Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

McK&H.Aust wrote:This is an interesting crossing in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

Aside from the old gate mechs, 8" lights and inverted "2 Tracks" signs, some of the backgrounds on the lights are painted yellow. Is there a certain reason why?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

This gate is also bent, and the gate lights look like the older style that were used on wishbone gates.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

Very nice crossing, I like seeing the older equipment still hanging on

I have plans to check out that crossing ASAP. The TSRR, which operates that line, runs through that crossing daily, Monday through Friday. I would've caught them there on my last trip had they not left Lawrenceburg late and gotten down to Florence, AL late. They still are some classic L&N signals, and the gate mechs are from GRS, as that's what the L&N used. Not sure what the brand of 8 inch lights are, but some of them appear to be from WCH.

ZachL wrote:

McK&H.Aust wrote:Aside from the old gate mechs, 8" lights and inverted "2 Tracks" signs, some of the backgrounds on the lights are painted yellow. Is there a certain reason why?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

That isn't exactly yellow painting. It could be that those backgrounds are extremely faded (due to their age), and have rusted over time.

Yea, I believe it's just due to the backgrounds being faded.

freebrickproductions wrote:

McK&H.Aust wrote:This is an interesting crossing in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

Aside from the old gate mechs, 8" lights and inverted "2 Tracks" signs, some of the backgrounds on the lights are painted yellow. Is there a certain reason why?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

This gate is also bent, and the gate lights look like the older style that were used on wishbone gates.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

Very nice crossing, I like seeing the older equipment still hanging on

I have plans to check out that crossing ASAP. The TSRR, which operates that line, runs through that crossing daily, Monday through Friday. I would've caught them there on my last trip had they not left Lawrenceburg late and gotten down to Florence, AL late. They still are some classic L&N signals, and the gate mechs are from GRS, as that's what the L&N used. Not sure what the brand of 8 inch lights are, but some of them appear to be from WCH.

ZachL wrote:

McK&H.Aust wrote:Aside from the old gate mechs, 8" lights and inverted "2 Tracks" signs, some of the backgrounds on the lights are painted yellow. Is there a certain reason why?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@35.2680 ... 312!8i6656

That isn't exactly yellow painting. It could be that those backgrounds are extremely faded (due to their age), and have rusted over time.

Yea, I believe it's just due to the backgrounds being faded.

I was just going to say it would be neat to see that one in action.

One of the crossings in the last website update was caught active by GSV... in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0026716 ... !1e1?hl=en. Also check out the cell phone tower disguised as a tree.

The next crossing over is a bit interesting with the curve of the road.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9982001 ... 6656?hl=en

There are also gated ped signals at the train station:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9983119 ... 6656?hl=en

cabman701 wrote:One of the crossings in the last website update was caught active by GSV... in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0026716 ... !1e1?hl=en. Also check out the cell phone tower disguised as a tree.

The next crossing over is a bit interesting with the curve of the road.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9982001 ... 6656?hl=en

There are also gated ped signals at the train station:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9983119 ... 6656?hl=en

The last one is already on the site.

Some old 8 inch GRS cantilevers with EM gate mechs:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2827491 ... 312!8i6656

Lots of 8 inch signals and mechanical bells between these two crossings!
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2821963 ... 312!8i6656
And in action with an MMA train backing away:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2814625 ... 312!8i6656

Another pair of old signals:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2772356 ... 312!8i6656

A very classic crossing:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2759615 ... 312!8i6656

Another one:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.272997, ... 312!8i6656

More classic crossings:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2541042 ... 312!8i6656\

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2485809 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2322723 ... 312!8i6656

Classic signals, weird set-up:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2485809 ... 312!8i6656

Even more classic crossings:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2114293 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2089053 ... 312!8i6656

Griswolds!
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2030848 ... 312!8i6656

Even more 8 inch signals:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2015547 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2018982 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2017451 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.1993697 ... 312!8i6656

These have Stop on Red Signal signs!
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Temis ... 0c!6m1!1e1

Crossing in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, before the town was blown up:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776535 ... 312!8i6656
And after:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776127 ... 312!8i6656
This cantilever still stands along the old road alignment:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5782911 ... 312!8i6656

Active crossing:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5747521 ... 312!8i6656

freebrickproductions wrote:Crossing in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, before the town was blown up:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776535 ... 312!8i6656
And after:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776127 ... 312!8i6656
This cantilever still stands along the old road alignment:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5782911 ... 312!8i6656

From this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5780367 ... 312!8i6656
To this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5778587 ... 312!8i6656
Absolutely incredible.

This appears to be some sort of memorial for the event: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.57787,- ... 312!8i6656
Closup of the wording on the plaque, which you can actually read: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.57787,- ... 312!8i6656

cabman701 wrote:

freebrickproductions wrote:Crossing in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, before the town was blown up:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776535 ... 312!8i6656
And after:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776127 ... 312!8i6656
This cantilever still stands along the old road alignment:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5782911 ... 312!8i6656

From this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5780367 ... 312!8i6656
To this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5778587 ... 312!8i6656
Absolutely incredible.

This appears to be some sort of memorial for the event: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.57787,- ... 312!8i6656
Closup of the wording on the plaque, which you can actually read: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.57787,- ... 312!8i6656

Oh my god. Looking at that just breaks my heart.

cabman701 wrote:

freebrickproductions wrote:Crossing in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, before the town was blown up:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776535 ... 312!8i6656
And after:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5776127 ... 312!8i6656
This cantilever still stands along the old road alignment:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5782911 ... 312!8i6656

From this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5780367 ... 312!8i6656
To this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5778587 ... 312!8i6656
Absolutely incredible.

This appears to be some sort of memorial for the event: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.57787,- ... 312!8i6656
Closup of the wording on the plaque, which you can actually read: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.57787,- ... 312!8i6656

Incredible is right. Wow.

I don't think I had heard of this before, and if I did, then I guess I didn't realize how big of a disaster it really was.

busman_49 wrote:Incredible is right. Wow.

I don't think I had heard of this before, and if I did, then I guess I didn't realize how big of a disaster it really was.

It was a pretty big news story in 2013. Here is a Wikipedia article on the event: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-M%C3% ... l_disaster

You can also Google "Lac-Mégantic rail disaster" and find tons of stuff on it.

cabman701 wrote:Not active, but came across this interesting crossing in Elkhart, IN: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.6811932 ... 56!6m1!1e1

The crossing on the right has 5 tracks, with 4 of of them that curve immediately after the crossing. The closest track though goes straight, and through the crossing on the left. I wonder if all 4 signals operate for any train... or if the crossing to left only activates when it needs to? 3 out of the 4 signals still have 8 inch lights also.

Here is a more recent pic of one of the signals active... unfortunately doesn't answer my question though: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 99&nseq=65

Bumping this post up because I finally was able to answer my own question. The set of signals for the 1 side track seem to only activate when they need to.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 1&nseq=101