# Railroad crossings



## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

Coccodrillo said:


> I assure you that for pedestrian crossing a level crossing when it is closed or a railway where is forbidden is common.


Ah, you meant pedestrians. In this case you are quite right (even if "common" is an overstatement: let's say "sometimes it happens")


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

But also some car drivers enter a level crossing when there is no space after it, a really dangerous behaviour.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

*Belgium:*


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

This video shows you a typical crossing in my state.


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## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

x-type said:


> do you guys have all automatized barriers, or somewhere you still have old mechanical? i know these exist in Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, UK


There are some barriers that are still operated by the train driver. Though they are low-traffic lines, with like 8-10 trains a day. Some are near the croatian border.


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## Sponsor (Mar 19, 2006)

I found one with quite short waiting time somwhere in Poland 
~ 25 s. and following trains between 25 and 40 seconds.





Notice nice bells which are being replaced by electronic sounds these days


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

RawLee said:


> There are some barriers that are still operated by the train driver.


Are you sure? Never heard about this. Driver gets out of train and pushes button/lever/whatever or how?


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## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

Coccodrillo said:


> But also some car drivers enter a level crossing when there is no space after it, a really dangerous behaviour.


Well, In Italy semi-barriers are quite rare. The most common form of barriers is the "double semi-barriers", like the ones I photographed in the very first post of this thread: first the bells, then semi-barriers on the driving side of the road come down, then after 10 seconds or so the others semi-barriers come down, to allow cars still passing through the crossing to escape.


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## ArthurK (Jun 16, 2009)

I was wondering why American trains sound their horn all the time. Isn't it obvious that a train is approaching when bells are ringing, red lights are flashing and the barriers at the crossing are closed? Why horn? And isn't that very annoying for anyone living close to the railway?

In my country, the horn is just used as an exceptional warning. For example to prevent a collision, or to give a warning when there are children or maintanance workers very close to the tracks. Or when there is a malfunction with the automatic warning signals at the crossing.

It scares me when I see those videos of American railroad crossings, as Dutch train only use the horn that way when they are about to hit somebody... :runaway:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

^^ noctice the same. But I also read that it's very comon in some states to have extremely long waiting times, especially when it is a cargo train. People start driving between the barriers..., bu I've also seen thet here in Belgium and they also only sound the horn when in danger of collision or when their is a person or animal to close or on the tracks


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## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

keber said:


> Are you sure? Never heard about this. Driver gets out of train and pushes button/lever/whatever or how?


Its from the very old times. Usually bus-sized trains go there, hence it isnt a huge problem. Driver or controller gets out, and lowers the barrier.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

RawLee said:


> Its from the very old times. Usually bus-sized trains go there, hence it isnt a huge problem. Driver or controller gets out, and lowers the barrier.


That's funny. Wouldn't it be easier to just stop the train before a railroad crossing and proceed very slowly? Once the train occupies the whole crossing, it could speed up.


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## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

The allowed speed there is about 40 for the trains :nuts:. There is a video on youtube about such a line, I will look it up for you guys.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

ArthurK said:


> I was wondering why American trains sound their horn all the time. Isn't it obvious that a train is approaching when bells are ringing, red lights are flashing and the barriers at the crossing are closed? Why horn? And isn't that very annoying for anyone living close to the railway?
> 
> In my country, the horn is just used as an exceptional warning. For example to prevent a collision, or to give a warning when there are children or maintanance workers very close to the tracks. Or when there is a malfunction with the automatic warning signals at the crossing.
> 
> It scares me when I see those videos of American railroad crossings, as Dutch train only use the horn that way when they are about to hit somebody... :runaway:


Its Federal law , engineers must blow there horns at all intersections unless marked otherwise. This applies to Intercity , Freight , and Commuter Rail , Urban Rail it varies depends on the city or town. They also blow there horns in Canada & i think in Mexico. The Horns vary depending on the type of trains , the loudest are on the diesel trains. The Electric trains are slightly quieter. The Horns themselves don't annoy ppl , the loudest of the engines usually does. You get used to after a few weeks. I live 1km west of the nearest crossing / station and i can hear them , usually the morning ones only. We also have bells on the trains to warn ppl , although thats not really a rule more of a tradition in North America. Trains also blow born enter a Major station to warn ppl who are near or over the yellow bar. 






This engineer needs to be promoted






My favorite Horn is the Arrow 3's unfortnatly they'll be replaced with Asain trains sometime this decade. There also used on the PATH subway , yes the subway trains do blow there horns. Its more of a customary thing at certain stations & at the portals.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

^^ Trains that blow their horns all the time...IT would make me crancky for sure!


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## Crownsteler (Aug 20, 2003)

This is a quite interesting railroad crossing. The A2 highway crosses the former Uithoorn - Nieuwersluis railroad. The crossing (and railroad) has disappeared by now.

by bertgort, on Flickr

Back when the A2 was constructed, it wasn't considered worthwhile to build a viaduct over this hardly used line, so they build an ordinairy crossing. It went well for about 10 years before an accident happend, after which the crossing could only be closed in the presence of an police officer. The crossing was removed in 1986 after the closure of the railroad line.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

joshsam said:


> ^^ Trains that blow their horns all the time...IT would make me crancky for sure!


Its not that bad , we do have quiet crossings. 

This Crossing will be grade separated by the end of the decade when the last remaining crossings on the NEC are removed. There all in CT.


