieb:

What matters is how often and when the train passes by?

See my earlier post a bit further up.

guckuck2 schrieb:

The original poster should simply take a day off and sit on their plot. Then you will see what exactly passes by and when.

See my earlier post a bit further up.

pagoni2020 schrieb:

In the end, everyone has something. Sometimes it’s a nearby or distant highway, trains, fire station, a factory, a farm, poultry farming, noisy children groups, dog barking, annoying neighbors, daycare, school, sports field, church.

Yes, I won’t find the perfect building plot within my time frame (before my children start school) and financial possibilities. That’s why I’m trying to weigh everything carefully.

pagoni2020 schrieb:

From my perspective, as someone not affected in this case, this seems more like a luxury problem, as I wouldn’t be worried about this, or rather I might be more sensitive to other environmental or social factors.

Thanks for clarifying that. I appreciate your honesty.

shenja schrieb:

When I was inside, I heard it less with the windows closed.

Did you install any special sound insulation?