Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Well, the bad news is another set of 8" lights has fallen. Yesterday I was on my way to meet a friend of mine. When I passed through the Williams Drive crossing, a Balfour Beatty Rail signal maintainer crew was in the process of taking down the 8" WRRS lights dating from Milwaukee Road days, and installing WCH 12" x 24" L.E.D. lights in their place (like what has happened to many other former 8" crossings on this line this year).

http://www.rxrsignals.net/Wisconsin/R-Z ... n/Williams

When I got there they were working on the tall signal without the bell, which gets 2 pairs of sidelights because of its proximity to the intersection of Page Street. The other signal already had its new lights up and completed. The WRRS mini bell remained, and the old lights were all on the ground beneath the signals.

Hoisting the first pair of new sidelights into place from the bucket truck:

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780613

The old lights on the ground:

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780614

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780616

I asked if he minded if I took his picture, and he said OK:

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780617

Hooking up the first pair of new sidelights:

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780618

The other (westbound) signal with its new lights up and the old lights on the ground:

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780619

The new main lights to go on the eastbound signal:

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780622

The eastbound signal with both pairs of sidelights now up:

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780623

A WSOR hi-rail truck came up from the south, stopped on the crossing, pulled up its railroad wheels and parked on the street. The crew told the signal maintainers that a train was coming from the north, so they would have to stop work, retract their bucket truck and flag the crossing (since the eastbound signal still wasn't complete).

So here's the first bit of good news. I got to see and record the very first activation of these new lights for a train.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8fiZ_qKBs0

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780628

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780630

http://andyws.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1780649

As for the other piece of good news...let's just say it's a good thing my friend has a vehicle with lots of room in the back.

Cool. Glad you were able to pick up a pair of the old lights.

Did you ask about the mini-bell? I guess they wanted to keep it on for a while longer...

The signal maintainers actually sold us (my buddy and I split the asking price) both sets of 4 lights and their brackets, plus one pair of the sidelights and its bracket. They only wouldn't let go of the other pair which they needed the bracket parts ("elbows," they called them) off of. The only caveat was they pulled the wiring out first, so the lights can't be operated as they are.

The mini bell was left up and is going to remain in service.

I may be offering some of these lights in the "Buy, Sell or Trade" forum pretty soon, so keep an eye out.

Glad to see you got some lights. It must have been fun watching them put in the new lights. Those new WCH light houseings look good.

Today I shot some more pictures of the WRRS lights. My friend brought his jumper pack and we lit them up.

These lights were on the eastbound signal:



These were on the westbound signal, below the WRRS mini bell:







The pair of side lights. One of the backgrounds has a section cut away because when it was in service, the light was turned sharply to its right (photo left) and it needed to be cut to clear the elbow pipe:

The set of 4 with the mounting crosstree is exactly what I want to put up on my pole I have. Mike

just my 2 cents, please dont beat me up. The mini bell looks kinda rediculous with those 12X24's up. a tiny bell on a signal with enormous lights. They just look better with 8".

Crossingman18 wrote:just my 2 cents, please dont beat me up. The mini bell looks kinda rediculous with those 12X24's up. a tiny bell on a signal with enormous lights. They just look better with 8".

Agreed... but at least they left it (the mini bell) in service. Who knows for how long though...

Yeah, I agree too. I would have liked to see the 8" lights stay in service, but hey with the end result I can't complain.

Mike, I replied to your PM.