Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Hi folks,
Recently NS has been on a Replacement streak for any crossing without a bell. Originally the new setups featured Invensys Gate Mechs, Safetran 12x20 Lights, and a Safetran Type 3 E-Bell.
But on three different new ones from a couple months ago they used Safetran Gate mechs and GSI type 2's. They where brand new setups too they didn't have any wear on them any idea why they would go back too older setup types?
Thanks,
Zach

conraildash8 wrote:Hi folks,
Recently NS has been on a Replacement streak for any crossing without a bell. Originally the new setups featured Invensys Gate Mechs, Safetran 12x20 Lights, and a Safetran Type 3 E-Bell.
But on three different new ones from a couple months ago they used Safetran Gate mechs and GSI type 2's. They where brand new setups too they didn't have any wear on them any idea why they would go back too older setup types?
Thanks,
Zach

Signal surplus, railroads keep parts and whole signals on hand.

We must be glad NS hasn't changed the M-Bell!

Not bad on the video. I really like night / low light videos so you can really see the crossing lights well.

Speaking of that video, the signal closest to the camera has a light out in the rear.

On the topic of Norfolk Southern crossings, does anyone know why NS still installs incandescent lights on brand new installations? Pretty much every railroad (the class 1s anyways) uses LEDs on newer setups and even retrofitting older signals with then, and they have proven to be brighter and noticed more easily, especially in bright sunlight. So it amazes me that a big railroad like NS would still use them on new installations in 2014.

TommyBNSF wrote:On the topic of Norfolk Southern crossings, does anyone know why NS still installs incandescent lights on brand new installations? Pretty much every railroad (the class 1s anyways) uses LEDs on newer setups and even retrofitting older signals with then, and they have proven to be brighter and noticed more easily, especially in bright sunlight. So it amazes me that a big railroad like NS would still use them on new installations in 2014.

From what I heard NS is waiting on a ruling from the FRA on how many LED's have to be burnt out before it is considered bad ordered.

According to Kight, NS has started using LED gate lights.

I'm intrigued by this crossing here: http://www.rxrsignals.net/Pennsylvania/York_Haven/Wago/

If it's a crossing owned by Norfolk Southern, then how come it has LEDs? Was there another railroad that owned this crossing and installed LEDs before NS owned of it?

I'd say that another railroad owned it at one time, before it was bought by NS. The fact that the light frames and LED lights are Alstom, gives it away, because NS has never used that brand in the past as far as I can tell.