Train "Street Running"

[Roadrunner75]

So while looking around on Google Maps I ran across this street in West Brownsville, PA where the freight tracks run right down the middle of Main Street for a few blocks.  From watching lots of train videos with my son I know this is commonly called "street running", but it's still interesting to see active tracks running down a residential street.  Trolleys and passenger light rail are one thing, but I can't imagine looking out my front door at a freight train coming down my street within inches of my parked car.  Here's a few GSV links:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0252515,-79.8889213,3a,66.8y,36.81h,90.25t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1spqwM_0EUfm1dRWx83PV3Xg!2e0?force=lite

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0287226,-79.8832887,3a,79.3y,33.78h,89.57t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1squLZj7Rjd5IAMI2Pxg8XRQ!2e0?force=lite

...and one of the videos of the train passing through:

And finally...

[coatimundi]

Years ago, I came across the one in New Albany, IN and it just scared the hell out of me. I can imagine it being terrifying to be driving along, and seeing a giant locomotive in your rearview. I guess people get used to it.

[jakeroot]

The Port of Tacoma, in Washington State, has several railways running down the center of the street, but they're not commonly used.

Renton, WA has a passenger railway running down Houser Way, one of their main arterial roads. The railway is, however, hardly ever used (only, very rarely, by specialty dinner trains, and by Boeing to ship airplane fuselages to their Renton plant).

[SteveG1988]

Burlington NJ, i think the Riverline (which is light rail) uses CSX track there. So that means at night there is the potential for trains to use it that are freight oriented.

[GaryV]

Until 1933, train tracks shared the right of way with US-41/M-28 in Marquette.

[catch22]

La Grange, Kentucky is another example.  The CSXT Cincinnati-Louisville main line runs down Main Street.  Here's a pic I took back in March:

[mgk920]

CN (original Chicago and North Western) goes down a few blocks of street in Oconto, WI, too.

Mike

[KEVIN_224]

I think some of the NICTD commuter train line does this en route to South Bend, IN. I've only been on it to Hammond, IN and it wasn't doing it there. The line heads out south and east from under Millennium Park in Chicago.

[Max Rockatansky]

Hell that used to be a lot more common...  Usually those kind of rail alignments if they still exist are found in the northeast where street grid pre-dates automobile traffic.

[TEG24601]

Monticello IN used to have this, until they line was decommissioned, and the rails removed.  Now it is just a gravel median, with two blocks of planters, between the two directions of travel.  The only clue on the ground is that the street is called "Railroad St".

[catch22]

I think some of the NICTD commuter train line does this en route to South Bend, IN. I've only been on it to Hammond, IN and it wasn't doing it there. The line heads out south and east from under Millennium Park in Chicago.

Yes, in Michigan City for a few blocks along 11th Street:

https://goo.gl/maps/oiaNbpprMt92

[JCinSummerfield]

Can also be found in Marietta, OH.

[jwolfer]

Downtown Pensacola had a freight train through the street downtown at least in 1992. I went to visit my brother who was stained there and my friend and I went to the bar, people we climbing on the train and it was moving

[1995hoo]

Ashland, Virginia, has that, including a train station in town, but there is a curb to either side of the tracks separating the street from the tracks. It's one of the more interesting parts of the Auto Train run.

Edited to add Street View link: https://goo.gl/maps/JSwzLtyQhVy

[renegade]

E. First St. in Monroe, Michigan used to have a track running along the north curb line of the street.  It was removed in the late 70s, I think.

[7/8]

All aboard, the Polar Express! 

[Roadrunner75]

Here's one in Colton, CA that I found awhile back.  We were looking at old wigwag signals on Youtube, and we came across this one with both wigwags and street running:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0619618,-117.3240402,3a,66.8y,136.48h,90.83t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sumYbpapJpfyHcEIANNupCQ!2e0?force=lite

And video:

[freebrickproductions]

Gadsden, AL:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0123751,-85.9995128,3a,60y,291.23h,87.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2UzpMEHLybFUF95QhmBN7g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Tampa, FL:
https://www.google.com/maps/@27.9501751,-82.4608819,3a,60y,82.35h,84.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFZBzIa9k_uER35OX-d0D9w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Buck87]

6th street in Augusta, GA has a street running rail line that follows it for about 10 blocks

[Mapmikey]

Salt Lake City has a public transportation rail system that at a minimum occupies the same space as some left turn lanes...

[empirestate]

I've found this to be surprisingly common, actually. Georgia seems to be fond of it; I know of active street running segments in Augusta (https://goo.gl/maps/rCrqHsf9vv32) and Columbus (https://goo.gl/maps/A49A2EF4jGz)–both on 6th Street, coincidentally.

Fort Collins is another major example, along Mason St. I see from Street View that they've reconstructed it to give the tracks a dedicated median, but it used to be flush with the road surface: https://goo.gl/maps/43eNQGcFx5x

[Max Rockatansky]

Salt Lake City has a public transportation rail system that at a minimum occupies the same space as some left turn lanes...

Phoenix has that too in some locations in downtown since they put in the light rail.  But by that token wouldn't the street cars in San Francisco kinda sorta qualify if we're going beyond freight grade rails?

[Roadrunner75]

Trolleys and passenger light rail are pretty common, as is freight in industrial areas.  I would think less common would be freight running for a significant distance down residential streets as in the West Brownsville and Colton examples.

[froggie]

How are we defining "street running" here?  Are we defining it where it's simply a rail line that runs down a street?  In this case, several public-transit lines across the country would qualify, including the ones already mentioned.

Or are we defining it more narrowly in that it's a rail line that runs down the middle of a street and where non-train traffic can use the same "lane" that the train does?  In many cases, particularly with the rail transit lines, the line may run down the street but non-train traffic is not authorized to use the lane.  This is also the case with the CSX tracks through Ashland, VA that 1995hoo mentioned earlier...vehicle traffic cannot use the space the tracks are in.

[1995hoo]

That's why I noted there is a curb to either side. I wasn't sure whether it's exactly the same thing. Sure is interesting to see when you're on the train through Ashland, though.