Former Lincoln resident defends train whistles

I am a 1961 graduate of Lincoln High School. I am a Realtor in Marietta, Ga., and continue to subscribe to the Lincoln paper.The train horn noise issue is one that I felt needed to be responded to.After months of reading about the train horn noise that is affecting everyone that bought houses near the railroad tracks, I am compelled to ask these questions: When you purchased the home, did you really not know the tracks were there?Did you, as a home buyer, not check out the surrounding area where the home was located?Did you inquire about any of this prior to signing the sales contract?I was born and raised in Lincoln and the train and its whistles have always been there.As I understand it, the reason there is a "Lincoln" is because Charles Lincoln Wilson laid the railroad through there.My father was an auto mechanic in Lincoln and did towing jobs as well. Occasionally he was called out late at night to tow away the mangled cars that had been hit by trains.One night he had to tow what was left of the car that my babysitter was a passenger in with her friends.This was BEFORE they started blowing the horns.The people that bought homes in the affected subdivision have learned a tough lesson - before you sign on the dotted line, do your homework.Yes, Mr. Vandenberg, noise will affect resale values. But the train is also a part of the "small town atmosphere" you were seeking.To suggest that the City Council should have anticipated and resolved (the problem) before final approval is ridiculous.The developers and builders knew where the tracks were when they built those homes.