Electro-Tech's Mikelite Gate LEDs

Page created by UPking.

Electro-Tech’s Mikelite Gate LEDs were designed in the mid 2000s by Mike Foster, former Union Pacific Safety Engineer & Manager. Mikelite Gate LEDs are exclusively sold to Union Pacific, as noted by Electro-Tech’s refusal of any external purchase attempts. Although Electro-Tech's sells other models of gate lights, none have been found in service yet. As such, many signalfans simply refer to Mikelite Gate LEDs as "Electro-Tech's Gate LEDs".

Mikelite Gate LEDs consist of 74 individual LEDs, with 37 on each side. The LEDs are arranged in the shape of an octagon, resembling a stop sign. The Mikelite Gate LED mounts to the top and side of the gate via self-tapping screws.

Older Mikelite Gate LED boards are marked "Union Pacific Railroad" at the top and "Mikelite" in the bottom right corner. These markings are not present on newer Mikelite Gate LEDs.

This type of gate light is quite fragile. I have noticed a trend with Mikelite Gate LEDs suffering severe damage from relatively minor vehicle gate arm strikes. Occasionally, you’ll find damaged Mikelite Gate LEDs strapped to the gate with electrical or duct tape. You might even stumble upon one or two dangling off the side of a gate arm.

Older Mikelite Gate LEDs tend to fade or strobe on video cameras. The Mikelite Gate LED does not behave this way in real life. This effect is due LED Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM).

Mikelite Gate LEDs operate on 8-14 Volts DC. The octagon housing measures 4 1/8" x 4 1/2", and the entire unit measures 7 1/2" x 6 1/2".

An older Mikelite Gate LED on AFM Engineering's website. AFM Engineering seems to preform ultrasonic welding on these gate lights. Note the UPRR branding on the LED board.

Electro-Tech’s sells these gate lights as RXRLITE-KIT. This kit includes 3 Mikelite Gate LEDs and mounting hardware. The price of this kit is not known.

Front view of an unlit Mikelite Gate LED. Photo courtesy of UPking.	Rear view of an unlit Mikelite Gate LED. Photo courtesy of UPking.	Close-up of the mounting plate on a Mikelite Gate LED. Photo courtesy of UPking.
Zoomed out view of a lit Mikelite Gate LED. Photo courtesy of UPking.	Close-up of a lit Mikelite Gate LED. Photo courtesy of UPking.	Side view of a lit Mikelite Gate LED. Photo courtesy of UPking.
Mikelite Gate LEDs in action at First St. in Morrison, MO on 2/22/2026.	A Mikelite Gate LED in action at Kirkwood Rd. #2 in Kirkwood, MO on 8/30/2025.	Mikelite Gate LEDs in action at Kirkwood Rd. #2 in Kirkwood, MO on 2/9/2025.
Unlit Mikelike Gate LEDs at First St. in Morrison, MO on 2/22/2026.	A damaged Mikelike Gate LED at Berry Rd. in Oakland, MO on 11/13/2020.	Damaged Mikelike Gate LEDs at 1st St. in Pacific, MO on 8/8/2025.