[Talk Host]

Many of you know that I have a big issue with the fact that when we purchased our lot and had our house built in Chatham, we were not told that a freight train runs day and night about 500 yards behind our house. The engineers blow the horn continuously as they pass by.

I received a call Thursday from an old roommate of mine who is now executive producer of one ot the nations top rated television network news magazine programs. It is seen each week on a major television network. They are doing a story on the new "Train Horn Rule" established by the Railroad Safety Administration. It seems that people don't believe there has been any change in the train horns since the new rule took effect last year.

Anyway, I sent my friend a link to TOTV several months ago and he viewed my piece on the train that runs behind my house. He wants to send a NY based crew here in December or January to do a story with me on how the train and horn has impacted the lives of my wife and I. The train traffic is scheduled to increase by 33% over the next few years because Florida is closing the East coast freight line and redirecting it all to Wildwood. Their story is apparently going to include several places around the country where train noise is a problem.

They will get some really good stuff, since in December and January there is a dramatic increase in Florida train traffic (20 to 30 or more times a day). He explained (and I already knew) that even though they shoot the piece, there is no guarantee that it will run. They often shoot twice as many stories as they can air. But he said this has all the elements of being one they select because it has lots of sound and visuals as well as emotion.

Funny thing. Here it is 7:30 Sunday morning and while I am writing this post, the train has gone by twice, sounding the horn all the way. This should make a really good story for them.

For those who are not yet residents of the Villages, I want to add that the train is most noticeable in some areas of Chatham. The farther you get away from this spot, the less you can hear it. In most places, it is only heard in the distance and is not a problem. We have even become mostly use to it, my only complication is that we were not told in the beginning.. We would have purchased elsewhere in the Village had we been told. It is my position that the real estate agent was under an obligation to say something like, "A freight train passes by here 24 times a day and it is loud, is that going to be a problem." (Ya right)