Don Smith (69) says the noise is so bad at times he and the other occupant of the house, Jan Swann (74), cannot use the garden or parts of the house.
"They are incredibly noisy and make being in the garden impossible and make normal living in the western side of the houses unbearable."
Mr Smith has begun keeping a record of the times when refrigerated wagons create a problem. He recorded nine occasions in 12 days in February and March.
On one occasion, he said, wagons were parked outside the house for between six and eight hours from early morning. On another, they were parked there for 15min at 3am and again at 4.45am.
"It only takes one refrigerator unit parked straight in front of the garden, which has happened on many occasions, to completely blast the place. And when you have three or four, it's just appalling."
When the Otago Daily Times visited this week, three high-revving diesel refrigeration units were running and conversation in the garden was only possible by shouting.
KiwiRail public affairs manager Kevin Ramshaw said the company sympathised with the residents. Operations staff were aware of the need to keep wagon standing times to a minimum.
"The goal is no longer than an hour," he said. "Standing room" at Port Otago was limited, "which made it difficult to avoid holding wagons on the line near the houses.
There had been more refrigerated wagons than normal in the past month and the issue had been "exacerbated by an increase in the number of Taieri Gorge cruise charters, which have added to the rail congestion".
He expected the problem would ease after Easter, but "it would be difficult to eliminate all noise on a designated transport corridor on the outskirts of a working port".
Mr Smith believed the refrigerated wagons could be parked further south, away from houses.
"If they were parked there and making their noise, they are not going to be intruding into private places."
Ms Swann said she had complained to KiwiRail several times.
Eleven neighbours had responded to a circular distributed by Mr Smith.
One wrote: "I am 74 years old and don't keep very well and the noise keeps me awake all hours of the night."
Another wrote: "There is a man in the house that has had a stroke, and the noise of the refrigeration units means he can't get much sleep, which he has to have. And as we can't move, it makes it hard."
