Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Meh, I'll skip Cohoes - I don't like the area (either too busy or not busy enough, if you know what I mean). I am aware of a lot of the equipment they have. I don't think some of the bells work at the crossings, and a lot of the equipment is old and rusted, so I suppose it's for the best, but towards Waterford, a lot of that equipment was installed int he mid '90s, so that's still pretty new. I wish they'd upgrade Park Ave here in the city, as those signals are just as bad as the ones in Cohoes...

weatherdan882002 wrote:Meh, I'll skip Cohoes - I don't like the area (either too busy or not busy enough, if you know what I mean). I am aware of a lot of the equipment they have. I don't think some of the bells work at the crossings, and a lot of the equipment is old and rusted, so I suppose it's for the best, but towards Waterford, a lot of that equipment was installed int he mid '90s, so that's still pretty new. I wish they'd upgrade Park Ave here in the city, as those signals are just as bad as the ones in Cohoes...

Like I said once that old equipment is gone you will NEVER see it again, I'm still kicking myself for not getting more pictures. If I had the time and money you'd see me up there snapping 5,000+ pictures of that line. There was always something special about Cohoes when my sister lived up there, like taking a step back in time.
http://goo.gl/maps/L2u1
Park ln had horrible gates if I remember correctly but other than that its nice.
Old cast iron signals rust very easily thats why there all rusted.

But if your OCD about clean crossings and like new ones, heres one in Watervliet, New York.
http://goo.gl/maps/Ftiy

TrainmanKight wrote:But if your OCD about clean crossings and like new ones, heres one in Watervliet, New York.
http://goo.gl/maps/Ftiy

Wow, that crossing looks like it went through an extensive rehab project...

Funny that you mention OCD though because I AM diagnosed with it. However, that plays no role in determining what crossings I go to. Many of the crossings in Cohoes have high traffic, so I don't want to be stopped and questioned. Plus, I'm no longer down that way in terms of work, so for me to go to the Cohoes/Waterford area is pretty rare at this point.

weatherdan882002 wrote:

TrainmanKight wrote:But if your OCD about clean crossings and like new ones, heres one in Watervliet, New York.
http://goo.gl/maps/Ftiy

Wow, that crossing looks like it went through an extensive rehab project...

Funny that you mention OCD though because I AM diagnosed with it. However, that plays no role in determining what crossings I go to. Many of the crossings in Cohoes have high traffic, so I don't want to be stopped and questioned. Plus, I'm no longer down that way in terms of work, so for me to go to the Cohoes/Waterford area is pretty rare at this point.

I know your OCD, I was more or less being an ass about it, I just don't understand how a signal fan doesn't want to go out 15 miles from home to get pictures of some very rare equipment. What are you concerned about being stopped and questioned by the police for? If you want to be a photographer in this day and age you might want to get used to it. For me taking pictures of signals only takes me about 15mins from parking to leaving, My camera will take 4 pictures a second, so I just run around the crossing snapping doubles of everything.
I also thought you went to SUNY, Albany?

Let me write a list here from what I remember.
Washington Avenue, Waterford- Residential 2 lane street (traffic moderate) http://goo.gl/maps/Whpm
Clifton Street Waterford Residential 2 lane (traffic-low) http://goo.gl/maps/l7qr

New Courtland Street, Cohoes city hwy (traffic-BUSY) http://goo.gl/maps/0xzS
Ontario Street, Cohoes City street (traffic-busy) http://goo.gl/maps/HtRl
Pine Street, Cohoes City backroad (traffic-none) http://goo.gl/maps/NzFE
Columbia Street / Mohawk Street, Cohoes (traffic-moderate) http://goo.gl/maps/mjbr
Newark Street, Cohoes, (traffic-light) http://goo.gl/maps/nWhH
Main Street, Cohoes (traffic-light) http://goo.gl/maps/tqK6
Spring Street, Cohoes (traffic-none) http://goo.gl/maps/50GD
Bridge Street, Cohoes (traffic-none) http://goo.gl/maps/BD0W

