Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Expensive crossing signals for a siding which soon ended. How could they justify the cost?
I would have had only crossbucks.
Street view shows that only the signal cement foundations remain.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll= ... 01466&z=20

The kind of signals needed at a crossing is determined by the type of road being cossed; number of lanes (with or without medians), and the amount of auto/truck traffic. Various Federal, State, and local ordinances come into play as well, with the local agency deciding on the signals. It generally pays the railroad (the ROW is private property) or its assigns to buy and install the gerar. The railroad has to pay for all future maintenance of the signals.

It's in the interest of the railroad NOT to inform the local agency of a pending abandonment - that's public info anyway - as it gets to keep the signals and related gear.

gedunk wrote:The kind of signals needed at a crossing is determined by the type of road being cossed; number of lanes (with or without medians), and the amount of auto/truck traffic. Various Federal, State, and local ordinances come into play as well, with the local agency deciding on the signals. It generally pays the railroad (the ROW is private property) or its assigns to buy and install the gerar. The railroad has to pay for all future maintenance of the signals.

It's in the interest of the railroad NOT to inform the local agency of a pending abandonment - that's public info anyway - as it gets to keep the signals and related gear.

I would have placed only crossbucks there.
A switch engine can stop and flag.

That looks like a busy road, so I think the signals are justified. Of course, that must of been a busier line in the past, as it's now torn up.

Looks like this one that's still in service to the North and West. Notice how the line basically ends a couple thousand feet further West of the crossing.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll= ... 6,,0,-0.56

Looks like cantilevers sprout up around Phoenix faster than weeds in cow manure...
(Okay, that's obviously a reference only us farm boys are going to get.)

owensri wrote:That looks like a busy road, so I think the signals are justified. Of course, that must of been a busier line in the past, as it's now torn up.

Maybe the signals were placed because of the northbound street "T-ing" into the road right athe grade crossing.
The track looks like it soon ended. No sign of it continuing to other businesses.

Robert_Gift wrote:

gedunk wrote:The kind of signals needed at a crossing is determined by the type of road being cossed; number of lanes (with or without medians), and the amount of auto/truck traffic. Various Federal, State, and local ordinances come into play as well, with the local agency deciding on the signals. It generally pays the railroad (the ROW is private property) or its assigns to buy and install the gerar. The railroad has to pay for all future maintenance of the signals.

It's in the interest of the railroad NOT to inform the local agency of a pending abandonment - that's public info anyway - as it gets to keep the signals and related gear.

I would have placed only crossbucks there.
A switch engine can stop and flag.

when you work on a switch job the LAST thing you want to do is flag a xing

TRAINMANKIGHT wrote:

Robert_Gift wrote:

gedunk wrote:The kind of signals needed at a crossing is determined by the type of road being cossed; number of lanes (with or without medians), and the amount of auto/truck traffic. Various Federal, State, and local ordinances come into play as well, with the local agency deciding on the signals. It generally pays the railroad (the ROW is private property) or its assigns to buy and install the gerar. The railroad has to pay for all future maintenance of the signals.
It's in the interest of the railroad NOT to inform the local agency of a pending abandonment - that's public info anyway - as it gets to keep the signals and related gear.

I would have placed only crossbucks there.
A switch engine can stop and flag.

when you work on a switch job the LAST thing you want to do is flag a xing

It's not like there is a switch nearby which complicates things.
Plus, they likely have two-way radios which makes switching even easier.
Just a straight track which soon ends.
They must be rich.