Freeway/Near-freeway crossings

[Robert_Gift]

How ridiculous.
Can one even see the distant (rear facing) signalamps through the closer signal maze?

[cabman701]

Here is the crossing on Streetview to give you a better perspective of this monstrosity:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 18,,0,4.86

[AndyWS]

The video that Mafarnz posted was from my YouTube channel. The crossing is on the site:

http://www.rxrsignals.net/Wisconsin/L-P ... Stoughton/

It is right by where my dad works. He shot that video, as well as these:











The crossing used to be an overpass until the early 1990s. WSOR bought the line from Soo Line (now Canadian Pacific) in the late '90s. I vaguely remember seeing the SOO local with caboose going over the bridge shortly before it was torn down, this would have been when I was about 5 or 6 years old.

[Smjh1979]

Slightly OT here: http://www.rxrsignals.net/Wisconsin/L-P ... ltline_12/

Here's a former freeway crossing that had signals, but they were torn out years ago.

[AndyWS]

The Beltline actually had two crossings at one time. The other one was further west and was on the former Illinois Central branch line up from Freeport, IL. By the time the WSOR took over Madison area operations it was used only to deliver a carload of lumber or two once every few weeks to Brunsell Lumber, immediately south of the crossing. That was abandoned in 1996 or '97, and the track was removed in 1999. The ROW is now a bike trail with a bridge over the highway.

The former C&NW crossing, on the site, was removed in 2007, although the last train had been in 2002 when the only customer remaining at the end of the line moved their business to another location.

I only ever saw the crossing active once, from the Culver's restaurant seen in picture 9. The rails now end immediately behind the Culver's parking lot, right at the edge of the north frontage road.

These are the only photos I've found of WSOR operations south of the Beltline. The top two photos were taken at the old end of the line:

http://www.trainweb.org/wsor/wsor_4494.htm

Several prior abandonments by C&NW reduced the line from its original 80-90 or so miles into remote rural areas of extreme southwestern Wisconsin.

[Robert_Gift]

There used to be a crossing on the freeway on ramp in Ventura CA, ...

On the computer I followed that branch. Long distance! and could not discern where it finally connected.
With all the expense of laying that track, did the railroad ever make enough money over the years it was in service to pay for it?

[weatherdan882002]

Here's a setup outside of Hummelstown, PA. It's on a pretty busy highway, but apparently the line isn't used, as advanced warning signs on both side of the crossing have EXEMPT signs on them. Plus, the signals look quite aged. This crossing has a VERY smooth grade; you could go over it and not even think you went over railroad tracks.

[Robert_Gift]

Here's a setup outside of Hummelstown, PA. It's on a pretty busy highway, but apparently the line isn't used [much],...

Typical silent PA grade crossing. No bells.

[Mafarnz]

It's on a pretty busy highway, but apparently the line isn't used, as advanced warning signs on both side of the crossing have EXEMPT signs on them.

Exempt doesn't necessarily mean unused. Often they are put in place when having buses, hazmat trucks ect stop would be more of a hindrance to traffic, and more likely to cause an accident, that a train. That video of the WSOR crossing I posted a link to has exempt signs on it, but there are lots of videos if it in action, definitely NOT unused! There was a crossing on the Heber Valley Railroad in Utah that was temporarily made exempt during the 02 winter Olympics because all the buses having to stop was creating a major traffic jam. The Heber Valley still ran trains (lots of olympic specials) when that crossign was exempt

[weatherdan882002]

Hmm, I still don't know if it's used though, because as you can see, the signals are in pretty bad shape plus, it's on a busy highway with no bells or gates. According to the FRA though, it gets 6 daily trains and its last accident was in 1991. I'd still be pretty surprised if it actually does get any trains.