4 gate lights...

[AlvinAZ]

http://www.wch.com/video/video_trainer.html

Wow, those were cool, thanks. :)

Felt funny watching the 3590 video tho.
I fiNgured that stuff out on my own so, kinda
made that information mine in a strange way. :)
He was like, giving away my secrets or something? :)

Alvin in AZ

[MD2020]

Obviously the gate is long and pretty heavy...
I like how the one maintainer tried to lift it himself to let the hi-railer through but then
couldn't hold it on his own.

First, betcha money that guy (or the other) wasn't a signal maintainer. ;)

Next, the gate isn't heavy feeling ...it's counter weighted! :)
Check it out, look how easy it was to lift up-to about 45 degrees. :)

The gate mechanism "drives" the gate down (using the motor) to about 45 degrees.
Those two Gandy Dancers were holding it up against the spot where the contact
makes.

You can really see it in action with the first track-laborer when he lifts it and it drives
back down then sort of looks like it bounces. That's just him and the motor fighting
each other and the motor is winning. LOL :) It does every time too since it doesn't
get tired.

BTDT very same thing while letting the traffic go through when the crossing system
was broken. Mostly where there was a concrete median but some people just won't
drive around the gates even when you're standing there with the case doors open
and waving your arms.

Cool video but it creeps me out when the bells stop ringing tho. {shiver}

Alvin in AZ

Bells actually should stop ringing when the gates are down. When the gates are down, the crossing is closed, and the approaching train horn will always be louder than a crossing bell, so whats the useful purpose for it to continue to make noise, aside from some peoples personal preferences and such?
Also, the guy lifting the gate, it appears he wasn't really fighting it against drive down, it was more like he got tired of waiting on the truck and let it go. There is no delay between when the contacts make, and before it drives down, when the contacts are made, it drives down until it opens, then it's gravity descent. Also, how do we know, without feeling it, if that gate arm has been properly counterweighted? Most maintainers don't even know how to perform a good horizontal, let alone a good verticle torque. When using different brands of arms, splicing, etc., your tourque settings can be off quite a bit from when they were set at installation, if not properly maintained.

[cabman701]

I actually agree and prefer crossings where the bells shut off after the gates lower (obviously I'm in a bit of minority though. )

Anyhow... I understand the concept of the crossing being "closed" when the gates are down. But what about a crossing with just lights and bells only? Why does the bell stay active the whole time and doesn't shut off when the train enters the crossing?

Just something to ponder...

[AlvinAZ]

I actually agree and prefer crossings where the bells shut off after the gates lower
(obviously I'm in a bit of minority though.)
Anyhow... I understand the concept of the crossing being "closed" when the gates
are down. But what about a crossing with just lights and bells only?
Why does the bell stay active the whole time and doesn't shut off when the train
enters the crossing?
Just something to ponder...

For me that's just the way it always was. {shrug}

I'd put a shunt down on the track circuit walk around looking at all the lights and
the bells would be ringing the whole time. It'd be creepy for them to shut off.

Wig-Wags too.

When they quit ringing it means to me... the XR has picked up and the gates are
going to clear. When the gates don't clear it's like.. "uh-oh, some thing's wrong :/"

There were some "normally down" XR's out there too tho. :)
And akin to them were the scary U5 "shunt boxes" instead of wired for an "NWP"
(normal switch repeater relay).

So that's why the bells being cut out doesn't sound right to me. Kinda spooky.

Older crossings with just lights and bells ("crossing bells") or with just a Wig-Wag
(or two) were wired simply. The XR dropped away (or picked up) and everything
would come to life.

"the bells are only for pedestrians" -SP official word

They were wired simply and straight forward, they weren't wired like the "signals"
with all their "double-triple-quadruple checks".

