I found this on Google Street View while looking up info on a nearby railroad station.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg72.imageshack.us%2Fimg72%2F3145%2Fcenteraverrxingabington.th.jpg&hash=36d0535d9d652bb2cdc62bc925103fab9bfb1797) (http://img72.imageshack.us/i/centeraverrxingabington.jpg/)
What does that supplement sign beneath the Railroad Crossing Warning sign say?
CAUTION/ACTIVE RAILROAD CROSSING.
in case someone thinks all those bells and whistles are for display purposes only.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 04, 2010, 08:54:18 PM
CAUTION/ACTIVE RAILROAD CROSSING.
in case someone thinks all those bells and whistles are for display purposes only.
I think it's usually used on a rail line that has been dormant for many years and is now active to warn people that may have gotten complacent. "I've never seen a train here in ....." {crunch}
Quote from: mightyace on May 04, 2010, 09:04:47 PM
"I've never seen a train here in ....." {crunch}
"that's an interesting new warning sign... hmm, caution, active train crossing... never seen one like it... wonder what they mean by that..." {crunch}
"Did I just hear a train whistle? Nah, must be my imagination. Wait a sec, are those lights flashing???...." {crunch}
Considering that the crossing itself seems to already have the full kaboodle of bells, lights, and gates, looks like a bit of overkill to me. Unless, there's a history of the the gates and lights malfunctioning.
Anthony
"A train here? Naah, there couldn't be. Back in forty two I used to walk this-a-ways, uphill in the snow without no train, to get myself some bread, and boy did Wonder make a good product. Only sold it for a nickel too. Back in them days, I tell ya, that's how a company used to conduct its business. You made the best product and sold it for a fair price. These days, you got all these plastic Made in China..." {crunch}
This is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail line that started running in 1997 - there had been no active use of the rail line since 1959. So I'm sure people had gotten used to driving through the crossing without stopping.
On a related note, here is a picture of another warning sign before a crossing:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hingham,+MA&sll=34.052261,-84.613292&sspn=0.009654,0.021136&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Hingham,+Plymouth,+Massachusetts&ll=42.221232,-70.926468&spn=0.002157,0.005284&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=42.221323,-70.926475&panoid=iQd7_oGviiuyAQ9WEy9HNg&cbp=12,192.18,,0,6.51 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hingham,+MA&sll=34.052261,-84.613292&sspn=0.009654,0.021136&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Hingham,+Plymouth,+Massachusetts&ll=42.221232,-70.926468&spn=0.002157,0.005284&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=42.221323,-70.926475&panoid=iQd7_oGviiuyAQ9WEy9HNg&cbp=12,192.18,,0,6.51)
If you can't make out the sign, it reads "NO TRAIN HORN"
This particular commuter rail line started running in 2007 after a lot of controversy - part of the agreement to run the trains through some of the residential neighborhoods was that the trains would not sound their traditional warning horns at each level crossing.
it looks like there are lights and a gate that lowers, so the horn isn't necessary, is it?
I thought the horn was only needed for one of those crossings with just a stop sign (or, worse, just a yield!)
Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 18, 2010, 10:53:19 PM
it looks like there are lights and a gate that lowers, so the horn isn't necessary, is it?
I thought the horn was only needed for one of those crossings with just a stop sign (or, worse, just a yield!)
The horn is needed for any public crossing in the US unless otherwise specified. Crossing lights and gates can malfunction and the engineer may not become aware of such a malfunction until he is really close to the crossing.