Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

SirKrunch wrote:Yep, you caught it just in time, because Da Commish struck again.
http://ocr.wi.gov/apps40/dockets/conten ... %20Company

So they removed the wig wag and it just now has crossbuck's and stop signs? How much you want to bet at some point down the road we are going to hear about a collision at this crossing? Just hope it doesn't cost somebody their life.

Yes, they've been doing that to many of the wigwag crossings. This dates back to at least 2006 when they did that with the crossing in Blue River on the same line. It makes no sense to me. I would think any AWD, even an obsolete one, is preferable to and safer than a passive crossing. The same goes for the 8" lights on the older signals on the Fitchburg/Oregon line. Maybe I should have given the Commish a piece of my mind at the reopening ceremony by running up to the microphone during his speech. "WIGWAGS RULE!!!!!!"

I wouldn't be surprised if the FRA stepped in and told them to downgrade it to passive or put in new equipment.
That happened to the North Alabama Railroad Museum, so it might be what happened here.

Wouldn't it be counterproductive to downgrade a Wigwag crossing to just a crossbuck only crossing? It basically just makes the crossing more dangerous.

ToledoRailfan wrote:Wouldn't it be counterproductive to downgrade a Wigwag crossing to just a crossbuck only crossing? It basically just makes the crossing more dangerous.

It definitely saves the railroad money by not having to maintain them.

ToledoRailfan wrote:Wouldn't it be counterproductive to downgrade a Wigwag crossing to just a crossbuck only crossing? It basically just makes the crossing more dangerous.

The detection equipment may have been old, and the railroad may have not had the money for new equipment. That's the reason why the NARM to their signals out of service.
Or, the line could see very little use and they didn't see the need in keeping crossing signals in use.

The pair at Vine St. in Baraboo fell in March, 2016. This video has my last footage there:



There are no longer any wigwags on the WSOR Southern Division. Took until 2016.

AndyWS wrote:The pair at Vine St. in Baraboo fell in March, 2016. This video has my last footage there:



There are no longer any wigwags on the WSOR Southern Division. Took until 2016.

Well that's a shame, though I suppose it had to happen eventually.

*sigh* And I remember when these were on almost every crossing in Nevada, Colo and State Center, Iowa on the CNW main in the early 80's. Then they went on their spree installing crossing gates and removed them in one fell swoop. My last few time through that area, I see UPRR is steadily replacing those 30+ year old gate installs with new equipment.

Definitely a sign of the times.

I remember when 12 inch lights started replacing 8 inch lights in the late 70's early 80's at many crossings. I was young then, but wondered why they would replace a perfectly good working set of lights with new ones.