Horn Blowing on Industrial Spurs

[Doughless]

Lets say there is a road that runs along side a mainline for a long distance.  On the other side of the road there is an industry that is rail served.  The spur crosses the mainline at a severe angle because the road is so close to the mainline.

Is it necessary for the train, that would be going at very slow speeds, to blow the horn as it would at a normal mainline grade crossing?  I assume that it would, and because the road is so close to the mainline, it would have to start blowing the horn on the mainline way before it got to the turnout.  That would seem to confuse drivers as they approached the spur.

Is there another preferred way?

Would a RR typically have a crewman protecting the crossing if there are no gates?

Thanks.

[BRAKIE]

Doughless

Is it necessary for the train, that would be going at very slow speeds, to blow the horn as it would at a normal mainline grade crossing? I assume that it would, and because the road is so close to the mainline, it would have to start blowing the horn on the mainline way before it got to the turnout. That would seem to confuse drivers as they approached the spur.

In my experiences we would stop and flag the crossing and just two short blast on the horn and bell was used. Some PRR engineers just use the bell since the crossing was flagged. The same on the Chessie(C&O) but,every engineer gave two short toots on the horn with bell ringing.

Once the vehicle and pedestrian(if any)  traffic was stopped we would proceed to cross the road. This was done every time we needed to go across the crossing unless our switching moves block the crossing without clearing it.  If the engineer reported he was stopped on the crossing and one lane of vehicles was moving a flag was needed.. More often then not one of us brakeman would remain flagging the street.

 

[cv_acr]

Doughless

I assume that it would, and because the road is so close to the mainline, it would have to start blowing the horn on the mainline way before it got to the turnout.  That would seem to confuse drivers as they approached the spur.

I would assume the turnout is likely hand-thrown, so the train would roll to a complete stop and the trainman gets down to throw the switch, and then flag the crossing as BRAKIE describes above.

So the engine is not going to be blowing the horn before getting to the turnout and then all of a sudden veer across the road. They'll stop, throw the switch, flag the crossing, *maybe* blow the horn, and slowly cross once traffic is stopped.

[mvlandsw]

Near Pittsburgh the B&O (now Allegheny Valley) has a mainline with a parallel road which is crossed by the lead into Glenwood yard. I was going through on the main when a driver on the road decided to beat me to the crossing on the yard lead (where I wasn't going anyway). At the last second he decided that he was going to lose and jammed on his brakes, skidding sideways off the road. I waved at him with a big grin as I passed by on the main.

Mark Vinski

[dehusman]

Short answer is they are supposed to sound a "14 L" horn signal when they cross a road, unless there is some exemption.