Dead or inactive railroad crossings

[Billy F 1988]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4Ms9je9QCUXHvaPf8
This crossing at West Broadway in Missoula was Montana Rail Link's 9th Subdivision from Missoula to Darby. MRL shut down the sub in around 2012 because there was no feasibility financially for any business owner near the line to use MRL as a means of transporting goods in between Missoula and Ravalli Counties.

On September 18th, 2023, the rails at this crossing were gutted, and on September 19th, it was paved over and the RxR warning sign was removed, thus, marking an end of an era in Montana railroading. It's unclear what will become of the now-dead 9th Sub.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

A couple of the crossings on the LTV Mining-owned line (currently inactive) in northeastern Minnesota had the crossings on TH 1 and Cook County 8 left in place, but the signals removed and signs saying "TRACKS OUT OF SERVICE" posted in advance of the crossing.

[Max Rockatansky]

There are quite a few of these in the Warehouse District in Fresno.  A lot of them were along the tour meet route this year.

[freebrickproductions]

Given how many rail lines were ripped-up after the passing of the Staggers Act in 1980, there are easily thousands of abandoned/out of service crossings across the US, though you might not be able to tell there were once any tracks there immediately. Here's one such example where the Seaboard Coast Line's Americus Subdivision once crossed CR 23 just east of Hardaway, AL, ripped out in 1987/1988.

Of course, there are also plenty of long-abandoned/dormant freight spurs where said spurs once had to cross a road or two to get to the customer(s) they served...

A forum I help run actually has a dedicated thread to abandoned crossings like this.

[CovalenceSTU]

The A&CR Railroad from Wauna to Astoria hasn't had a train in 18 years, most of the crossings are blank like this one (the only one on GSV) but there's one with the original "RAILWAY CROSSING" crossbucks still standing. It's future is uncertain though, there's been proposals floating around to restore service but it is at high risk of being officially abandoned.

[Bruce]

Quite a few along the old Woodinville Subdivision east of Seattle, which is being turned into a long network of bike and pedestrian trails. Quite a few crossing signals remain standing.

[1995hoo]

This one on the George Washington Parkway in Alexandria still has warning lights, but I've never seen a train passing through there, and if you click over to the parallel service road just east of there, it becomes pretty clear that those tracks are almost certainly no longer in use. I still don't stop on the tracks, though.

[Rothman]

CSX across NY 290 east of Syracuse is being removed in the very short future.

[webny99]

There's tons along the north/south roads that cross the old Hojack Line just north of NY 104 in Webster/Ontario. A number of the westernmost ones have become part of the Hojack Trail Rails to Trails project, but others still have tracks.

Notably, and frustratingly, buses still have to stop for inactive rail crossings. This is a particular issue where the tracks are within 100 feet of an intersection, and a stopped bus can catch you off guard if you're not expecting it. NY 104 has several such situations; I once nearly hit a stopped bus that I didn't see until the last second, and just yesterday got honked at for sitting on a green arrow when I couldn't clear the intersection because of the queue for a stopped bus.

[hotdogPi]

Notably, and frustratingly, buses still have to stop for inactive rail crossings. This is a particular issue where the tracks are within 100 feet of an intersection, and a stopped bus can catch you off guard if you're not expecting it. NY 104 has several such situations; I once nearly hit a stopped bus that I didn't see until the last second, and just yesterday got honked at for sitting on a green arrow when I couldn't clear the intersection because of the queue for a stopped bus.

There are supposed to be "EXEMPT" signs on inactive crossings. Are those signs not there?

[kphoger]

Notably, and frustratingly, buses still have to stop for inactive rail crossings. This is a particular issue where the tracks are within 100 feet of an intersection, and a stopped bus can catch you off guard if you're not expecting it. NY 104 has several such situations; I once nearly hit a stopped bus that I didn't see until the last second, and just yesterday got honked at for sitting on a green arrow when I couldn't clear the intersection because of the queue for a stopped bus.

There are supposed to be "EXEMPT" signs on inactive crossings. Are those signs not there?

Like this, which used to be on US-60 in Springfield (MO), before they redid the interchange and grade-separated the crossing.

[webny99]

Notably, and frustratingly, buses still have to stop for inactive rail crossings. This is a particular issue where the tracks are within 100 feet of an intersection, and a stopped bus can catch you off guard if you're not expecting it. NY 104 has several such situations; I once nearly hit a stopped bus that I didn't see until the last second, and just yesterday got honked at for sitting on a green arrow when I couldn't clear the intersection because of the queue for a stopped bus.

