How close does the water normally get to the tracks on the EB along the Mississippi?

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spinnaker

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Mar 23, 2018
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How close does the water normally get to the tracks on the EB along the Mississippi? I was just on the EB and the water was awfully close in some spots. Looked to be that another good rain and the tracks would be covered. So how close does the river usually get to the tracks?
 
Usually a few feet away at the closest points, I think? Generally for a lot of the stretch between Red Wing and La Crosse, you'll see a road and a house(yep, that's actually right on the Mississippi) behind the road, that separates your train from the edge of the Mississippi River. There are a few exceptions, where the tracks do get a little close to the Mississippi as I remember.
 
This is way off point, but way back in the day I was on the train from London to Penzance in the UK and when we passed Dawlish the tracks were just about under the English Channel at high tide. The waves were breaking on our windows and it almost seemed like the odd wave broke over the train cars. I was looking around, a bit concerned but the locals were totally unphased by it. The first youtube is from some guy inside the train and the second one is the view from outside, and it has a cool little single unit DMU (?) in it too.



 
I know it's a different scenario, as not due to storms, but I was amazed at how close the Coast Starlight is to the beach at many points around Santa Barbara. It's really neat to look out the windows and see the ocean almost close enough to touch.
32890216_10216528889524109_4148665677512704000_o.jpg
 
Note to self I need to add that rail line in England to my must ride list.

But back on topic the Builder also comes really close to the Puget Sound as well. I would say within twenty or so feet.
 
Usually a few feet away at the closest points, I think? Generally for a lot of the stretch between Red Wing and La Crosse, you'll see a road and a house(yep, that's actually right on the Mississippi) behind the road, that separates your train from the edge of the Mississippi River. There are a few exceptions, where the tracks do get a little close to the Mississippi as I remember.


I was really surprised how close the tracks came to a number of homes No fence on the part of the RR or home owner. I certainly would not want to have pets or worse kids.

And I can'r imagine the noises. Maybe you get used to it? ;)
 
I was really surprised how close the tracks came to a number of homes No fence on the part of the RR or home owner. I certainly would not want to have pets or worse kids.

And I can'r imagine the noises. Maybe you get used to it? ;)

Yep between the risk of Mississippi River flooding and train noise, I would not want to own one of those houses that were between La Crescent, MN(Minnesota town across the river from La Crosse, WI) and Red Wing. Don't get me wrong that area is very attractive, but to me the risk of flooding more worries me than train noise.

I know it's a different scenario, as not due to storms, but I was amazed at how close the Coast Starlight is to the beach at many points around Santa Barbara. It's really neat to look out the windows and see the ocean almost close enough to touch.
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Let me clarify my earlier post in this thread, further: if that pic is accurate for the Coast Starlight(still have yet to ride that train, btw), then I'd say the Coast Starlight gets closer to the Pacific Ocean, than the Empire Builder gets to the edge of the Mississippi River in that stretch between Red Wing and La Crescent, MN(town across the river from La Crosse). And ugh, don't get me started with all the times trees got in the way of me taking Mississippi River pics, and myself quietly dreading that there weren't more tree-free portions to allow for good pic opportunities.
 
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