It began with three cars in mid-June that sat for three days; continued in the first half of July with two cars parked for two days and recently culminated starting July 27, with six cars parked for 12 days and counting.

The sound resembles the noise of a concentrated stream from a garden hose against an empty aluminum drum, or like air expressed from a compressor, and it registered at 80 decibels from one of the cars at a distance of 20 feet Tuesday afternoon.

The seething neighbors have applied pressure to have the cars removed by contacting RJ Corman, Cresson Township Police, the office of U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Blair, and the Federal Railroad Administration, and are hoping that a recent conversation with an FRA official will lead to the removal of the tank cars soon.

“Can you imagine living near this?” neighbor Ken Diehl asked on Tuesday evening.

Six tank cars sit on a siding in Cresson on Tuesday afternoon with at least one venting refrigerated liquid carbon dioxide. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

The noise goes on 24/7, and interferes with sleeping, said neighbor Richard Sheehan, who notified the Mirror of the problem.

Diehl compared the effect of the noise to tinnitus or drip-style water torture.

It forces members of the approximately 30 affected families to shout to be heard during conversation, Diehl said.

When they go elsewhere, they’re often asked, “‘Why are you screaming?'” he said.

One neighbor reported getting headaches from the noise, said Margie Sheehan, Richard’s wife.

Employees at a local business operated by the Sheehans’ son Bob complain about the situation, Bob said.

Bob said his family goes for drives to get away from the noise.

The tank cars are apparently awaiting pickup by Norfolk Southern, whose mainline is nearby.

Local police have said the matter is an FRA issue, according to the neighbors.

Cars shouldn’t be waiting in the yard for pickup for more than 48 hours, according to one rail official, who spoke to one of the neighbors.

The cars should be taken out to the mainline as soon as possible — or better yet, stored for as long as necessary in an area where there are no homes nearby, according to Richard and Bob Sheehan.

He doesn’t like to cause trouble, but sometimes it’s necessary, Richard said.

The Mirror left messages Wednesday at Corman’s Kentucky headquarters.

An FRA press office representative was trying Wednesday to get information about the role of that agency in the matter.

Similarly, a Norfolk Southern representative was looking for information on the case, and a Cresson Township police representative took a request to pass along a message.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.