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Railroad crossings tied in with Traffic lights.

Started by Amtrakprod, February 09, 2019, 08:18:32 AM

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Amtrakprod

Thought this would be a cool place to share many railroad crossings with traffic lights, here's one in St Marys WV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgQA_fySJ74
Roadgeek, railfan, and crossing signal fan. From Massachusetts, and in high school. Youtube is my website link. Loves FYAs signals. Interest in Bicycle Infrastructure. Owns one Leotech Pedestrian Signal, and a Safetran Type 1 E bell.



US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Flint1979


US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

DaBigE

Madison WI:  University Ave/Campus Dr/Babcock Dr.
Since Babcock Dr is one way going away from the intersection (for motor vehicles), it's really a more complex signalized mid-block crossing/bike path intersection. Until the early 2000s, it was only controlled by traffic signals. The railroad signals were added ~15 years ago. It's been a while since I saw a train go through there, but the overhead traffic lights would wig-wag red (normal red ball on the far left, and there's another red ball on the far right side of the signal).
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

Flint1979

Quote from: US71 on February 09, 2019, 11:52:26 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on February 09, 2019, 11:31:42 AM
Right here in Auburn Hills, MI at Joslyn and Brown Roads just off I-75. The same tracks cross Joslyn two more times north of here.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7072075,-83.2851637,3a,75y,337.84h,94.41t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s21mF6eMet3CTmXXVssMZPQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

That's an interesting set-up.
I think I've had to stop for a train once there in all the time I've been driving and if I remember correctly the traffic lights flash red when the signals are activated.

Flint1979

Here's another intersection in Michigan. It's in Saginaw and isn't too complex. The train tracks cross Michigan, Fraser and Vermont on an angle and when there is a train present the traffic lights flash red in all directions.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4073187,-83.9768756,3a,75y,32.82h,89.71t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1s-qQZ9N8Ffwu5FvH1J9sSyQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D-qQZ9N8Ffwu5FvH1J9sSyQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D182.70222%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100

This one isn't at an intersection with a traffic light but I've had to wait for a train at this crossing before and the degree of the angle the tracks travel at compared to the street make the train pretty much right on top of you as you are waiting for the train to go through.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.408086,-83.9730268,3a,75y,26.88h,83.39t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1seujtynPm0Qp9Tqjcocto4w!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DeujtynPm0Qp9Tqjcocto4w%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D94.35492%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100

These two views are about two blocks apart.

Eth

This setup, part of what is effectively a 7-legged intersection with a set of railroad tracks and a pedestrian/bike path in the middle, has been known to be a local source of frustration and the city is currently looking at several alternatives to rework the whole thing.

ErmineNotyours

Beaverton, Oregon put a new rail line through town so commuter rail could serve a MAX station, and incorporates railroad signals into the normal traffic light mast.  I thought I took a picture of this, but I can't find it.

MikieTimT

#10
There's a few of them along Gregg St. in Fayetteville, AR since the AR-MO RR runs right next to it.  They use the same signals to prohibit turns (No Left/Right Turn) that the University of Arkansas uses at the main intersection on campus to prohibit right turns on red for certain crosswalk states.  Too bad the very next crosswalk to the north of that intersection on campus claimed a life this past week because of a teen with a phone at the wheel.

https://goo.gl/maps/Gk5w4uhYREx
https://goo.gl/maps/mUSsFLYhqv62
https://goo.gl/maps/HtaBmR82JV22

Amtrakprod

Roadgeek, railfan, and crossing signal fan. From Massachusetts, and in high school. Youtube is my website link. Loves FYAs signals. Interest in Bicycle Infrastructure. Owns one Leotech Pedestrian Signal, and a Safetran Type 1 E bell.

ErmineNotyours

The signals in Renton, Washington also go into four way flashing mode when a train goes by, here right before it goes into street running.  Several cars accelerated to run the yellow light, but other drivers didn't know what to do on a flashing yellow.  The train is returning a frame that carried a 737 fuselage to a nearby Boeing factory.  This is from 2007, before widespread LED installations.

https://youtu.be/pUyuZOIpMdM

DaBigE

A few more from Madison:
Along the John Nolen corridor
US 151 @ Williamson St; very few railroad signals...mostly gates
US 151 @ Broom St; a "Green-T" intersection layout
John Nolen at Olin Ave; the shallow angle makes for some widely-spread signals

