Unprotected Crossings. NOT A GOOD IDEA. No gates, no flashing lights, no sound, no warning at all.

[Anonymous]

I've been checking out some spots along the Transcon. I've ran into some unprotected crossings. That's very dangerous. Most of the trains move at track speed 70 MPH by there. There was already one accident at one of the crossings. These crossings don't have any flashing lights, no gates, no sound, no warning at all that a train is coming. We always stop and look both ways before crossing. These crossings should be fixed. I've ran into two of them, there could be more. There's going to be some horrible accidents if they're not fixed.

[Randy Stahl]

I agree, they should all be plowed up and closed !

[edblysard]

I think we need to dig moats on either side, fill it with gators and pungee sticks, and post armed guards to cap any one who gets past the gators...[:D]

[Anonymous]

Yep. There was already one accident. It happened at 2:30 AM. Two guys weren't looking when going across the tracks. A fast moving intermodal hit them, unfortunately killing the driver and passenger. They think alcohol was involved.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

I think we need to dig moats on either side, fill it with gators and pungee sticks, and post armed guards to cap any one who gets past the gators...[:D]

Hehe. That's a good idea. [:)]

[CSXrules4eva]

Yes horrible accidents will occur in this situation. I just got finished oly about two weeks ago doing a report on highway -rail grade crossings. Most of the report delt with people's lack of knowledege or stupidity at grade xings. However, I did touch upon unprotected crossings, you'd be suprised at how many unprotected crossing there are in the US. I personally can name about 10 in my area. That's sad. I like to call unprotected crossings DOP (disasters on point). Also when I was in high school I did my senior sem on accidents at railroad crossings, I showed two videos on train-car collisions. I had people's head turing to that one, and I was also asked lots of questions about unprotected and protected crossings.

[Anonymous]

Sarah, I'm right with you. It is sad. I've already ran into two. I'm sure there are a lot more. [:(] They need to be fixed immediately. They should at least put flashing lights on them to give us some kind of warning that a train is coming. I'd also prefer sound. [:)] Not BNSF's new sound they gave the crossings. [:D]

[selector]

We have one recent level crossing collision in BC. The gates were down, lights flashing, but the locals had come to view that with suspicion because the gates would operate intermittently... for no apparent reason. In this case, two days ago, a young fellow became impatient and skirted the gates, realized that he had rolled snake-eyes, and tried to reverse...too late. He survived, but it was touch-and-go.

[Anonymous]

Wow. Glad that he was Ok. [:)] Some people just can't wait 5 minutes for a train to go by. Some can't even wait 10 seconds for an Amtrak to fly by.

[railfan619]

Yeah you are all right these crossings should be fixed because it can be real dangeors. There is one crossing in wisconsin that the state is making the railroad put up gates and lights even though the crossing only sees a train a couple times a month.

[Anonymous]

That's good. All crossings should have gates, and sound. All trains should honk at all of them, too. None of these Quiet Zones. [:D]

[dldance]

Unprotected crossings in Idaho ( and there are many in sparsely populated areas) are required to have a special reflector attached to the cross bucks. This reflector has 3 faces - 1 facing oncoming road traffic and 2 at 45 degree angles to the railroad. As a train approaches the crossing, the engines headlight is reflected off the 45 degree angle into the path of oncoming highway traffic.

For a rather inexpensive, passive system, it works quite well.

dd

[PNWRMNM]

Ed,

Aligators do not do well in northern climates. Should we heat the moat, or get ilk?

Macf

[tree68]

I'm sure that all parties involved would like to see full crossing protection - lights, crossbucks, four quadrant gates - at all crossings. There are two problems - money, and money. The first money is for the equipment and installation itself. The second money is for maintenance. MC can enlighten.

Many of the "rural" crossings see few trains, and nearly as few cars. Plowing them up would be an idea, but only if you can provide other access to wherever the road leads. I pass several crossings in my travels that are for fishing access. The track is probably no more than 40mph to start with, lightly travelled, and upgrade to boot. That's not to say that a collision can't occur, but the odds are pretty low...

[BNSFGP38]

Ummm, anyone ever hear of long long short long??????????????? Geesh is it really that hard to look both ways before crossing tracks? I say let darwinism take over.
I do like that moat idea. [oX)]

[mudchicken]

Public or Private crossing? .... The rules & responsibilities for each are wildly different.

The western railroads for years have tried to close as many private crossings as possible and tighten up the documentation plus impose insurance on those that remain. I would be VERY surprised to see anything less than at least crossbucks at a public crossing. If railroads increase the number of tracks at a crossing, the local state PUC/Corporation Commission/Railroad Commissision has the right and responsibility to determine the proper amount of protection at that crossing before the new track is laid...By the way, whose transcon?

[railfan619]

Yeah your right the moat is a good idea but the aligators dont do very well in the north but maybe if they put sharp shooters at the unsafe crossings and when they see a car coming that is not going to stop at the crossings. They could just shoot the tires out well before they hit the tracks. And if that does not work then maybe the moat will work filled with electric elles and man eating sharks.[:D][:D]

[edblysard]

Get some Ilk...they eat anything!

QUOTE: Originally posted by PNWRMNM

Ed,

Aligators do not do well in northern climates. Should we heat the moat, or get ilk?

