So, you want to film a railroad crossing. This page is designed to help aspiring signalfans take high quality videos of railroad crossings. Your goal should be to film the complete activation sequence, from before the signals activate to after they deactivate. Us members of Mikes Railroad Crossing Website have been filming crossings for decades, so here’s our steps for recording railroad crossings.

For the original 101 page made by Mike, click here.

Page updated by UPking and Hopen111.

Step 1: Find a signalized railroad crossing!

Any railroad crossing that has a warning device that is activated by an approaching train is considered a signalized crossing. This can be as simple as a bell mounted to the side of a wooden post. Signalized crossings don’t have to be automatic; for example, a crossing with gates that are raised and lowered by a watchman is also considered signalized.

If you want to find a railroad crossing with equipment you consider rare or noteworthy, our site is here to help! Search "The Signals Page" and you are sure to find a crossing that strikes your fancy. In addition, Google Street View can aid you in finding interesting crossings that might not be documented on our site.

Step 2: Do your research!

Before you travel to that railroad crossing you want to film, we advise you do some research.

Your main priority should be finding the daily train count for the rail line that the crossing is located on. Some rail lines can see over 150 trains in a 24 hour time period, while others might only see 1 train a month. Make sure that you aren’t visiting an out-of-service/defunct railroad crossing if your goal is to catch trains. The best method to find the daily train count is through our website. Simply use the search feature on our site and find the crossing. At the top of each crossing page, we list a fairly accurate daily train count. If you can’t find the crossing on our site, visit https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/crossing/crossing.aspx or https://data.transportation.gov/stories/s/Crossing-Inventory-Listing/ejv6-cpdh/ and enter the crossing’s DOT number (this can be found by looking at the blue ENS sign or finding the relay case on Google Street View). Be warned that the daily train count on the FRA website may be inaccurate. Always assume the daily train count is lower than what is listed.

You should also research the type of neighborhood the crossing is located in, especially if it’s in an urban area. Many railroads run through rough areas of towns and cities. Don’t put yourself in danger by sitting for several hours in a bad neighborhood. Additionally, you should note any businesses or houses located near the crossing. You will need a plan for any encounters with strangers. More info on this later.

Lastly, it isn’t a bad idea to check how recent the latest update to the crossing page was, or how recent the last Google Street View was. Railroads like to replace older crossing equipment, so do your best to ensure that you aren’t traveling several hours just to find brand new signals.

Step 3: Go to the railroad crossing and wait for a train!

Parking...

When parking, ensure that you aren’t on private property (this includes railroad property), blocking a driveway, or impeding traffic. Sometimes, there won’t be anywhere to park, and you’ll have to pull off to the shoulder. In that case, make sure you are as far off the road as possible, and turn your hazard lights on. In rare instances, you may have to park somewhere nearby, and you’ll have to walk the rest of the way to the crossing.

Have a plan!

Before a train comes, you should have a game plan for how you are going to film the crossing. On sunny days, you should try to avoid being backlit (having the sun directly infront of your camera). In addition, you should try and have the full crossing in your shot. This can be difficult at large crossings with multiple signals, so just do your best. If you are using a tripod, you should set it up immediately. You’ll be glad you did if a train catches you off guard. If you are filming at night, clean off your lens beforehand to avoid any flare.

The waiting period...

If possible, find the frequency for your rail line and listen to a scanner. Listen for any defect detectors or crews calling clear as they pass control points. If you’ve done your research, you should be familiar with the mileposts around the crossing you are at.

Another method for receiving heads up of an approaching train is through wayside signals. Many wayside signals will turn on when a train is within a few miles. There are wayside signals that are dispatch controlled or are always lit, so familiarize yourself with how the wayside signals operate at your location.
The most foolproof method of receiving notice of an approaching train is by using a tracker, such as https://trains.fyi/ for passenger trains. Tracking freight trains in the United States is tricky. To legally track freight trains, you’ll need to get in touch with https://trainmon5.com/ or https://groups.io/g/ATCSMonitor. Although it is extremely tempting, Mikes Railroad Crossing Website cannot condone the unauthorized access and usage of official railroad trackers/tracers.

Finally there is the old-fashioned method. Tried and true. Wait to see the train’s headlight if the track is straight, listen for a rumble or a distant train horn if the track has curves, or if you are in a town, listen to hear if a nearby crossing activates. In large cities, Quiet Zones (trains can’t blow their horn) make it insanely difficult to hear approaching trains.

Encounters with strangers or law enforcement...