Along the Campus Dr/University Ave corridor
Highland Ave
University Ave @ Ridge; 3/4 access intersection
Whitney Way @ Old Middleton; the massive "stop gates" were replaced with conventional railroad signals in 2017


State St @ N 68th St, Wauwatosa; Amtrak line
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

DaBigE

Quote from: ErmineNotyours on February 09, 2019, 05:04:12 PM
The signals in Renton, Washington also go into four way flashing mode when a train goes by, here right before it goes into street running.  Several cars accelerated to run the yellow light, but other drivers didn't know what to do on a flashing yellow.  The train is returning a frame that carried a 737 fuselage to a nearby Boeing factory.  This is from 2007, before widespread LED installations.

https://youtu.be/pUyuZOIpMdM
Yikes...that horn...sounds like a sick donkey :-o  Hopefully it's just the microphone.
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

ErmineNotyours


jakeroot

Quote from: ErmineNotyours on February 09, 2019, 05:04:12 PM
The signals in Renton, Washington also go into four way flashing mode when a train goes by, here right before it goes into street running.  Several cars accelerated to run the yellow light, but other drivers didn't know what to do on a flashing yellow.  The train is returning a frame that carried a 737 fuselage to a nearby Boeing factory.  This is from 2007, before widespread LED installations.

https://youtu.be/pUyuZOIpMdM

Awesome clip Arthur. Thanks for sharing. Not sure I've seen a railroad signal operate like that in WA before. I can think of a ton of railroad-actuated signals all over Western Washington, but none that enter any sort of flash mode.

Two questions: Do trains still run down Houser? And if so, does that signal still enter flashing mode? Not sure where that rail line once went, or rather, if it changed following the construction of the Renton Landing development.

roadman65

#17
https://goo.gl/maps/SwgqH1GnLcp
Polk Street in Downtown Tampa has the CSX Line to Port Tampa running right down the center of the street.  All signals regulate cross traffic when a train comes.
https://goo.gl/maps/1JrtFL7KZLM2
The second photo shows the RR signal on the side pole as even with the red signal, flashers still are present.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Revive 755


JREwing78

Two in Janesville, WI to share:

US-14 (Humes Rd) @ Kennedy Rd:
https://goo.gl/maps/jBjkB5J2QN82

The infamous Five Points intersection - US-51 (Center Ave, Centerway) @ W. Court St & W. Milwaukee St:
https://goo.gl/maps/f6HNDJuGzoP2

Rick1962

Britton Rd. & Western Ave. in Oklahoma City.

SM-T580


US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

ErmineNotyours

For some reason, the Arbutus Rail Line crossing at Broadway in Vancouver BC was controlled by traffic lights instead of railroad crossing lights.  It's a trail now with a crosswalk signal.

ErmineNotyours

Quote from: jakeroot on February 09, 2019, 09:43:55 PM


Awesome clip Arthur. Thanks for sharing. Not sure I've seen a railroad signal operate like that in WA before. I can think of a ton of railroad-actuated signals all over Western Washington, but none that enter any sort of flash mode.

Two questions: Do trains still run down Houser? And if so, does that signal still enter flashing mode? Not sure where that rail line once went, or rather, if it changed following the construction of the Renton Landing development.

Trains still run down Houser, now serving just the Boeing factory.  It used to go to Woodinville, and Sumas, to interchange with Canadian railroads.  (Actually, before the Burlington Northern merger, this line connected with the Milwaukee Road line to Snoqualmie pass, or just went to an interchange yard near the future Gene Coluon Park.)  These lights still flash, although others have more logical modes.  The light at North 3rd and Sunset Blvd N. used to go into red four way flash mode, leading to chaos, especially as traffic backed by the train.  Now Sunset is green the whole time a train goes by, leaving me as a pedestrian stranded on the other side wanting to cross for a closer look.

ErmineNotyours

Quote from: jakeroot on February 09, 2019, 09:43:55 PM

Awesome clip Arthur. Thanks for sharing. Not sure I've seen a railroad signal operate like that in WA before. I can think of a ton of railroad-actuated signals all over Western Washington, but none that enter any sort of flash mode.

Two questions: Do trains still run down Houser? And if so, does that signal still enter flashing mode? Not sure where that rail line once went, or rather, if it changed following the construction of the Renton Landing development.

You can get a glimpse at how the lights still operate on this newer video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8svKXQ2eaM



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