Alvin in AZ
ps- Did any of that make a lick of sense? LOL :)

[MD2020]

Now, on a non gated crossing, I can understand the bells continuing to ring. Hell, theres no gate mech to cut it off, but also, there is no gate to "close" the crossing. I would presume that due to the lack of gate arms, the added noise of a continually ringing bell would then be an acceptable compromise.

There are relay circuits I've seen that will silence the bell once the train reaches the island. I think thats useless on a few points, one, on the approach, the train horn will be blowing and drowning out the bell anyway, and also, if there is a malfunction, the bell will sit there and ring anyway, since there wouldn't be anything to shunt the island, so the benefit of cutting the bell out in that situation is moot.

Are there any non gated signals (for public roadways) being installed in the US anymore? (For real railroads, not this light rail quasi-railway crap) I know of a few on industrial spurs and such that have recently gotten lights and bells only, but they also require either a flagger or it is island only and the train has to stop and proceed. But are there any recent ones still going in for public roadways on a mainline railroad without gates?

[mlgillson]

Are there any non gated signals (for public roadways) being installed in the US anymore? (For real railroads, not this light rail quasi-railway crap) I know of a few on industrial spurs and such that have recently gotten lights and bells only, but they also require either a flagger or it is island only and the train has to stop and proceed. But are there any recent ones still going in for public roadways on a mainline railroad without gates?

The most recent one I'm aware of is this crossing. It got signals in December, 2009.

EDIT:
I was in late November, 2009, not December, though it was close.

[TrainmanKight]

Are there any non gated signals (for public roadways) being installed in the US anymore? (For real railroads, not this light rail quasi-railway crap) I know of a few on industrial spurs and such that have recently gotten lights and bells only, but they also require either a flagger or it is island only and the train has to stop and proceed. But are there any recent ones still going in for public roadways on a mainline railroad without gates?

The most recent one I'm aware of is this crossing. It got signals in December, 2009.

EDIT:
I was in late November, 2009, not December, though it was close.

http://www.rxrsignals.net/Missouri/Mary ... aterWorks/
This is the only one I can think of right off hand upgraded in 2009

[MD2020]

New installs, from simple crossbucks, to new signal installs with flashing lights and bell(s), but not gates, on a public roadway, on mainline trackage.

The first one just might be what I mean, interesting. I was told by a state DOT man that crossing signals without gates (paid for by the government) are not approved anymore, with the exception of certian industrial spurs and on lines that the train crews will flag, and/ or stop and proceed. (Like a shortline, low speed line) ...Of course, crossings on private roadways and such don't fall under the same guidelines.

[TrainmanKight]

New installs, from simple crossbucks, to new signal installs with flashing lights and bell(s), but not gates, on a public roadway, on mainline trackage.

The first one just might be what I mean, interesting. I was told by a state DOT man that crossing signals without gates (paid for by the government) are not approved anymore, with the exception of certian industrial spurs and on lines that the train crews will flag, and/ or stop and proceed. (Like a shortline, low speed line) ...Of course, crossings on private roadways and such don't fall under the same guidelines.

Well I know of new lights only crossings but there on Light rail pedestrian crossings. and that doesn't count

[mlgillson]

New installs, from simple crossbucks, to new signal installs with flashing lights and bell(s), but not gates, on a public roadway, on mainline trackage.

The first one just might be what I mean, interesting. I was told by a state DOT man that crossing signals without gates (paid for by the government) are not approved anymore, with the exception of certian industrial spurs and on lines that the train crews will flag, and/ or stop and proceed. (Like a shortline, low speed line) ...Of course, crossings on private roadways and such don't fall under the same guidelines.

The crossing I posted is on a shortline. Most of the traffic moving over that crossing is industrial.

Come to think of it, I highly doubt the signal installation had any kind of government funding, but were likely funded by ADM. They recently built a rather large ethanol plant near the crossing and it generates a lot of traffic. All traffic going to or from the plant passes over the crossing since it is accessed by a single switch seen here. The signals were installed around the time the plant initially went into production.