James Chilton of the Kingman Daily Miner takes a look at a railroad “quiet zone” that soon will take effect in the fellow Route 66 town of Flagstaff, Ariz. The rule will require train engineers to put a sock in their whistles when going through town.
“The hotel guys are the ones who are most concerned about it,” said Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Vice President Joe Gali. “For folks not familiar with the community, they’ll come in, they’ll stay at the hotels, and the horns will keep them up all night, then they’ll go online and write a poor review.”
As the main line from Los Angeles to Chicago, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad through Flagstaff carries as many as 120 trains a day, with each required to sound its whistle as it approaches each of the city’s five crossings. With many hotels located along Route 66 just parallel to the railroad tracks, the trains have caused unending trouble for both employees and guests alike.
“Namely, we hear ‘I’m never going to come to Flagstaff again because of that train,'” said one hotel desk clerk who preferred not to give her name. “It all goes hand in hand with the Flagstaff experience, but that doesn’t always appease the people who can’t sleep at night. We get constant complaints all year.”
I know there are some folks who find the sound of a train comforting, but they are a small minority. The now-closed Brunswick Hotel in Kingman, less than 100 feet from the railroad tracks, gave guests complementary earplugs in an effort to combat the noise.
According to former Brunswick Owner and Manager Debra Sixta, the trains were one of the main deterrents to tourists spending the night there.
“The people would walk in, hear the trains, and walk back out. That happened a lot,” she said.
Kingman is also considering a quiet zone, but city officials are concerned about the cost. Flagstaff’s efforts cost nearly $1 million.
Still, if you value tourism dollars, Kingman had better not take lightly such a proposal.
I grew up in scenic Hammond, Indiana, the city with (back then) more railroad tracks than any other place in the country. We had major tracks two blocks from the house hauling iron ore into the mills in endless trains, then leaving empty and noisy. I got used to that and still think that is normal. One night, I stayed at The Sands in Grants, NM and keep dreaming I was back home and a kid again.
But I know most folks don’t want all that racket when they’re on vacation. The trains are loud enough without their horns going off at all hours.
Probably a good idea.