The closest railroad artifact to my house (not on my property) is a piece of rail used as a bollard about 1/4 mile from my house. The closest railroad to my house is the Phoenix light rail system, at 3 miles away.
The closest freight railroad to my house is the Union Pacific, about 3.5 miles away.
The closest static railroad display to my house is at the McCormick Stillman Railroad park, about 6 miles away.
The closest steam locomotive to my house is also at the McCormick park, 6 miles away.
The closest operable (non miniature) steam locomotive to my house is in Williams, Arizona, about 150 miles away.
The closest store to my house that regularly sells model trains is Coronado Scale Models, 3.5 miles away. (I won't count seasonal train sets at wally world).

How about you?

Closest railroad artifact: An abandoned RR pier and wye at Popes Creek about 13 miles away.
Closest railroad: CSXT at Newburg about 11 miles away
Closest Passenger rail: The NEC in Washington about 50 miles away
Closest Light Rail:WMATA (Washington Metro) about 50 miles away
Closest static rail display: A restored station and caboose in La Plata about 22 miles away
Closest steam locomotive: Baltimore RR museum about 75 miles away
Closest operable steam locomotive is probably the Strasburg about 160 miles away
Closest train store is G Scale Train Station in Waldorf about 30 miles away.

The closest railroad artifact to my house (not on my property) is the Baldwin Locomotive Works Main Office - about 1/4 mile from my back door.
The closest railroad to my house is the Northeast Corridor Conrail Amtrak about 4 blocks away.
The closest freight railroad to my house is the Norfolk Sothern (C&O) about 1/2 mile away.
The closest static railroad display to my house is in Newtown Square PA about 12 miles away.
The closest steam locomotive to my house is also in Newtown Square PA about 12 miles away.
The closest operable (non miniature) steam locomotive to my house is at Strasburg PA about 50 miles away.
The closest store to my house that regularly sells model trains is Nicholas Smith Trains about 8 miles away (I won't count seasonal train sets at wally world either).

The closest railroad artifact to my house (that I know of)(not on my property) is a tower for the overhead electric of the old North Shore Line, 7 miles away
The closest railroad to my house is the Canadian National ( Wisconsin Central/Milwaukee road/Soo Line ), about 1500 feet from my home.
The closest freight railroad Same as above.
Closest Passenger rail: Amtrak, through Rondout, Il. 6 miles away.
Closest Light Rail: the CTA, Chicago 30 miles away
The closest static railroad display to my house is the old Mundelein station, about 2 miles away.
The closest steam locomotive to my house is in Wood Dale, Il. 16 miles away.
The closest operable (non miniature) steam locomotive to my house is at the Illinois Railway Museum, 27 miles away.
The closest store to my house that regularly sells model trains is Ron's Mundelein Hobbies, 2.5 Miles away

This one took a bit of thinking, and will need to be verified by Google...! You'll have to pardon the metric (1 mile = 1.6 kilometres or 1600 metres)

The closest railroad artifact to my house (that I know of)(not on my property) is a level crossing about 1 kilometre away.

The closest railroad to my house is the CN/VIA at the level crossing above.

The closest freight railroad: CN, about 200 metres from my office. (This section of track also used by VIA).

Closest Passenger rail: same as above, operated by VIA Rail Canada.

Closest Light Rail: The O-Train, operated by OC Transpo, the Ottawa transit commission.

The closest static railroad display to my house is at the Museum of Science & Technology, about 33 kilometres away.

The closest steam locomotive to my house is at the Museum of Science & Tech as above.

The closest operable (non miniature) steam locomotive to my house is a Three-truck Shay, at the Museum of Science & Tech. Next closest is the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train.

The closest store to my house that regularly sells (HO) model trains is Hobby House in Vanier. About 30 km away. G-scale and other larger scales available at Christmas Train Store, about 20km.

The closest railroad artifact to my house (not on my property): Is in the Scarborough Model Railroad Club which about four blocks from my house, they have several artifacts hanging on the walls in there. http://www.scarborough-model-railroaders.org/
The closest railroad to my house is: The Canadian National / Go Transit Line / Via Rail trackage. About 1.5 klicks to the south.
The closest freight railroad to my house is: Same as above.
The closest static railroad display to my house is: The Toronto Railway Historical Association Museum (yet to be opened) about 15 klicks to the South West, Downtown T.O.. http://www.trha.ca/index.html
The closest steam locomotive to my house is: Same as above. CN 6213 now lives there, formerly housed at the Exhibition Grounds.
The closest operable (non miniature) steam locomotive is: I don't know. :oops:
The closest store to my house that regularly sells model trains is: Hornet Hobbies. Although I normally make the drive up to Markham and go George's Trains. http://www.hornethobbies.com/
http://georgestrains.com/

edited to include links

The closest railroad artifact to my house is the Jackson Streer Roundhouse, its within 1.5 miles from here
The closest freight railroad to my house is, a BNSF (Im pretty sure, see lots of roads), there are two lines both only a few blocks from here
The closest static railroad display to my house is also the Jackson Street Roundhouse
For both operational and non operational steam locomotives they would both also be at the Jackson street roundhouse, at least I know they have a steam loco that as of a few years back was being made operable I thought.
The closest store to my house that regularly sells model trains is either Hub hobby or scale model supplies, both awesome stores.