There are supposed to be "EXEMPT" signs on inactive crossings. Are those signs not there?

Like this, which used to be on US-60 in Springfield (MO), before they redid the interchange and grade-separated the crossing.

There is no exempt signage at any of these crossings, near as I can tell, although some of them have yield signs. From east to west... Fisher Rd, Ontario Center Rd, County Line Rd, Basket Rd, Salt Rd, and there are plenty more, but you get the idea.

So the next question is, are these crossings actually inactive, or not? Legally, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that, practically speaking, they are inactive. I've crossed these tracks at one location or another at least once per weekday for the last ~10 years and with intermittent frequency before that, and I have never seen a train crossing at any of them. They're not even equipped with crossing gates, so there's clearly no maintenance or expectation of a train appearing anytime soon -- and nowhere for a train to go if it did appear, because the tracks dead end at Xerox and have been converted to a gravel walking path beyond there.

[index]

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9788422,-81.0821268,18z?entry=ttu

The old abandoned sections of the SB line in York/Cherokee Counties, SC have plenty of inactive crossings, (this is the largest of them) and considering parts of the line have been torn up and most of it is in extremely poor shape, *and* the fact that railroads are continuing to cut service and consolidate routes, it's unlikely these crossings will ever see use again.

Some of them have old, beat up crossing equipment in place which has been gradually stripped and picked apart by other people for scrap.

My internet is being horrifically slow so I can't check for sure, but they may or may not have exempt signs, I don't think all of them are like that though. I feel like I should know that since I passed by them so much over the years.

[hbelkins]

The old East Kentucky subdivision of L&N (now CSX) might as well be dead. What coal that is being hauled out of Breathitt and Perry counties now goes up the Big Sandy, since a connection was built between the L&N and the old line (which I think was C&O).

[kphoger]

So the next question is, are these crossings actually inactive, or not? Legally, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that, practically speaking, they are inactive. I've crossed these tracks at one location or another at least once per weekday for the last ~10 years and with intermittent frequency before that, and I have never seen a train crossing at any of them. They're not even equipped with crossing gates, so there's clearly no maintenance or expectation of a train appearing anytime soon -- and nowhere for a train to go if it did appear, because the tracks dead end at Xerox and have been converted to a gravel walking path beyond there.

OK...  Looking into it more...  That's the Ontario Midland Railroad.

Here is their station in Sodus.

[webny99]

So the next question is, are these crossings actually inactive, or not? Legally, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that, practically speaking, they are inactive. I've crossed these tracks at one location or another at least once per weekday for the last ~10 years and with intermittent frequency before that, and I have never seen a train crossing at any of them. They're not even equipped with crossing gates, so there's clearly no maintenance or expectation of a train appearing anytime soon -- and nowhere for a train to go if it did appear, because the tracks dead end at Xerox and have been converted to a gravel walking path beyond there.

OK...  Looking into it more...  That's the Ontario Midland Railroad.

Here is their station in Sodus.

I doubt anything has been moved along that line west of Sodus in decades, if not longer.

But I did get a chuckle out of "centrally located between Buffalo and Syracuse". That's like saying Yonkers, NY is centrally located between DC and Boston - not false, but certainly not winning any points with the elephant in the room. 

[kphoger]

So the next question is, are these crossings actually inactive, or not? Legally, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that, practically speaking, they are inactive. I've crossed these tracks at one location or another at least once per weekday for the last ~10 years and with intermittent frequency before that, and I have never seen a train crossing at any of them. They're not even equipped with crossing gates, so there's clearly no maintenance or expectation of a train appearing anytime soon -- and nowhere for a train to go if it did appear, because the tracks dead end at Xerox and have been converted to a gravel walking path beyond there.

OK...  Looking into it more...  That's the Ontario Midland Railroad.

Here is their station in Sodus.

I doubt anything has been moved along that line west of Sodus in decades, if not longer.

I've found railfan sites in which people mentioned both how nice it was and also how surprising it was to see the railroad in active use.  So, while it's far from a busy short line, it apparently does see a little bit of use.  When Northern Biodiesel was still operating near the Dean Pkwy intersection (before they closed a few years ago), at the former location of 84 Lumber, they were reportedly a rail customer that saw a couple of railcars per week (siding visible here).  All that is to say, even if it doesn't have any current customers along that stretch, that doesn't mean it's an inactive railway, nor that a customer couldn't call up tomorrow and schedule a rail shipment.

