Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Ex- ATSF, then TVRR. Torn up about 16 years ago. This is the same (former) line that has that single defunct cantilever on Clovis ave in Fresno Ca. You can follow the ROW looking at the Google sattelite image. Several other crossings have relay cases; some have masts and gate motors

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 44,,0,2.25

I guess they left the signal there because of the rails still being in the road? Or they were just lazy. Never understood why they do this. If it's rather obvious the signals will never be used again, then why leave them?

It was Friday...5pm...the work truck was full...the next signal to remove was 2 miles away for Monday...Miller Time...etc.

There was an Oregon Electric (later Burlington Northern) feeder line in Hillsboro that was abandoned on December 31, 1994. Everything else on that line was torn out quickly except for this one crossing which lived on long after the last train came through. The 'NO RIGHT TURN' blank-out sign remained on the traffic light pole until 2003, the relay case until 2004, and the signals were slowly disassembled piece by piece until they finally got up the energy to remove everything in early 2006. Before then, the crews would literally come out and take a bell or a light or a gate motor and leave the rest for another two years. People who worked near the crossing along with myself called it the laziest crew in the world. The rails and rubber grade are still in the roadway and if their previous record of accomplishment is any indication, they will be there until 2042. On a serious note, those tracks are really the only indication that a rail line ever came through here. The bridge over the freeway was removed ten or so years ago and much of the ROW south of here has been built up on. Strangely enough, a whistle board was uncovered south of the crossing a few years ago and left alone.

This is the crossing. You can see the 'TRACKS OUT OF SERVICE' sign and if you pan to the right, you can see the gray electrical conduit for the relay case sticking out of the shrubs.

AndrewFields wrote:There was an Oregon Electric (later Burlington Northern) feeder line in Hillsboro that was abandoned on December 31, 1994.

I believe that was the Orenco cutoff.

luke wrote:

AndrewFields wrote:There was an Oregon Electric (later Burlington Northern) feeder line in Hillsboro that was abandoned on December 31, 1994.

I believe that was the Orenco cutoff.

It was....but in its final years P&W called it the Bendemeer Spur as it only went as far south as Bendemeer (West Union Road) to serve one industry. I think that business dried up in 2002 or 2003 and what was left of the line was torn out after that.

My friends and I walked it one night from Dick Road to Phillips Road and it's funny, there are some private crossings for the farm land on each side of the ROW and the stop signs and 'PRIVATE RXR CROSSING' signs are still there in several places. It's best to walk it in the winter time...during summer it's too overgrown.

gedunk wrote:Ex- ATSF, then TVRR. Torn up about 16 years ago. This is the same (former) line that has that single defunct cantilever on Clovis ave in Fresno Ca. You can follow the ROW looking at the Google sattelite image. Several other crossings have relay cases; some have masts and gate motors

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 44,,0,2.25

be intersting to see these activate. looks like the crew didnt make it this far either

Hey, the guy across the street where there is no signal has some lights behind his fence... wonder where the rest of the signal disappeared to, if he's collecting, or selling parts, or what...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 09559&z=17

Lying on the ground are the lamps (o)=(o) of the missing signal:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 88273&z=17

Robert_Gift wrote:Lying on the ground are the lamps (o)=(o) of the missing signal:

Um, yeah... I believe I said that already?

SirKrunch wrote:Hey, the guy across the street where there is no signal has some lights behind his fence... wonder where the rest of the signal disappeared to, if he's collecting, or selling parts, or what...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 09559&z=17