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Trains sounding horn near St Austell, Cornwall

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cornwall

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I got curious recently about the trains sounding their horns in my area. I'm about a mile from St Austell station and maybe a little less than half a mile from the nearest bit of track. We can often hear trains passing in the distance. One kindly just obliged while I was typing that sentence. They often also sound their horn.

It's obviously not very loud since I don't live right by the line, so it's not disturbing me, it just piqued my curiosity. I live near Bethel Chapel

A little googling tells me that trains sound their horns routinely when they are approaching level crossings and when they pass a whistle board. The nearest level crossing to me is about 2.5 miles away. Is that too far to hear the horn? And if so does anyone know where/why the trains all sound the horn near St Austell?
 
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David Dunning

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York
I got curious recently about the trains sounding their horns in my area. I'm about a mile from St Austell station and maybe a little less than half a mile from the nearest bit of track. We can often hear trains passing in the distance. One kindly just obliged while I was typing that sentence. They often also sound their horn.

It's obviously not very loud since I don't live right by the line, so it's not disturbing me, it just piqued my curiosity. I live near Bethel Chapel

A little googling tells me that trains sound their horns routinely when they are approaching level crossings and when they pass a whistle board. The nearest level crossing to me is about 2.5 miles away. Is that too far to hear the horn? And if so does anyone know where/why the trains all sound the horn near St Austell?
Hi I used to live around Truro and St Austell many years ago. From what I can remember there is a foot crossing between you and Carlyon Bay. Around 0.5 miles away. It could be that which is the reason for you hearing the horns.

It’s just next to Fettling Lane and it appears to be still there.

Links to Acorn Drive so it’s half a mile from Bethel Church
 

cornwall

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I never would've known it was there from Google maps. Excellent local knowledge!

Thanks! I'll investigate it I've never been across a pedestrian-only level crossing before. :)
 

Nottingham59

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Nottingham
Footpathmap.co.uk shows it as a public footpath (in red) all the way from Chandlers Road through to Holmbush Road

1627564331671.png

Please take great care when crossing the line. The track is quite curved here and visibility may be very limited in both directions.
 
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cornwall

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26 Jul 2021
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Cornwall, UK
That footpath website looks useful, thanks.

And I will most definitely not linger on the tracks. 100% agree with you both on that!

As a young girl my mum (with her older brother) was walking through a tunnel to a private cove when a train came through. They had to plaster themselves to the tunnel walls. They survived that, then started to get cut off by the tide while exploring the cove... had to make a run for it through the rising water.

She made sure we never even dreamed of doing anything so dangerous ourselves!

Edited for grammar.

It feels like you're sneaking up the side of someone's garden. The last picture has a glimpse of a train that obligingly passed as I left. Was only there about a minute on my lunch break.
 

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