Cemetery Avenue, Menands (traffic-dead ) http://goo.gl/maps/JSlw
Menand Road, Menands (traffic-almost none) http://goo.gl/maps/mG6v

OK, I'll be frank. The main thing is, I don't think those are very safe areas, especially as you head towards Menands. Two, I don't want someone to report me for looking suspicious or have cops find me and tell me, "you're trespassing/loitering, get out of here and don't come back or I'll have you arrested." I've already had one bad experience with another hobby of mine, I don't want to repeat that. Third, is that I lead too busy of a life. Yes, I'm out of college, but I have a full-time job (Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30) and Sundays are generally spent running around prepping for the, but I'm no where near Cohoes in doing so. Saturday is my only day of relaxation, and i don't feel like I have it in me to go 10 miles out of my way just for crossing signals. I suppose that makes me a wimpy railfan, but what I've gotten thus far I've captured because I've been around those signals most of my life and they're special to me. The Cohoes ones don't have me feeling the same way, no matter how "rare" they may be.

However, since they apparently mean so much to you, I suppose I can try to squeeze in some time to do some photographing, but again, because of my busy work schedule, it's not going to happen within the next 6 days...

weatherdan882002 wrote:OK, I'll be frank. The main thing is, I don't think those are very safe areas, especially as you head towards Menands. Two, I don't want someone to report me for looking suspicious or have cops find me and tell me, "you're trespassing/loitering, get out of here and don't come back or I'll have you arrested." I've already had one bad experience with another hobby of mine, I don't want to repeat that. Third, is that I lead too busy of a life. Yes, I'm out of college, but I have a full-time job (Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30) and Sundays are generally spent running around prepping for the, but I'm no where near Cohoes in doing so. Saturday is my only day of relaxation, and i don't feel like I have it in me to go 10 miles out of my way just for crossing signals. I suppose that makes me a wimpy railfan, but what I've gotten thus far I've captured because I've been around those signals most of my life and they're special to me. The Cohoes ones don't have me feeling the same way, no matter how "rare" they may be.

However, since they apparently mean so much to you, I suppose I can try to squeeze in some time to do some photographing, but again, because of my busy work schedule, it's not going to happen within the next 6 days...

Congrats on collage and the job. My advice is wake up real early in the morning and get out before all the traffic, riff raft and spiders come out.
I alway go to East St louis between 4 and 8-30am.
Also I wouldn't call you a wimpy signal fan just one that isn't really interested in signals except for the ones he grew up around.
I on the other hand, love to travel and see new things and yes the signals there do mean a lot to me, I had a very bitter child hood, watching trains and crossing signals was not only a hobby but a way to get my mind off things. My sister lived up there for a few years, I remember going to those crossings every day when I went to visit her. I didn't have a camera most of the time so I couldn't get pictures. I'm also not telling you to get pictures just for me, I want pictures for the site.
Also If a cop harasses you for no reason do what he/she says get a card with their name on it and you can file a complaint, If its a security guard I tell them to go to hell.
Infact in Jacksonville FL I call the sheriff on one, that cop was mad as hell he had to come out for some bs like that. Told the guard to leave me alone and told me to stay safe and take all the pictures I want from the public sidewalk.

Yes, I am very familiar with the Photographer's Bill of Rights, I just wish more people would abide by it, but in today's post-9/11 world, it's kinda hard to see the harmlessness in people nowadays, plus this is NYS, and we took the brunt of the attacks and are all about security, so it's just all unfortunate.

weatherdan882002 wrote:Yes, I am very familiar with the Photographer's Bill of Rights, I just wish more people would abide by it, but in today's post-9/11 world, it's kinda hard to see the harmlessness in people nowadays, plus this is NYS, and we took the brunt of the attacks and are all about security, so it's just all unfortunate.

It really is sad
Britain is a police state right now, where heading that way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVdprVRH ... re=related


on a comedy side this video is great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIV3DVxKBO8

Just an FYI, I drove by the Cohoes crossings last week, and from what I can see, there's no indication to me at all that upgrades are taking place...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_s5rUKdULE

Took this on Monday. Shows just how long trains can take to cross in this city! At least it didn't stop on the tracks...