Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Pretty broad crossing, not a lot of warning.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... .6,,0,8.76

I can imagine that crossing would be a real headache to wire up for lights.

Here's another in Des Moines, IA.
9 tracks, on the Iowa Interstate Line with an additional 2 track crossing just to the North, also passive. Given the space inbetween... there might be some cities where something like this could have been marked as an 11-track crossing.
Go another quarter mile to the North, and you come across a 1 Track UPRR crossing that is gated.

In cases such as yards and industrial switch leads, the train speeds are slow enough that they can stop within a reasonable amount of time. Most railroads have a rule that says trains within yards and/or that are switching must move at a speed where they can stop within sight distance, which in most cases means slower than 15-20 MPH. When trains are moving that slow, having electronic crossing signals just isn't needed, all it does is add a lot of extra expense with not much measurable benefit.

Mafarnz wrote:In cases such as yards and industrial switch leads, the train speeds are slow enough that they can stop within a reasonable amount of time. Most railroads have a rule that says trains within yards and/or that are switching must move at a speed where they can stop within sight distance, which in most cases means slower than 15-20 MPH. When trains are moving that slow, having electronic crossing signals just isn't needed, all it does is add a lot of extra expense with not much measurable benefit.

No to mention with constant train moment signals would be activated a lot many times a "false activation" but even worse Motion Detectors are horrible with variable train speed, train starts up too quickly signals dont give enough warning, go too slow and too long a warning time is givin'. Then what about one of the 8 tracks isnt used daily to clean the rust off then it will tail ring. It would be an overall mess that im sure the railroad wants no part of.
just blow the damn horn as loud as you can and go through the crossing if you hit any one OH WELL you're only moving at 5-15 mph still will put a nice ding in your door but from the railroaders i talk with the car owner soon gets out and starts yelling at them.
Anyway ONLY thing id add to the crossing is stop signs and look signs that would take care of law suits.