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

Coccodrillo said:


> I assure you that for pedestrian crossing a level crossing when it is closed or a railway where is forbidden is common. But certainly not only in Italy, just remember the disaster south of Barcelona a few months ago.


Here's METRA's answer to that in Chicagoland (METRA is the commuter 'heavy rail' service in the metro area, they use normal freight tracks):

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/2651500,CST-NWS-rideside30.article

:lol:

Mike


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## x-type (Aug 19, 2005)

RawLee said:


> The allowed speed there is about 40 for the trains :nuts:. There is a video on youtube about such a line, I will look it up for you guys.


wow, please find it! i would expect it to be n Gyekényés - Barcs railroad, but there also some serious trains pass, and i haven't seen Bzmots there, so it probably is not there


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

joshsam said:


> *Belgium:*


I like the signs above the street warning about the overhead wire at those Belgian crossings.

Mike


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## x-type (Aug 19, 2005)

mgk920 said:


> I like the signs above the street warning about the overhead wire at those Belgian crossings.
> 
> Mike


we have those, too (actually, i think it is present in all ex-YU countries). 

btw, i see that Belgium has that zvrrrrrrrrrrrr at the beginning, just as France


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## Gyorgy (Mar 11, 2009)

RawLee said:


> There are some barriers that are still operated by the train driver. Though they are low-traffic lines, with like 8-10 trains a day. Some are near the croatian border.


Mostly they are near train stations or somewhere where the trafic is regular but rare and railway workers are near to handle with the mechanism. Those barriers can also look normal (modern), but because they are not connected with the security mechanism (and as such are much cheaper) railway workers must be near and press the button to put them down. 

If the person is stopping the road trafic it is usually conductor or driver's assistant.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

mgk920 said:


> I like the signs above the street warning about the overhead wire at those Belgian crossings.
> 
> Mike


I've always found them old fashioned:cheers:


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Railway Crossings in Mexico


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## brewerfan386 (Apr 24, 2009)

^^
Looks like a major gate malfunction on the last one.
BTW: manned/ manual grade crossing gates are virtually unheard of in the USA.


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

brewerfan386 said:


> ^^
> Looks like a major gate malfunction on the last one.
> BTW: manned/ manual grade crossing gates are virtually unheard of in the USA.


There was one in Neenah, WI (Winneconne Ave) until the crossing was replaced with a bridge in about 1990. The tower where its operator worked is now on display at the museum in North Freedom, WI.

Mike


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## brewerfan386 (Apr 24, 2009)

^^
Sounds interesting  (I would still hazard to guess that over 98% of all US crossings are automatic.)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

British grade crossings














Those British warning "bells" sound like my weather radio.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

brewerfan386 said:


> ^^
> Looks like a major gate malfunction on the last one.
> BTW: manned/ manual grade crossing gates are virtually unheard of in the USA.


I think it was just recently installed. According to Google Earth there are some railway crossings in Mexico that still lack gates.


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## EEH (Jul 16, 2010)

A typical railway crossing in Bulgaria. If you are impatient to see the train, go directly to 4:45. There is a dumb ass who goes around the barriers at 2:18.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

^^such long waiting times is the cause that people drive between the barriers :bash:


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## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

joshsam said:


> ^^such long waiting times is the cause that people drive between the barriers :bash:


No.
STUPIDITY makes people drive between barriers.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Septa is now installing these at Major Intersections and all Ped Crossings


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

g.spinoza said:


> No.
> STUPIDITY makes people drive between barriers.


Nearly 5 minutes of waiting incitates people to cross even with barriers, the railway has its faults, too.


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## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

Coccodrillo said:


> Nearly 5 minutes of waiting incitates people to cross even with barriers, the railway has its faults, too.


Until the time when another train will come from the other side, crushing the stupid crosser to death.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

The point is these kinds of crossings need to be credible. Nobody takes a crossing serious if the gates close, but a train doesn't arrive for another 4 or 5 minutes.

A closed gate at a busy 1x2 highway means the waiting line will easily be as much as 120 vehicles (or more than 1 km) in either direction. It takes another few minutes for the queue to clear. Simply unacceptable.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

ChrisZwolle said:


> The point is these kinds of crossings need to be credible. Nobody takes a crossing serious if the gates close, but a train doesn't arrive for another 4 or 5 minutes.
> 
> A closed gate at a busy 1x2 highway means the waiting line will easily be as much as 120 vehicles (or more than 1 km) in either direction. It takes another few minutes for the queue to clear. Simply unacceptable.


Yet you have Draw Bridges on Major highways in the Netherlands , those stay open for 15 mins. I heard they open once an hour. Thats ridiculous.....that would drive me insane. Then theres the 3-6 mins German Crossing waits. The most you have to wait here is 2 mins , most of the time its 45secs.


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

Railroad crossings in/near Kamloops:

Uncontrolled:









Semi controlled (lights, audible warning, no barriers)

















Fully controlled:


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

^^
(Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada)

Except for the design of the 'crossbucks', Canadian markings and signals are virtually identical to those of the USA. As I mentioned upthread, I'd like to see the USA adopt a cross between the Canadian and USA crossbucks, with both the words and the red outline.

Mike


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

State-of-the art rail crossing barricades tested in Michigan


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## malegi (Aug 21, 2010)

In a small village in Brazil.


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