You should plan for encounters with unwanted individuals while you wait for trains. If anyone questions you, always be polite. This is a niche hobby, and not everyone knows it exists. If it’s just a business owner or resident of a nearby house, truthfully tell them you are filming trains. If it’s a railroad cop or law enforcement officer, be respectful and let them know that you are filming trains. Bonus points if you can show them previous videos or photos you have taken!

Sometimes, you may be told to leave or to stop filming. This can be very upsetting, but you need to stay calm. First off, check to see if you are on PUBLIC or PRIVATE property. Public property includes city sidewalks and city roads. Private property includes railroad property and privately owned business land. If you are on PRIVATE property, you should ALWAYS comply. In the event that a railroad cop or law enforcement officer tells you to stop filming or leave, even if you are on PUBLIC property, you have 2 options. You can either comply even though you’ve done nothing wrong, or you can stand your ground.

If you choose to stand your ground, be prepared for conflict. Always record any encounter when you stand your ground, in case you need to use it in court. In the United States, an officer is never allowed to seize your camera without a court order.

Most of the time, people will either be interested in your hobby or will leave you alone once you explain what you are doing. Don’t be afraid of encounters with others at railroad crossings.

Step 4: Getting ready for your train!

At the slightest hint of an approaching train, start recording immediately! Some crossings activate extremely early. Trains are also deceptively quiet, so if you hear a rumble, the train could be only seconds away from activating the signals. If you thought you heard a train horn or a nearby crossing bell, don’t take chances. Start recording! You can always trim your video later using editing software.

Step 5: Filming the crossing!

Ideally, you should start filming before the crossing activates. Sometimes though, you miss the activation. If the rail line you are on sees very little train traffic, don’t fret over a missed activation. If the rail line you are on sees a good amount of train traffic, see if you can catch another train and get the crossing activating.

You should keep your camera focused on the crossing until the train is about to enter the crossing. At this point, you have 2 options. You can either A: pan towards the train and follow it as it passes through the crossing, then pan back to the crossing, or B: keep your camera focused on the crossing the entire time. Both make for a great video.

While the train is passing, you can zoom in on the equipment such as the lights. Some signalfans like to zoom in on the LEDs at the crossing, which can be interesting if the crossing has more than one type of LEDs. You could also just keep the camera focused on the crossing while the train passes. The choice is yours.

If the train stops, you can keep filming and wait for it to move, or stop filming and take up-close photos or videos of the equipment such as the lights and bells. If the crossing is near a station, passenger trains will usually block crossings while passengers get on and off. The train shouldn’t be stopped for long, so keep filming. If it’s a freight train, it could be stopped anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. If you stopped filming and the train begins to move, you should start filming again and keep filming until the train clears and the crossing deactivates. You can always splice your 2 videos together using editing software. If you get bored and the train just won’t move, you can always leave, come back later, and wait for a train to pass through without stopping.

You should keep recording for a few seconds after the crossing deactivates. Sometimes, crossings will malfunction immediately after a train passes. On crossings with more than 1 track, there is always the possibility that a train is coming on the other track, and the signals could activate again. Usually once 10 seconds have passed after the crossing deactivates, it’s fine to stop filming.

Extra Info...

NEVER trespass on railroad property or stand close to a moving train. NEVER activate a railroad crossing yourself, even if it’s on an abandoned line. NEVER climb on crossing signals. NEVER pick locks or break into relay cases. NEVER steal equipment or tamper with crossing signals.

BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS! There is always the chance a driver won’t see you if you are standing close to the road, and you may end up having to dodge a speeding car. ALWAYS keep your eye on a passing train to make sure nothing dangerous happens. If a train derails, don’t stand there and film it. If you are holding your camera, keep recording and start running. If you are using a tripod, leave it and start running.

If you feel unsafe at a crossing, leave. It isn’t worth putting yourself in danger just to film a train.

Check the weather before you go to the railroad crossing you want to film. Don’t put yourself in danger by being caught during a severe storm or a blizzard.

Avoid using high power flashlights at night. While it may seem like a good idea, they draw tons of unwanted attention and can even blind the train crew.

If it’s windy outside, be prepared for wind noise  in your video.

Always make sure to bring batteries for cameras and charging cords for phones. The last thing you want is to run out of battery while filming a crossing. In addition, make sure you have enough memory/storage for at least 30 minutes of video.

When filming at night, you may need to adjust your camera settings. Especially if there aren’t any streetlights nearby.

This page will be updated as needed; thanks for reading!