[1995hoo]

BTW, in terms of a totally unique "dead" railroad crossing that no longer exists, East 105 Street in Canarsie (Street View from 2022) used to have a totally unique, for the New York Subway, at-grade crossing for the LL train. The at-grade crossing was removed in 1973 and now a subway station blocks the road's former route.

[webny99]

So the next question is, are these crossings actually inactive, or not? Legally, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that, practically speaking, they are inactive. I've crossed these tracks at one location or another at least once per weekday for the last ~10 years and with intermittent frequency before that, and I have never seen a train crossing at any of them. They're not even equipped with crossing gates, so there's clearly no maintenance or expectation of a train appearing anytime soon -- and nowhere for a train to go if it did appear, because the tracks dead end at Xerox and have been converted to a gravel walking path beyond there.

OK...  Looking into it more...  That's the Ontario Midland Railroad.

Here is their station in Sodus.

I doubt anything has been moved along that line west of Sodus in decades, if not longer.

I've found railfan sites in which people mentioned both how nice it was and also how surprising it was to see the railroad in active use.  So, while it's far from a busy short line, it apparently does see a little bit of use.  When Northern Biodiesel was still operating near the Dean Pkwy intersection (before they closed a few years ago), at the former location of 84 Lumber, they were reportedly a rail customer that saw a couple of railcars per week (siding visible here).  All that is to say, even if it doesn't have any current customers along that stretch, that doesn't mean it's an inactive railway, nor that a customer couldn't call up tomorrow and schedule a rail shipment.

That particular building appears to have a spur directly to/from the rail line. If it was active at any point recently, it must have been to/from the east.

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?

[Big John]

^^ Not sure if this is a general railroad crossing question.  Gates are not required except at high-speed crossings.  Yield or stop signs are required at crossings that don't have alternating red signals.

[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.

[vdeane]

Notably, and frustratingly, buses still have to stop for inactive rail crossings. This is a particular issue where the tracks are within 100 feet of an intersection, and a stopped bus can catch you off guard if you're not expecting it. NY 104 has several such situations; I once nearly hit a stopped bus that I didn't see until the last second, and just yesterday got honked at for sitting on a green arrow when I couldn't clear the intersection because of the queue for a stopped bus.

There are supposed to be "EXEMPT" signs on inactive crossings. Are those signs not there?

Like this, which used to be on US-60 in Springfield (MO), before they redid the interchange and grade-separated the crossing.

There is no exempt signage at any of these crossings, near as I can tell, although some of them have yield signs. From east to west... Fisher Rd, Ontario Center Rd, County Line Rd, Basket Rd, Salt Rd, and there are plenty more, but you get the idea.

So the next question is, are these crossings actually inactive, or not? Legally, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that, practically speaking, they are inactive. I've crossed these tracks at one location or another at least once per weekday for the last ~10 years and with intermittent frequency before that, and I have never seen a train crossing at any of them. They're not even equipped with crossing gates, so there's clearly no maintenance or expectation of a train appearing anytime soon -- and nowhere for a train to go if it did appear, because the tracks dead end at Xerox and have been converted to a gravel walking path beyond there.

The question of whether it's active or not has already been answered, but I'll note from the condition of the warning devices and tracks as well as the presence of the ENS sign (I used Salt Road as a sample; not sure of the others) says to me that there's no way that crossing isn't at least maintained.  Contrast with Corinth.

[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.

The question of whether it's active or not has already been answered, but I'll note from the condition of the warning devices and tracks as well as the presence of the ENS sign (I used Salt Road as a sample; not sure of the others) says to me that there's no way that crossing isn't at least maintained.  Contrast with Corinth.

You're right in terms of "no maintenance" being too strong. They're maintained enough that they could be used if needed, but they aren't, at least beyond the county line. The only potential user would be Xerox, whose Webster plant is much less than what it once was.

The Corinth example having crossing gates despite being in shambles is an interesting contrast. There are well over a dozen Ontario Midland crossings and I don't think any of them have gates.

[webny99]

NY is not allergic to EXEMPT signage: here's one on the eastern branch of the same railroad. There may be a safety aspect here as well, as buses stopping on a super-2 could be dangerous.

[vdeane]

You're right in terms of "no maintenance" being too strong. They're maintained enough that they could be used if needed, but they aren't, at least beyond the county line. The only potential user would be Xerox, whose Webster plant is much less than what it once was.

The FRA grade crossing inventory claims one train per week for the Salt Road crossing with the train count data from last year.