Updated November 26, 2020

 

Total Accidents:   3
Crossing DOT #:  546637C
TOTAL DAILY TRAINS:   24   (AS OF 2018)

 

All pictures were taken on July 1, 2009 and July 30, 2017 by wilek209.

Page originally created by: Josh Baumann, updated by wilek209.

 

1

2

3

4
View from the SE corner of the crossing.
The northbound signal. The traffic light in front is a fiber-optic "Walk/Don't Walk" pedestrian signal.
The southbound signals. The gate is on a separate pole with rear-facing lights and a Safetran mechanical bell.

5

6

7

8
Notice the building in the background - it used to be a train station, now it's a Burger King restaurant!
The side lights are aimed towards a parking lot for Bridgewater State College commuters.
Track view looking SE, past the train station/BK.
Track view looking NW.

9

10

11

12
The equipment bungalow.
The DOT sign.
An unusual addition to an advance warning sign.
The signals activate.

13

14

15

16
The gates go down.
Safetran 8" incandescent lights illuminated.
The train approaches...

17

18

19

20
... and crosses. Notice the vandal guards on the locomotive windshield.
The gates rise.
The traffic lights turn green to clear out the backed-up traffic.

 

Here's a Youtube video of the crossing in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORSgczpDqzU

 

 

"This Burger King used to be a train station back in the mid-19th century, but around 1996 it was changed to a Burger King restaurant. Naturally,  since it used to be a train station, it's right next to active railroad tracks.

 

This railroad crossing is similar to the Plymouth St. crossing nearby, but it has always had gates since probably the 1980s or early 1990s, while others originally just had gateless mast signals until the Middleboro/Lakeville commuter rail line opened in 1997 and were upgraded.

 

Prior to 1997, the bells would ring the whole time the crossing was active, from startup to shutdown. Beginning in 1997 up until maybe 2006-2007, the bells would stop ringing once the gates have come down, then ring again as the gates begin to rise. After that around 2007, the crossing was prrogrammed back to so the bells would ring the whole time from startup to deactivation.

 

There are also traffic lights for a nearby street where the Bridgewater commuter parking lot is and the Broad St. intersection.  Traffic lights facing Broad  St. are programmed so if the lights facing that way are green when the crossing signals activate, the traffic lights immediately become red (without even a yellow phase!).  Once the gates rise and the signals deactivate, the lights facing Broad St. turn green. The crosswalk signals are unaffected, as the crosswalks do not cross the tracks, and still operate like normal. The walk sign pictured in one of the active crossing pictures is still on; they're fiber-optic and thus not clearly visible from the side.

 

I also included pics of the crossing in action as a Southbound MBTA commuter train passes through. Interesting to note, though this is a South Side MBTA route, this train has a GP40-MC locomotive, which are typically not used very often on the South Side (however, the bi-level  coaches seen on this train are common on the South Side MBTA trains)."

 

 

 

A return visit eight years later (July 30, 2017) reveals quite a few changes...

 

21

22

23

24
Overview from the same angle as Photo 1.
The Safetran gate arm on the northbound signal has since been replaced wih a WCH gate arm, and the Safetran mechanical bell failed some time in 2016-2017 and was replaced with a WCH Type 3 e-bell that rings at a slow speed.
New crossing information signs have also been installed on the signals themselves, compared to there only being one on the equipment bungalow.
The grade was also redone in asphalt in early 2010, when the railroad replaced the concrete ties on the line with wooden ties.

25

26

27

28
Another shot showing the WCH gate and e-bell.
Southeast track view, with the wooden ties.
Northwest track view, showing the redone grade.
Pedestrian gate on the southbound side.

29

30

31

32
Overview of the southbound signal.
The pedestrian gate here has a Safetran mechanism and WCH arm,
The equipment bungalow remains unchanged.
Rear view of the southbound signal, also with a WCH gate arm replacing the original Safetran arm.

33

34

35

36
The Safetran bell here also failed and was replaced with a WCH Type 3 e-bell, set to a slightly faster speed than on the northbound signal.
The advanced warning signs remain unchanged.
The signals activate for an approaching train.

37

38

39

40
An MBTA commuter train passes through the crossing. Note the much newer HSP46 locomotive compared to the old GP40MC in picture 17.
The gates rise.

41
The traffic light turns green as the signals deactivate to clear backed-up traffic.