The closest railroad artifact outside my property is the old wooden ties my neighbor uses as a low retaining wall in his yard. About 30 feet away.
The closest railroad to my house is the Kongsvinger line - about a mile away.
The closest freight railroad to my house is also the Kongsvinger line - about a mile away.
The closest static railroad display is the old RR cars at the museum RR depot - about two miles away
The closest operable steam locomotive is at the museum RR station engine house - about two miles away
The closest store that sells model trains is at Klofta and at Strommen - both about 12 miles from my house, in different directions.

Smile
Stein

The closest railroad artifact not on my property: A B&M drop bottom, and a PC gondola, about a thousand feet away.
The closest passenger/commuter line, Metro North in Waterbury, about 20 miles away.
Closest freight railroad is the Housatonic Railroad about 15 miles away.
The closest railroad display is the Naugatuck Railroad static display in Thomaston, about 10 miles away
The closest operable steam loco is at Essex, about 40 miles away.
The closest store that sell model railroad stuff is Trophy World, about a mile away.

Closest railroad artifact: The guy across the street may have something (he's also a model rail). If you mean no longer in use railway stuff, there's the park that the Toronto Suburban built to generate traffic about 5 miles away. The kit for the old Brampton CP station is 8-10 miles away.
Closest railroad: CN has sidings less than a mile away. The main line is 2-3 miles away. Brampton-Orangeville uses the old CP line maybe 4 miles away
Closest Passenger rail: VIA runs on the CN main.
Closest Light Rail: TTC St Clair streetcar -- 20 miles? TTC subway about the same.
Closest static rail display: Probably the John Street Roundhouse at Toronto Union Station, 25 miles away; Halton County Radial Railway a bit farther in the other direction.
Closest steam locomotive: CNR 6213 at John Street.
Closest operable steam locomotive on the Waterloo Central Railway -- about an hour away. Possibly a couple on the South Simcoe Rly in Tottenham; not sure of current condition.
Closest train store is Credit Valley Railway, a 20 minute drive (14 km -- I measured it today).

The closest railroad artifact(s) NYO&W Oneida yard where a few buildings still stand and are in use and the NYC&HRR a 2 bridges less than 1/4 mile from house.

The closest passenger/freight amtrak & csx lines are a mile away from house.

The closest static railroad display is the NYO&W Munnsville depot about 10 miles away from house

The closest hobby shop K&K hobby is 21 miles away from house.

The closest railroad to my house is the Maumee & Western, just down the block.
The closest Class 1 railroads are Norfolk Southern and CSX, both about ten miles away at their closest.
The closest diamond is near Liberty Center where the Maumee & Western crosses the Indiana & Ohio, about five miles.
The closest rail transit is Cleveland RTA, specifically the Red Line extension to the airport, 130 miles away.
The closest Amtrak stop is Bryan, Ohio served daily by the Lakeshore Limited, 30 miles away.
The closest tourist train is the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western "Bluebird" in Waterville, Ohio, 20 miles away. It's also the closest Alco.
The closest railfan park is Crossroads Park in Deshler, Ohio, about 25 miles away.
The closest hobby store is Phil's Hobbies in Defiance, Ohio, fifteen miles away, but it's less than worthless so I only go in there once a year.

Closest artifact is a piece of rail in my garage (left by previous owner)

Closest railway is Canadian Pacific's St. Thomas sub behind my back yard (about 200 feet behind my house ) currently operated by Ontario Southland.

I like Brian's idea of providing links....

Closest railroad artifact: New Brighton Historical Center Museum just a couple miles away. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://web.mac.com/ljkloncz1/NBAHS2/Welcome.html">http://web.mac.com/ljkloncz1/NBAHS2/Welcome.html</a><!-- m -->
Closest static display of a steam locomotive: Bandana Square <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BandanaSq.jpg">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BandanaSq.jpg</a><!-- m -->
Closest Railroad is the CN (Former Wisconsin Central with a junction with the Minnesota Commercial RR. in New Brighton. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.mnnr.net/">http://www.mnnr.net/</a><!-- m -->
Closest operable steam locomotive: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Road_261">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Road_261</a><!-- m -->
Closest hobby shop: Becker's <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://beckersmodelrailroadsupply.com/bmrshome.htm">http://beckersmodelrailroadsupply.com/bmrshome.htm</a><!-- m -->

Ralph

Re: The closest...


Closest railroad artifact: the old Sante Fe rail grade at Palmer Lake, about 3 miles away.
Closest railroad: BNSF, Palmer Lake
Closest Passenger rail: Amtrak, Union Station, Denver, about 50 miles away
Closest Light Rail: Denver, about 37 miles away
Closest static rail display: Colorado Rail Museum in Golden, Colorado, about 60 miles away
Closest steam locomotive: Same place
Closest operable steam locomotive: same place
Closest train store: Colorado Springs, about 40 miles away, or the CAboose in Denver, about 55 miles away.