For anyone watching from outside the US, our trains are mostly freight and mostly diesel because when the great American railroads were built, the middle of the US was too sparsely populated for economies of scale to justify large scale passenger rail. Just imagine these freight trains traveling from Paris to Prague, from Berlin to St. Petersburg, or even Lisbon to Moscow on a regular basis, that's what cross country rail travel across the US is like. It's simply not economically viable to make high speed rail that travels those distances, especially since you'll need a car when you get to your destination anyway. Traveling from one US state to another (and all the states in between) can take 2-4 days by land.
For Anyone Watching From The Us Our Trains Are Mostly Freight And Diesel Because When The Great American Railroads Were Built The Middle Of The Us Was Too Sparsely Populated For Economies Of Scale To Justify Large Scale Passenger Rail. Just Imagine These Freight Trains Traveling From Paris To Prague From Berlin To St. Petersburg Or Even Lisbon To Moscow On a Regular Basis That's What Cross Country Rail Travel Across The Us Is Like It's Simply Not Economically Viable To Make High Speed Rail That Travels Those Distances Especially Since You'll Need a Car When You Get To Your Destination Anyway. Traveling From One Us State To Another And All The States In Between Can Take 2-4 Days By Land.
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan it is very embarrassing of course. The state with the 2nd highest population has few Amtrak trains and more freight trains. And frankly, I only saw one train station in Houston that actually has an Amtrak station. Just one.
4:45 - WE HAVE A GATE FAILURE…good thing it’s an exit gate and not a main one. 10:59 - Think you’ve seen an overkill railroad crossing setup? THINK AGAIN. This beast has: -A cantilever with FIVE SETS OF LIGHTS -A cantilever with three sets of lights -SIX GATES -OVER 9000 traffic lights -An LED No Right Turn sign -A caution sign with super bright red flashers to alert pedestrians -At least eight crossbucks, if not more Basically, pure signaling INSANITY.
4 months lateish lol the crossing at 4:45 is called a double crossing, and they are programmed to operate like this. So when a train passes on the close track, the gate that is still up remains raised so any vehicles in the middle can get off the crossing area, and the furthest gate lowers to stop vehicles from queuing across the far track, just incase a second train comes. All this vise verser for a train on the far track. This guy uploaded a video explanation on it as well: th-cam.com/video/e4Jc5q2Y_XA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=wTGI1B0ieYQbEQcu Enjoy
If the one at 4:45 is anything like Wyandot Michigan, then the gates on the outside will always go down but the inside gates will only activate if the train is on that track.
11:16 REALLY RARE MOMENT! this safetran archbase and 3 light one sided 5 light followed by a WCH electronic bell which usually goes to the smaller crossings out there
Nice compilation! Nice to see Cottage St making an appearance in this video. STILL a shame the wch mechanical got replaced. Can't wait for the next compilation especially with Galvin Rd.
I know it'd probably be a lot of work but it'd be great if you could put where each of these crossings are located. I live in Austin and would love to see the references :)
At 9:41. That is the worst crossing design I have ever seen. There’s an abundance of lights but no gates. Then, the light on the road facing the crossing is not timed correctly, and turned green to let traffic through while there was a train coming. It’s a good thing the train moved very slowly, below 10mph, but even still, to have them be so close, and even stopped on the tracks, is extremely dangerous. No matter how infrequent the service to the area is.
I agree that in this case the traffic signal should not initiate a clearance phase. Instead, the signal should stay red, or there should be a second set of lights to hold cars waiting behind the tracks while the other set clears the cars. Plus, adding gates here really is not feasible due to the small distance between the track and the cross street. Plus, the entire road would need to be reconfigured to have gated signals in the median since most gate arms can't reach far enough to cover three lanes of traffic.
As much as I would love to, I unfortunately can't unless I travel to Pennsylvania again (very unlikely in the near future.) Got two more Pennsylvania videos coming at some point though.
3:36 that crossing looks so smooth with the sidewalk
Indeed, it was constructed pretty nicely.
For anyone watching from outside the US, our trains are mostly freight and mostly diesel because when the great American railroads were built, the middle of the US was too sparsely populated for economies of scale to justify large scale passenger rail. Just imagine these freight trains traveling from Paris to Prague, from Berlin to St. Petersburg, or even Lisbon to Moscow on a regular basis, that's what cross country rail travel across the US is like. It's simply not economically viable to make high speed rail that travels those distances, especially since you'll need a car when you get to your destination anyway. Traveling from one US state to another (and all the states in between) can take 2-4 days by land.
