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Here is the beginning of a typical train crossing that I will never forget. The traffic lights seen before the crossing, are the only lights to flash when the signals are activated. I was wrong about the arrow lights before. On June 5, 2001; I got to see them work. They only light up after a train has passed the crossing. I guess the reason for this setup is for people stuck in left turn lanes waiting 3-4 minutes for the train to pass. The arrows are yellow and green fiber optic lights.

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Here are pictures from October 30, 1999. I have always noted that when trains approach traffic lights, the pedistrian lights go out, and the traffic lights flash either red or yellow depending on location. This one came back on after 5 seconds after the gates went up. Plus, this crossing is close to KNAZ Channel 2, NBC. During some of their newscasts, you can hear whistles in the background. I have seen the KNAZ studios only once. Plus, in this picture, one of the red shields was broken off. It has been replaced with a new one as of February 4, 2001.

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Close ups.

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Here is the rear view of the crossing on June 5. These pictures are darker because I am facing toward the sun.

A bright right light.

The left light was burned out on this day. The light on the lower left corner is a light from a gate.

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The end of the train. Shortly after gates went up, some teenager yelled, and flipped me off for some unknown reason.

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In pictures 18-19, the right signal light on the mast was taken in between flashes. The traffic lights have also changed. The right traffic light now has a red L.E.D left turn arrow. The traffic lights no longer flash red/yellow when a train is passing by the crossing.

Taken March 23, 2002.

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I got two trains from this crossing on January 18, 2003. Note that the left light on picture 22 was burned out on this day.

Picture 23 shows a different view of a cantilever signal. Picture 24 shows a "honeycomb" L.E.D traffic light. A lot of these LEDs in Arizona have this shape at the time these were taken. Traffic light Ball LEDs and Harmon LED traffic lights are the norm now. There's a burned out light in the center of the bunch.

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The tint went screwy on picture 25. I tried to fix it, but it didn't come out perfect. Anyways, the General Signals L.E.Ds have made its way here. Take a look at the bell on picture 26. It's a Safetran type 1 electronic bell. The other bell shown in picture 27 is still the General Signals Type 1 e-bell that's been there for a few years.

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The end of the train approaching from the east.

A look at the west side of the crossing. No, I'm not in one of those countries that has a red and yellow sequence. The red L.E.D light just came on, and the yellow incandescent is going out.

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Believe it or not, the Safetran type 1 e-bell is gone now!!! An General Signals Type 2 bell has replaced that bell! Other than that, nothing has changed at this crossing. The General signals electronic type 1 bell seen in pictures 36 and 37 is still the same. Also, the bells now quit ringing when the gates go up. That's never happened before until now.

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IllinoisTrains came by the crossing on May 17, 2010 to see the new wayside horns, and you can see one of them in picture 39.

These shots are from the north side of the crossing, facing South.