Dead or inactive railroad crossings

[kphoger]

Besides which, is it even legal for active crossings to have no crossing gates? And are there any other known instances of yield signs at active crossings?

Is that uncommon in your part of the country?  They're all over the place out this way.

Crossing gates are very common, so I guess their absence is uncommon? at least in urban/suburban areas. And I've never paid much attention to whether yield signs are common, as alternating red signals are usually used instead. This is my idea of a standard at-grade rail crossing.

In my city of Wichita:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GdjGr2quq34bQbTd7 (yield sign)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZFkpziucjyR2D88T6 (crossbuck only)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sJSWwxMCNULqrzxq6 (yield sign)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3pEsd8T8JmQgStGX6 (crossbuck only)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7XMdFGTgc3ShAvLV9 (crossbuck only)

Rochester, NY:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9v3QCjeAW8kWminU7 (yield sign)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/K1Q9AYAnobS8nicn9 (stop sign)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QZbRs7ziXhGbdrEb9 (lights but no gates)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/wLy8HBYy9vMvDadt9 (lights but no gates)

[webny99]

Besides which, is it even legal for active crossings to have no crossing gates? And are there any other known instances of yield signs at active crossings?

Is that uncommon in your part of the country?  They're all over the place out this way.

Crossing gates are very common, so I guess their absence is uncommon? at least in urban/suburban areas. And I've never paid much attention to whether yield signs are common, as alternating red signals are usually used instead. This is my idea of a standard at-grade rail crossing.

Rochester, NY:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9v3QCjeAW8kWminU7 (yield sign)

Not to start Ontario-Midland 2.0, but there's likely very low to zero train activity on that line.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/K1Q9AYAnobS8nicn9 (stop sign)

Interesting example, but worth noting that it's not a public roadway beyond the tracks.

If anything, I think the group of examples points up that both lights and crossing gates are more common here than in other parts of the country, even if they're far from universal.

[freebrickproductions]

Here's a dead crossing in New Jersey still owned by Conrail. Looks like one of the signals got wiped-out by a car between 2020 and 2021
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4800651,-74.4844341,3a,71.8y,36.32h,88.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_qFYTSayX66Yvrlf8yD1sg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Going west one crossing you can see that the tracks have since ripped from the road as well.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4848504,-74.5049158,3a,75y,12.43h,81.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8Y5MIfHyPNlRSel9VrK1tA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

The next crossing west of that still retains the rails in the road, but with some interesting signs posted at it.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.486582,-74.5105314,3a,66.8y,214.42h,76.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swZvjeRcTKK6dmdaPjn1lew!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[kphoger]

Rochester, NY:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9v3QCjeAW8kWminU7 (yield sign)

Not to start Ontario-Midland 2.0, but there's likely very low to zero train activity on that line.

Not to start Ontario-Midland 2.0, but ... two daily switching trains according to the inventory reports.

For what it's worth, I just ran a report for all of Rochester.  Here are a couple I missed:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6fYmksakVi3JFN7x5 – Lights but no gates, 1 daily switching train
https://maps.app.goo.gl/J3MnWrda5iPc4wtX9 – Lights but no gates, 2 daily switching trains

And here are some you might find more interesting

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rHxzEYbx3RFtbP5D8 – Yield sign,  tracks not in active use
https://maps.app.goo.gl/s8UKqaZnxJSLf6Ce6 – Crossbucks only, "tracks out of service", have since been ripped up and paved over

[debragga]

Here's one in Lillie, Louisiana that I went over recently: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9233628,-92.6464319,18.85z?entry=ttu

All that's left is some faded paint and a 15mph BUMP advisory sign before the eastbound approach. It's notably missing from the westbound side, as I found out after I hit the crossing going 55 and felt like my car was airborne

[Mr. Matté]

The next crossing west of that still retains the rails in the road, but with some interesting signs posted at it.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.486582,-74.5105314,3a,66.8y,214.42h,76.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swZvjeRcTKK6dmdaPjn1lew!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

The blocky font makes me think the signs are Franklin Township installations. The logic was probably "Yes we know the pavement quality sucks but we're not allowed to repave it. Call them and complain."

All moot since this crossing has since been paved over as well (Bing Maps):

[freebrickproductions]

Here's one in Lillie, Louisiana that I went over recently: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9233628,-92.6464319,18.85z?entry=ttu

All that's left is some faded paint and a 15mph BUMP advisory sign before the eastbound approach. It's notably missing from the westbound side, as I found out after I hit the crossing going 55 and felt like my car was airborne

Used to have quite a bit more back in 2014, with a gateless cantilever and a gateless mast at it.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9232862,-92.6463069,3a,75y,77.44h,81.25t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sd-rqQQifvqew5YiPTSpM5w!2e0!5s20140601T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

Looks like part of the guard-rail of the mast signal still stands, or at least stood as of 2021. Looks like it was a former Rock Island line that was used for car storage in its last years. Going north into  Junction City, AR, the crossing on US 63/US 167 still retains the old signal foundations and relay case:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.0324534,-92.7157479,3a,75y,78.73h,86.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2fLeBgVR27SzEvcyNshMaw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[ErmineNotyours]

Track with ivy growing over it and a bush next to it.  Buses still had to stop for this because it was still marked with a cross buck.  They've since replaced it with a "Tracks out of service" sign.

[Takumi]

This crossing has been abandoned for as long as I can remember, but the crossbucks were still there until recently. I can't remember there ever being lights or gates.

[GaryV]

and a bush next to it.

No Singing!

[freebrickproductions]

This crossing has been abandoned for as long as I can remember, but the crossbucks were still there until recently. I can't remember there ever being lights or gates.

Probably not. A lot of more minor crossings, especially on less-busy roads in rural areas, were (and still are) often just crossbucks only.