Step 1: Get your photos!

For recommended angles, click here. For a picture and video tutorial click here.
In summary, make sure to take photos of these:

  • Overviews
    • Track views facing down both sides of the line
    • Overviews of the crossing from both sides
  • Signals
    • Front, back, & side of lights
    • Gate mechanism
    • Bell(s)
    • Gate arm(s)
    • Base of the signal
    • DOT tag or ID
  • Miscellaneous
    • Any relay cases/houses
    • Anything of special interest
    • Crossing grade

You should get around 20-22 photos for a standard gated setup.
If cantilevers are at the crossing it will be a lot more.
For crossbuck only crossings:
  • Overviews
    • Track views facing down both sides of the line
    • Overviews of the crossing from both sides
  • Crossbucks
    • Front and back of crossbuck
    • DOT tag or ID
  • Miscellaneous
    • Anything of special interest
    • Crossing grade

 

Step 2: Make your crossing pages!

There are currently two methods you can use to make pages, which include:
Using HopenRXRTools:

HopenRXRTools is a program that automatically does the hardest parts of making pages for you!
In summary, it creates the page for you, and all you need to do is give it photos and crossing info and it will output a fully finished page!

If making pages manually is too hard, then this will be the easiest way for you to make pages!

For info on making headers for the pages, view the links in the manual pages section below.

More info and downloading HopenRXRTools can be found here.
Making pages manually:

Another option is to make pages manually. You can download the necessary templates and headers below:

When making pages manually, make sure to follow the rules below:

For new crossings not on the site - include the following information:

  • Basic Information
    • Street/Highway name
    • City/Town
    • State/Province/Territory
    • Country (if outside the United States)
  • US DOT FRA crossing number
    • If there is more than one DOT number for a particular crossing, be sure to include all of them
    • If there isn’t a DOT number posted at the crossing, be sure to note that
  • All railroads that use the crossing
    • Owner of the track
    • Railroads that use trackage rights
    • Amtrak
    • Commuter
  • Status of the crossing
    • Active
    • Defunct
  • Any additional comments
For updates to crossings already on the site - include the following information:
  • Any changes to the following information
    • Railroad ownership/usage
    • Street/Highway name
    • DOT number
    • Crossing status
  • Any additional comments

 

Step 3: Submit pages to an admin!

Once you have your pages ready for the site, you can submit them for publishing via an admin.
To contact one for submitting pages, visit the Regulars page.

For the publishing process to be as quick as possible, please submit the crossing pages like this when sending to an admin:

You can submit via Google Drive, Discord, or any other method that works reliably.

     

    To view the original How To Submit page, click here.