Clang Clang Bang...

[jchnhtfd]

Did anyone else happen to notice the incongruity in the news wire today (December 22nd)? On the one hand, we have an engineer who was involved in several grade crossing incidents -- none of them even remotely avoidable by the train -- pleading with folks to pay more attention to grade crossings and, if possible, not to drive in front of trains. On the other hand, we have one of the illustrious suburbs of Chicago silencing the crossing bells at grade crossings.

Is there something wrong with this picture, or is it just me?

[DrummingTrainfan]

Wow, maybe the city could get an assist for some Darwin awards...

[dldance]

So, with all the noise from boom boxes, big base speakers, 200 watt+ amps, Ipods, and assorted traffic noises -- the poor little crossing gate bell is never noticed. So it might as well be shut off. Now maybe if you had a 120dB siren or horn... Oh, wait - they are trying to ban horns as well.

dd

[CSXrules4eva]

One word......... Rediculious. It is very rediculious that many cities and towns what to put up noise ordanices (SP) against railroads in terms of making noise at railroad crossings including the warning bells at crossings. If they don't like it tough. They can have one of two things. More people getting hurt because of people not paying attention to looking for trains before crossing the tracks; or these towns and cities could forget about the noise ordances against protection devices on the railroad, and save some lives.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they (the automakers and even possibly the railroads) with all the current technology, especially with satellites, could encorporate an audible warning- louder than Eminems latest hit blasting through a cars system approaching a crossing( ya know- like spam on tv...when they blast their graphics of the next show so loud you miss the most important part of the story line?)
The technology is here- do you think it will come to this?
After all- we can't think for ourselves and obviously need the government to step in and think for us...

[mudchicken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dldance

So, with all the noise from boom boxes, big base speakers, 200 watt+ amps, Ipods, and assorted traffic noises -- the poor little crossing gate bell is never noticed. So it might as well be shut off. Now maybe if you had a 120dB siren or horn... Oh, wait - they are trying to ban horns as well.

dd

The minute you exceed 90db they are going to stick their noses in your business anyhow.[}:)][}:)][}:)]

[miniwyo]

What bothers me is that the town bans the horns at the crossing, yet when and accident happens they say it was the railroads fault for not signaling that the train was coming. I just want to say. ARE YOU STUPID?? YOU CREATED THE PROBLEM!!! ITS YOUR FAULT!!! They stopped the horns from being blown, which means that the city is the negligent for prohibiting the use of proper saftey warning devices. Dont sue the RR, Sue the city!

[tree68]

One of the major auto makers has an ad campaign on now about a super quiet (on the inside) new model...

[CShaveRR]

Please calm down, folks.

I know that for the majority here I was on the wrong side of horn bans, too. There are a couple of points to make here.

This is not a Chicago suburb, it's within the city,

This is a transit line--the CTA "Brown Line", or the Ravenswood L, which runs at ground level toward its extreme end.

Trains are not moving fast at these crossings, either coming into or departing stations, and I've been on these trains--they slow for the crossings even during the day, when the bells are working.

This is not an attempt to silence bells that have been around forever; it's an attempt to bring back the status quo for a residential/commercial area that has had silent crossings through the night for decades. There are still flashing lights and gates at these crossings. I've not heard of any accidents at these crossings that took place at night (though there was a bad one a couple of years ago that occurred during the day in spite of the bells). Yes, the trains are frequent, and I'm sure the people would get used to the bells if they had to. But visualize a streetcar line that had gates at the street's intersections. That's almost what we're talking about here.

Here's the story, from the UTU website:

Chicago Brown Line bell tolling on hold
CHICAGO --- Neighbors of the CTA Brown Line's Rockwell Street stop will get temporary relief from crossing gate bells that have disrupted their sleep this month, according to this report by Virginia Groark published by the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Transit Authority President Frank Kruesi ordered the bells silenced while his staff determines whether federal or state regulations require them to sound at night.

That's good news for people like Kathleen Bowman who lives in the 4600 block of North Rockwell and has been awakened by the crossing gate bells since the CTA activated them Dec. 10.

"It's been terrible," said Bowman. "I knew my apartment was on a train line, but I didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to sleep through the night. So this has kind of been a problem."

The gates, which also were installed at Brown Line street crossings at Francisco, Albany, Kedzie, Spaulding and Sacramento Avenues, replaced gates that were 50 years old, said CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney.

The previous gates were silenced with a timer from 9:45 p.m. until 7:15 a.m. except Sundays when they restarted at 9:15 a.m., she added.

But new regulations have taken effect since the previous crossing gates were installed, so the CTA staff decided to err on the side of caution and have the bells sound almost all night, Gaffney said. At Rockwell, the bells were ringing each time a train approached except from 2:35 to around 4 a.m., according to neighbors.

After learning of the issue Monday (Dec. 19), Kruesi ordered the silencing of the bells at night pending further research, Gaffney said. Gaffney didn't know how long it would take before the bells are turned off.

(The preceding report by Virginia Groark was published by the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005.)




But if such a clatter arose every twenty minutes or so when one was used to silence

[CShaveRR]

As a postscript, I wish more railroads had crossing bells like those along the former BN main line. When the crossing gates are activated, the bells ring, and stay on until the train hits the crossing itself. They are then silent while the trains pass and (except for a second or so) when the gates go up.

[Leon Silverman]

I find it amazing that we believe the the ovarall intellegence of the human race is actually superior to all other species.

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Leon Silverman

I find it amazing that we believe the the ovarall intellegence of the human race is actually superior to all other species.

I'm not surprised that some humans think they have more rights to suing a company for neglience when in fact the idiots who instituted the ban could easy be sued ...

Might as well run a unit long hood fwd and stuff the engineer in the 2nd unit ... if it becomes that bad ....

[Sterling1]

Maybe we could resort to a massive set of air raid horns plus some train air horns on the grade crossing, plus some massive bells to complement them ....

Silent zones ... absolute stupidity ...