Google Maps Scavenger Hunt

[freebrickproductions]

This e-bell's had a repair job on it:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.49770 ... ,,3,-31.32

Active crossings:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.50412 ... 12,,0,2.34

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.50389 ... 4,,2,-0.41

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.50448 ... .2,,0,1.23
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.50448 ... 6,,1,19.36

If you go forward, you can see this crossing de-activate and then malfunction:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.49522 ... 6,,0,-1.46
Tail-ring malfunction starts:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.49522 ... 5,,0,-2.51
The gates have fully lowered again:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.49522 ... 08,,1,0.61
Gates rising from a second malfunction (notice how the red truck is now well up the street and there are now cars behind the Google car):
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.49522 ... 24,,2,0.21

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.48851 ... 17,,0,2.87
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.48851 ... 37,,0,2.98

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.50203 ... 3,,1,-1.96
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.50203 ... 1,,1,-1.78

Broken visor:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.53127 ... 5,,3,-8.76

This appears to be one of those US&S clones of the GS e-bell:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=31.56321 ... ,,3,-16.44

[cabman701]

Strange place for signals

Farm access crossing. Those types of crossings are all up down that line between Chicago & St. Louis. They started that back in 2002 when they started upgrading that line for high speed Amtrak. All crossings had to be signalized or closed, even if they are only used several times a year (in this case for farm machinery).

Here are few more examples:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.13414,- ... !2e0?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.148692, ... !2e0?hl=en

This one's a bit hard to see... it's on a very small gravel road, then you can cross the tracks for access to the fields: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.378915, ... !2e0?hl=en

Private drive for a farmhouse: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.152596, ... !2e0?hl=en

[freebrickproductions]

This bell is missing its cover from the looks of it:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.51181 ... 7,,3,-5.96

A rather classic crossing with some rather odd 2-tracks signs:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.50200 ... 25,,1,2.81

[NSrailfan4life]

Private drive for a farmhouse: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.152596, ... !2e0?hl=en

It is still on his property, Note the mailbox before the crossing. He has to cross it to get his mail. So this dude has signals on his own home!

[ZachL]

Private drive for a farmhouse: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.152596, ... !2e0?hl=en

It is still on his property, Note the mailbox before the crossing. He has to cross it to get his mail. So this dude has signals on his own home!

Not necessarily his property though... a lot of times, public service can only go as far as the closest public road. I know for a fact that down here, trash/recycling pickup services are not permitted to go down private roads, so it may be the same for mail trucks up there.

[freebrickproductions]

Active crossing in Gadsden, AL:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.02137 ... 65,,0,4.44
It's likely malfunctioning because I don't see a train down the tracks in either direction, and there's a signal maintainer at the crossing next to a closed relay case:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.02137 ... .77,,2,6.3

[ToledoRailfan]

Vintage two piece 45° crossbuck in a rural town of Waldron, Arkansas.
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This is a Strange Private Crossing in a rural town of Heavener, Oklahoma.
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This Crossing has two vintage two piece crossbucks: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.872836, ... !2e0?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.872558, ... !2e0?hl=en
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What kind of e-bells are these?: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.883503, ... !2e0?hl=en https://www.google.com/maps/@34.883503, ... !2e0?hl=en
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Vintage wooden two piece crossbuck
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Strange 3 track sign
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This crossing is in a very scenic area: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.64473,- ... !2e0?hl=en https://www.google.com/maps/@34.644782, ... !2e0?hl=en
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Another vintage two piece 45° crossbuck in the rural town of Waldron, Arkansas.
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Vintage two piece crossbucks at a private crossing . That would be cool that two vintage two piece crossbucks in your own front yard!
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This private crossing has a vintage two piece 45° crossbuck!
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Some nice vintage cantilever signals: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.90516,- ... !2e0?hl=en https://www.google.com/maps/@34.904794, ... !2e0?hl=en

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This crossing is on the part of the line that is abandon. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.898117, ... 0000?hl=en

It looks like in 2008, the active part of the line came closer to this crossing: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.898118, ... 0000?hl=en

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[ZachL]

*snip*

Just because a crossbuck is split like the that and 45° doesn't necessarily mean that it's vintage. It could have just been installed like that by the railroad itself.

[freebrickproductions]

What kind of e-bells are these?: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.883503, ... !2e0?hl=en https://www.google.com/maps/@34.883503, ... !2e0?hl=en

No one knows who made those square E-bells. It's been a mystery since they were discovered.

This crossing is in a very scenic area: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.64473,- ... !2e0?hl=en https://www.google.com/maps/@34.644782, ... !2e0?hl=en

Did you notice the square e-bell there?
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.644765, ... !2e0?hl=en

*snip*

Just because a crossbuck is split like the that and 45° doesn't necessarily mean that it's vintage. It could have just been installed like that by the railroad itself.

Yep. The L&N railroad was installing split crossbucks at their crossbuck crossings up until about the merger with the Seaboard Coast Line, I believe. I know that a lot of the ex-L&N crossbuck crossings around here have or used to have split crossbucks.

Here's a faded 45° crossbuck. I'll be going down there tomorrow, but I won't be stopping by that particular crossing. The ATN has several more 45° crossbucks in the area.
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=3 ... 9,,3,-2.54

Also, here's a rather interesting crossing in the same area. CSX replaced the crossbucks that were at this crossing in the early 2000s, but they left one of the crossbucks standing:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=3 ... .9,,0,4.42
Not only that, but the two pieces of the crossbuck are mounted on the wrong sides of the post:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=3 ... 4,,3,-4.37
And there are some ATN signal maintainers at the crossing too.
The hi-rail truck with a pair of maintainers at it (and an open relay case):
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=3 ... .18,,0,5.8
Another pair of maintainers:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=3 ... .12,,2,5.7
And over here is another high-rail truck next to a hi-rail backhoe(?) with a pair of signal maintainers at it:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=3 ... .95,,0,2.3

[ToledoRailfan]

No one knows who made those square E-bells. It's been a mystery since they were discovered.

Do you know of any videos of them in action on Youtube?