For Anyone Watching From The Us
Our Trains Are Mostly Freight
And Diesel Because When The Great
American Railroads Were Built
The Middle Of The Us Was Too Sparsely
Populated For Economies Of Scale To Justify
Large Scale Passenger Rail.
Just Imagine These Freight Trains
Traveling From Paris To Prague From Berlin To St.
Petersburg Or Even Lisbon To Moscow
On a Regular Basis That's What Cross Country
Rail Travel Across The Us Is
Like It's Simply Not Economically Viable
To Make High Speed Rail That Travels Those Distances
Especially Since You'll
Need a Car When You Get To Your Destination Anyway.
Traveling From One Us State To Another And All The States In
Between Can Take 2-4 Days By Land.
And Canada.
16:22 All Units, we have a driver that went around Railroad crossing gates.
Texan railroad crossings are great! However, I would like to see more Amtrak trains in Harris County......
It's honestly embarrassing how few Amtrak trains run here in Texas.
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan it is very embarrassing of course. The state with the 2nd highest population has few Amtrak trains and more freight trains. And frankly, I only saw one train station in Houston that actually has an Amtrak station. Just one.
4:24:If that road was paved,it would have been so easy to put a median in the road
4:45 - WE HAVE A GATE FAILURE…good thing it’s an exit gate and not a main one.
10:59 - Think you’ve seen an overkill railroad crossing setup? THINK AGAIN. This beast has:
-A cantilever with FIVE SETS OF LIGHTS
-A cantilever with three sets of lights
-SIX GATES
-OVER 9000 traffic lights
-An LED No Right Turn sign
-A caution sign with super bright red flashers to alert pedestrians
-At least eight crossbucks, if not more
Basically, pure signaling INSANITY.
4 months lateish lol
the crossing at 4:45 is called a double crossing, and they are programmed to operate like this. So when a train passes on the close track, the gate that is still up remains raised so any vehicles in the middle can get off the crossing area, and the furthest gate lowers to stop vehicles from queuing across the far track, just incase a second train comes. All this vise verser for a train on the far track.
This guy uploaded a video explanation on it as well: th-cam.com/video/e4Jc5q2Y_XA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=wTGI1B0ieYQbEQcu
Enjoy
9:02 idk
If the one at 4:45 is anything like Wyandot Michigan, then the gates on the outside will always go down but the inside gates will only activate if the train is on that track.
5:08 was a happy driver
Great video with music and all. Even the bells sound musical
A whole lotta mechanical bells still approximately a mere half-decade ago. Simpler times.
For sure. About half of the ones in this video are now gone.
In the Chicago area where I grew up it was incredibly rare to see a passenger train at street level.
Nice compilation of crossings.
People drive onto the rails when the railroad crossing is still flashing? This is America.
Like the large crossing
4:44. One of the crossing gates forgot to go down.
No it didn't, there was no train on that track. The crossing is set up the gate that's guarding the occupied track lowers.
@@LakeStateRailfan ok. Makes sense now. Thanks for explaining.
Nice video also can you do more F.E.C.R. Videos (Florida east coast Railway) :)
I will film more railroad crossings on the FEC when I go to Florida again. :) Don't know when that will be, though.
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan okay thank you!
@@Poli1348 Hola buenas tardes me interesa la noche y me interesa o la semana que hace que haces en la semana que haces por que no se me hace fácil
Great compilation! Those are some very nice crossings.
Thanks! They sure are.
IC#-SHARP LEFT IC 😂😂
11:16 REALLY RARE MOMENT!
this safetran archbase and 3 light one sided 5 light followed by a WCH electronic bell which usually goes to the smaller crossings out there
Great crossing in this video
Thank you! I agree.
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan your welcome
Great catches, and love the signals
IC#-SHARP LEFT IC 😂
Nice compilation! Nice to see Cottage St making an appearance in this video. STILL a shame the wch mechanical got replaced. Can't wait for the next compilation especially with Galvin Rd.
Thanks! Galvin Road will most likely be in the next compilation!
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan alright! Can't wait for that one to come out. Lol
Early to mid-January is when it will likely come out.
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan nice
Some if these crossings don't have gates which can be fatal
Only if people ignore the pre-existing lights. Gates are just a mental barrier in most cases.