Macf

[jeffhergert]

I can't recall seeing an "unprotected" public crossing. Every public xing I've seen has at least crossbucks. If every crossing needs gates, lights and bells, then they better put in traffic lights at every intersection. Actually in rural Iowa on some lightly used gravel county roads, there are intersections with no stop signs and no yield signs. You are supposed to know who has the right of way and drive accordingly.
Some Iowa counties have local ordinances that require a stop sign at crossings that only have crossbucks. What do most motorists do when they come upon a crossing with a stop sign? If you think they stop, look both ways and proceed if safe to do so, you would be sadly mistaken. As will those motorists some day when they meet a train.
Jeff

[mudchicken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffhergert

I can't recall seeing an "unprotected" public crossing. Every public xing I've seen has at least crossbucks. If every crossing needs gates, lights and bells, then they better put in traffic lights at every intersection. Actually in rural Iowa on some lightly used gravel county roads, there are intersections with no stop signs and no yield signs. You are supposed to know who has the right of way and drive accordingly.
Some Iowa counties have local ordinances that require a stop sign at crossings that only have crossbucks. What do most motorists do when they come upon a crossing with a stop sign? If you think they stop, look both ways and proceed if safe to do so, you would be sadly mistaken. As will those motorists some day when they meet a train.
Jeff

One of my clients in NW Iowa knows this all too well. In one crossing collision the offending motorist did not have to call the sheriff. His deputy was the hogger![:D]

[(-D][(-D][(-D]

[SchemerBob]

There are a bunch of "nothing-but-crossbuck" crossings around here, many on the BNSF transcon (Chicago-Los Angeles). Do you know how fast Amtrak goes through here? About 90 miles an hour. Amtrak blasts the horns at these crossings (I know from watching cab ride videos), but they wouldn't be able to stop if a car got in their way. Freight trains go slightly slower, but not much! I think that reflective crossbuck idea of Idaho is a good idea. I mean, many of these roads are just mud! it would be stupid to have a gate at one of these! But, if the road is heavilly used, that's another thing...but I don't think mud roads have very much traffic![:D]

[BigJim]

On my district, NS has installed STOP signs at all private road crossings. I thought it might have come from the FRA ruling on horn blowing, but I haven't asked anyone yet.

As for maroons like Jimitrain who want horns blowing at every little pig path, I say let them sit up on a unit with the horn blowing in their ears constantly and see how they like it. Throw 'em in the moat with the 'gators[oX)]

[ericsp]

The phrase "Stop, Look, Listen, Live" comes to mind. If the driver refuses to do something as simple as that, why should the railroad or road department do anything?

[Anonymous]

yea it's not that hard to take a second and look both ways, just like walking across the street. it's just another reason why all the urbanites should remain urban...

[Anonymous]

Mudchicken is right. We need to draw a distinction between public crossings, which should be as modern as possible; and private crossings, in which the driver (usually entering his own land) bears all the responsibility for "Stop, Look and Listen."

Before we rip up EVERY crossbuck-only crossing, bear in mind that some of these guys are farmers on various kinds of motorized equipment. Making them take something like a thresher two or three miles to the nearest public "gated" stop -- and then back to where they wanted to be -- would be a severe inconvenience to them. Although I do like very much the earlier gentleman's idea of reflectors to show both ends of the track, every single crossing can't come equipped with hi-tech signalization.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of unprotected crossings in Michigan. I can recall that there have been some accidents at these crossings and nothing has been done. In some cases, changes were made. Even with the crossing and gates, accidents will occur because people are in a hurry.

I like the moat idea. That way, people have to wait.[8D]

[BigJim]

Another product of the FRA ruling is that brush and such must be cut back 500ft. on either side of the road crossings.

[Anonymous]

OK - UK and signalling perspective here. Most "through" road crossings are protected with flashing lights in the UK; and to cap it the there is a speed restriction placed on the railway. There are a few exceptions; on one cornish/ devon branch the train has to stop; blow up and then proceed at 10MPH. But why worry - nobody is in a hurry in that part of the world anyway. There are four o/a (open/accommodation) crossings under "my" control - these are provided with a telephone. Now if the telephone is knackered; we have to caution - usually its kids messing about and leaving it off the hook or shouting expletives down the phone at you. However there are 2 trains an hour - I ask the driver to proceed at caution; cross when he is sure it is safe to do so and replace the phone. Imagine doing that for x crossings over x miles when the phone concentrator packs up!

So sopmetimes the stop; look and listen is a very very good thing..........

[Junctionfan]

What kind of protection do the few crossings on the NEC have? I'm curious how fast the trains go through them too.

[trainster1073]

I understand what you all are trying to say and indefinentaly agree!! My opinion is that if it's a private crossing it should have a RR crossbuck and the Trains that cross should have to blow there horns like BNSFGP38 said long, long, short, long. Then for public RR crossings, the RR should at least have Lights and the trains should blow their horns again. If they have gates even better but they should at least have the minimum. PLUS my cousin told me because he is training to be a brakemen for UP. He said that the Locos should blow the horn 3/4's of a mile from the crossing and have their bell on when they are crossing the road. So watch for that and see if the engineers were you live to that. Cause I know they don't do that at every RR crossing like they are suppose to.

Dustin