Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Having a boring week here, so more time to find strange things in StreetView ...

From New Albany, IN...
Very weird extension arms:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 57.86,,0,5
(Note: There's some very nice street running with tons of old 8" signals just to the north)

Signal on the wrong side of the tracks:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 72.92,,0,5

And on the other side of the crossing, check out this rusty beast:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 31.59,,0,5

Completely pointless signal. Track is behind the camera. Two right lights, crossbuck, and 2-tracks sign face the wrong way on a right turn only lane:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.0 ... 44,,0,8.65

From Connecticut and Rhode Island...

Non-standard (homemade?) advanced warning sign:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.2 ... 01.47,,0,5

Defunct crossing, old Griswold/Raco cantilevers with all lights pointing skyward (perhaps waiting for its place in Signal Heaven ):
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.7 ... 78.88,,0,5

What used to be a signal at another defunct crossing along the same spur. Strange placement - the track is way off to the left!
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.7 ... 19,,0,4.86

No crossing signals, but sort-of traffic lights... flashing yellow beacons with a bunch of black-out message boxes. There are tons of similar crossings all up and down this road:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.8 ... 17.99,,0,5

I don't know what to make of this one... some kind of traffic light, an advanced warning sign that is past the tracks, and what does the small sign below it say?
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.8 ... 41.73,,0,5

Josh wrote: I don't know what to make of this one... some kind of traffic light, an advanced warning sign that is past the tracks, and what does the small sign below it say?
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.8 ... 41.73,,0,5

Another homemade looking advance warning sign on the opposite side of the approach. And since the grade surface is that old rubberized one... I'm guessing the other sign under the AWS (perhaps it's missing some letters now....) advises this as well: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c ... 3&t=h&z=16

Josh wrote:What used to be a signal at another defunct crossing along the same spur. Strange placement - the track is way off to the left!
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.7 ... 19,,0,4.86

Same town, go North and East a little ways and...
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c ... 6&t=h&z=18
Looks like someone got impatient and took out a gate.

Josh wrote:What used to be a signal at another defunct crossing along the same spur. Strange placement - the track is way off to the left!
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.7 ... 19,,0,4.86

Actually, if you move the view around, you'll see there's a second track right where the camera is placed (turn the camera around to face the other way and you'll see what I mean). That along wth the fact that it's a blind turn is probably why that signal went there.

weatherdan882002 wrote:

Josh wrote:What used to be a signal at another defunct crossing along the same spur. Strange placement - the track is way off to the left!
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.7 ... 19,,0,4.86

Actually, if you move the view around, you'll see there's a second track right where the camera is placed (turn the camera around to face the other way and you'll see what I mean). That along wth the fact that it's a blind turn is probably why that signal went there.

Here is a somewhat similiar situation... only the tracks aren't nearly as close to the curve in the road.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c ... 1&t=h&z=17

SirKrunch wrote:Here is a somewhat similiar situation... only the tracks aren't nearly as close to the curve in the road.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c ... 1&t=h&z=17

On this one... I think there should still be a signal in the regular spot there would normally be one (right by the stop line). Especially with that driveway. The only set of lights they would be able to see are on the signal on the opposite side of the tracks!

Well, the back lights from the signal across the tracks aren't really turned toward the driveway either. Funny as far away from the tracks as the oddly placed signal is, it's the only signal with a bell there.

Yea... I noticed that too. I understand the idea around the extra signal, but to me that crossing is still very dangerous. Do you know how many trains it gets?