0:46 IS THAT A HERITAGE UNIT!?
Yes.
Oh Shit
IS THAT A FOAME-
Can do a video on all Crossings from Council Bluffs to Ogden?
I know it'd probably be a lot of work but it'd be great if you could put where each of these crossings are located. I live in Austin and would love to see the references :)
Thank you! I suppose I could
Is the 1st one in old orchard beach Maine?
3:14 those were some high mass lights on the other side
Indeed. Wonder why they mounted them so high.
Car at 14:23 did a three point turn to avoid it😂😂
If you look closely, a silver pickup truck did further back as well 😂
I love the signals
I love ❤️ the first 🛎 bell
10:10 is this crossing on the same line that has the RSI?
Looks like there was a malfunction with a crossing arm not wanting to lower and block the road on the other side.
No it didn't, there was no train on that track. The crossing is set up the gate that's guarding the occupied track lowers.
The GS type 1 e bell sounds so brand new 5:51
That crossing was at 12 ave in Minneapolis mn
11:00 where is that crossing located?
Minneapolis Minnesota, by the Mall of America.
9:16 THATS THE FASTEST RAILROAD CROSSING BELL EVER! WOAH!
PS. What Is that mechanical bell too?
That is a RACO mechanical bell. This bell is even faster (video not by me) th-cam.com/video/8L-uPvFE7-w/w-d-xo.html
Good show patriot engineer God Bless you and stay blessed sir thank you
4:25 the best one I have ever seen.
The 6th bell is in the video for mechanical and electronic bells
3:36 Where is this crossing located?
That first train looked like an Amtrak Downeaster Consist
It was!
Oh neat
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan where did you film it
8:23 what is that E bell? i've never heard it before!
Siemens electronic bell set to high tone.
Ive herd that bell before
@@TheCentralTexasRailfan what road was it on
Great video!
Thank you!
What is the name of the music at the beginning of the video?
9:52 whag kind of train is that?
At 9:41. That is the worst crossing design I have ever seen. There’s an abundance of lights but no gates. Then, the light on the road facing the crossing is not timed correctly, and turned green to let traffic through while there was a train coming. It’s a good thing the train moved very slowly, below 10mph, but even still, to have them be so close, and even stopped on the tracks, is extremely dangerous. No matter how infrequent the service to the area is.
I agree that in this case the traffic signal should not initiate a clearance phase. Instead, the signal should stay red, or there should be a second set of lights to hold cars waiting behind the tracks while the other set clears the cars. Plus, adding gates here really is not feasible due to the small distance between the track and the cross street. Plus, the entire road would need to be reconfigured to have gated signals in the median since most gate arms can't reach far enough to cover three lanes of traffic.
No gates isn’t very rare unless it’s near a populated city
Nice 🚦🚦🚦
0:12, where was that semaphore at?
New Mexico. it's since been replaced
I like BNSF trains
9:50 damn that intersection is not interconnected!
Welcome to the Rio Grande Valley. Many things don't work properly transportation-wise there.
I like onion/union pacific
I like amtrak trains
5:28 this crossing is a mix with 2 siganls old and 2 more being much newer p
This is a large crossing with 2 light 8:29
wait brightline runs through texas or only florida
10:59 is my favorite.
Yeah the crossing is large
Located in Minneapolis near Mall of America
4:23 2 Tracks
11:22 it's creepy💀
It's definitely a gloomy feeling.
5:06 why was the gate not down
No need for it to lower since there was no train approaching on that track.
Can you do landsdowne ave it's at landsdowne pa landsdowne ave / Garrett rd
As much as I would love to, I unfortunately can't unless I travel to Pennsylvania again (very unlikely in the near future.)
Got two more Pennsylvania videos coming at some point though.
11:00 is my favorite one
Whats the crossing at 4:25?
Can't remember the road name but it's just west of Salt Lake City, Utah.
On 4:25 where is that place?
S 7200 W, just west of Salt Lake City, Utah.
@@TheCentralTexasRailfanI don't understand
Salt Lake City numbers their streets. 7200 W is 72 city blocks west of downtown Salt Lake City.
When you said i don’t understand i said lol
The onion/union pacific is so good
22:30 - No gates?
17:38 bro that is Los Angeles, CA
LA
Street names
Bruh😂:)
10:58
Team amtrak
Hi
Hello!
the sound and video corrupted
Must be on your end, I've never had an issue with this video.
🚂🚃
Zzzzzzz