Crossing update from Braintree, MA

[wilek209]

Here's an update for this private railroad crossing in Braintree, Massachusetts...

http://www.rxrsignals.net/Massachusetts ... Armstrong/

My brother and I drove past that crossing this evening, and I noticed the Safetran mechanical bell was replaced with a WCH electronic bell!

Sad to say, it looks like the WCH e-bells are now the MBTA's preferred bell of choice. I wonder if that has something to do with how all the MBTA-owned crossings now ring the bells the whole time the signals are active (they used to have the bells silence when the gates were down, then ring again as the gates rise.)

[LARDLOGO]

I never liked it going off only during gate motion, it always seemed weird.

[wilek209]

I never liked it going off only during gate motion, it always seemed weird.

Me neither. But I remember being so used to it, I was surprised back in 2009 when I first saw a couple of crossings in Bridgewater (also on the MBTA Middleboro/Lakeville line) have the bells ring the whole time the signals were active. I actually liked it much better that way, too, because I think it's more "classic." (Bell programming also depends on who owns the track line: the MBTA owns these crossings and they want the bells to ring the whole time the lights are flashing.)
Here's a video of a typical MBTA-owned railroad crossing in my area in action (this one's in Bridgewater, I didn't get the signals starting up though; the video starts at the gates lowering)...

[LARDLOGO]

Interesting