Weekend Update 7/27/14

[up1950s]

[wcfn100]

Probably turned vertical to make room for the small electric sign on the right which I think is there to tell you two trains are coming.

Here's a video of the crossing.

Jump to :55 to see it working.

Jason

[MichaelWinicki]

What happened to simply stopping, looking and listening?  I know this is a pedestrian crossing.


Yeah, I know that was before everyone had their face stuck to their phones in some manor. 

[nickelplate759]

The idea is to make pedestrians face any oncoming train as they walk.  The theory is that if the face the train they're more likely to notice it and stop.    Working assumption is that they won't hear the train because they are playing music on headphones, and won't notice anything off to their side because they are also texting.

George.

[up1950s]

The idea is to make pedestrians face any oncoming train as they walk.  The theory is that if the face the train they're more likely to notice it and stop.    Working assumption is that they won't hear the train because they are playing music on headphones, and won't notice anything off to their side because they are also texting.

George.

Aha , now I understand why , thanks . But aren't the gates supposed to keep the citizens out of the nomans-zone when there is a train commin' ?

[DKS]

The safest grade crossing in the US:

Not only is it equipped with LED flashers, gates and an electronic bell, but also is protected by trees on one side and stone pilings and K-rail barriers on the other.

[POVC]

The safest grade crossing in the US:

Does it count as a grade crossing if you can't actually cross?   

[nkalanaga]

I think part of the zig-zag design is to make it almost impossible for a motor vehicle to use the crossing.  If it was straight some idiot would try to drive across, even with the fences, and probably get stuck.  This way even most idiots can see that it's NOT a street.

Given that it's an extension of a street, putting the signals in the center of the "road" would be a further deterrent, although even then someone will probably try...

POVC:  There's a crossing similar to that in West Virginia, near Poca.  All it has is lights, but still, there's no crossing.  Oddly, a little ways further, and within sight of it, is a nice paved crossing.  All it has is a crossbuck, although it serves a small industrial area, and sees truck traffic.  Why they don't move the electric signals I don't know.  It couldn't be that expensive or difficult.

[tehachapifan]

The idea is to make pedestrians face any oncoming train as they walk.  The theory is that if the face the train they're more likely to notice it and stop.    Working assumption is that they won't hear the train because they are playing music on headphones, and won't notice anything off to their side because they are also texting.

George.

Huh?? What if the train was coming from the other direction?

[Chris333]

Besides my Nn3 I got sucked into HOn30 with a new Minitrains locomotive. I etched some new parts for it including new outside frames. You can see just how boring the other original side is:


And I made a new tender for it

[nickelplate759]

Huh?? What if the train was coming from the other direction?

If you look at the path that this forces the pedestrian to take, first (before they start to cross) they must face an oncoming train on the near track, then the diagonal crossing path makes them face an oncoming train on the far track.     

What puzzles me is the fact that there are also gates - so you can't just walk across the tracks no matter what.   I wonder if the gates were added after the crossing was originally built?

[ednadolski]

Nice work Chris! 

Ed

[PaulP]

Testing some pole loads and pipe loads on the layout.

Paul

[unittrain]

Testing some pole loads and pipe loads on the layout.

Paul

Awesome layout!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

First thought... This over engineered crossing would be great on high speed trains. We lose people all the time trying to cross before an acela. Kinda lost on light rail though.

Second thought... That crossing in the middle on nowhere... Is it for snow mobiles by chance? It reminds me of several snow mobile crossings in NH