Private Crossing, Reno, NV
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Private Crossing, Reno, NV
*originally recorded on 10-29-18*
Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with GE Dotted LEDs, an NEG electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and Alstom LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 3 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with GE Dotted LEDs, an NEG electronic bell, a "Safetran" (Siemens) gate mechanism, and Alstom LED gate lights.
This crossing is a bit interesting, with a rather scenic-ish view of the Truckee River and an abandoned casino on the far side of the crossing (more info on that below), though mainly for the history for it. Back in 2016 (and even 2017, according to one user on Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum), this crossing had an old WCH signal with a WCH gate mechanism and WCH 12x20s on the left and a Griswold EM signal with the original Type B lights on the right. Both signals also had incandescent gate lights and WCH mechanical bells. However, sometime more recently, UP went through and upgraded this crossing, though I'm not entirely sure why. It's obviously not officially "closed", and you can still technically cross the crossing, but you obviously can't go much beyond it, as the driveway leading to the abandoned casino is blocked by a fence. A video from 2016 showing the abandoned casino also includes some good shots of the crossing prior to upgrade, if you want to see more than what streetview just has to offer:
The abandoned casino beyond the crossing has also had a bit of an interesting history. It was built on the site of a hot spring, which had had at least a small place to stop for the night located on it since the 1870s, with the resort originally being named Granite Hot Springs, which was later changed to Lawton Hot Springs. Between the 1920s and 1980s (prior to I-80 being built), this place continued to grow with various upgrades, renovations, and improvements and become more popular due to it being located right off of US 40 just west of Reno.
In the 1970s, it got renamed to the River Inn, before being bought-up by a development group in 1979, who, in the early 1980s, closed the resort, apparently "temporarily". Word has it, from various rumors and other gossip, that the landowners entered an agreement with a group of developers to turn it into a very high-end resort that included a casino and spa, among other things, with the main casino/spa building (the big building seen in the background) being completed in about 1983. However, just as they were getting started expanding the resort, the money for the project disappeared, believed to have been stolen by someone on it. In turn, this caused the contractors and other people working on it to lose their pay and go bankrupt, with the whole plan falling apart. Apparently, even one of the developers spent time in jail due to this. However, once the whole legal mess was sorted out, I-80 had already been completed through this area and practically no-one was driving on this part of (former) US 40 anymore, so the owners and developers never bothered to finish or re-open the resort.
Since then, the resort/casino/spa has sat empty and abandoned, with the local SWAT team using the former motel on the property to do training runs. There have been various proposals and studies done on the property over the years, to try and see if this place can be used at all, but nothing has come of it. One of the main issues with this place is that it's built in part of the Truckee River's flood zones, and as a result, the foundations underneath the rear of the buildings is literally having the ground washed out from underneath it! Another hindrance for developing the property is this very crossing, being the only point of entrance/egress from the resort, and also being a place where trains have to sound their horns. Any development here would likely have to have an overpass built elsewhere along the property/4th Street to allow for seamless traffic on and off of the property. Also, interestingly enough, the property was put up for sale in May of this year (2018), and then relisted in September. I'm personally willing to bet the property being put up for sale earlier this year is the main reason UP went ahead and upgraded this crossing with the current signals.
Sources:
https://rereno2.wordpress.com/2012/01/1 ... ver-inn-2/
https://www.rgj.com/story/money/busines ... 373904002/
Also, here's a photo album on Flickr showing how the resort looked in 2006, for anyone who's curious:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/skirtsatn ... 4319156941
They/Them for me, please.
Click here if you want to submit crossing photos to the site!
Avatar by runesprite on Twitter.
Click here if you want to submit crossing photos to the site!
Avatar by runesprite on Twitter.