Enough is enough on loud, lengthy blasts

To piggyback on the letter from Len Golding (July 8, Bee) regarding the unnecessary blowing of train horns, I reside in Sandpoint (Ponderosa area) and could not agree more that this practise should not be allowed in residential areas especially during the hours when most people are trying to sleep.

Other class one railroads, which Burlington Northern and Union Pacific are a part of, have worked harmoniously together with other communities to eliminate these deafening blasts during certain times of the day.

I have heard on occasion UP trains actually blowing their locomotive horns up to 12 times while proceeding through the Ponderosa area of Sandpoint. This is ridiculous, not to mention down right maddening. Everyone requires sufficient sleep to meet their work, school and day-to-day commitments and we certainly do not need train horn blasts occurring all through the night. As per Len Golding’s letter and my experience of being a employee/manager for 37 years with another class one railroad, train horn blasts are not necessarily required at controlled crossings with automatic arms, red lights and bells ringing.

Understandably locomotive engineers are governed by rules, regulations and time tables, however, agreements can be worked out between communities and the railroads to ensure that an understanding is acknowledged to eliminate/reduce these locomotive deafening horn blasts. I would hope that the Sandpoint City Council would get involved and approach the Public Relations departments of the two railroads to achieve a workable solution to this ongoing problem.

Enough is enough.

BRUCE ROSEBERRY

Sandpoint