Super
Yeah, I noticed the textured concrete block walls, the windows and various fittings that all looked reasonably āmodernā. Not only is it odd that a new residential building would be approved this close to the tracks but most railroads have a pretty decent right of way. In my previous life, I occasionally had to deal with issues involving right of way encroachment.
(Insert long, boring diatribe about the mutually acrimonious relationship between Norfolk Southern and a modest sized municipality.)
Thatās why I guessed that the building must be a highly modified commercial/industrial structure. It could be a āgrandfatheredā site but even most smaller towns donāt allow new residential structures to be built that close to active rail line anymore. Heck, in my part of the US, CN spent a number of years and a significant amount of money to relocate a major north-south mainline to the west of the little railroad towns that had been built along the original Illinois Central line. Theyād rather avoid the danger and hassle of exactly the kind of operation shown in these videos, much less running through urban residential areas.
So yeah, now Iām intrigued as to how you end up with an apartment building sitting right up against a spur track and in between two unguarded rail crossings. Thatās a white knuckle job for the train crew and pretty noisy for the building residents too.
