This crossing is about 8 miles south of Wickenburg. This crossing is partly new, but there used to be one here before it. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, this crossing was located about 300 feet south of its present location. The old crossing used to be controled only by crossbucks that had a 2-track sign attached. During 1994-2001, the crossing went a transformation. Gates Rd. moved about 650 feet north. The south crossing was closed, and the north crossing got a pair of brand new signals.

 

Note: The old milepost number for the older crossbuck crossing was 150.46, just 0.13 miles away from where this newer crossing is now.

 

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Views of the crossing. Notice the weird placement of the lettering of "Crossing". It is almost like you should say "Cross Sing".

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The only crossing I've seen in Arizona with non-electronic bells on both signals! Notice that in picture 5 that the crossbuck is set a little lower than the other signal. Both bells are WCH mechanical bells.

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Another total view of the crossing.

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Pictures 8 and 9 show the old road before it was moved. Picture 10 shows a speed limit 30 sign heading in the direction of Wickenburg. I wonder why the limit is so slow over here???

 

3/7/2003 Update:


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Pictures 14-18 were taken on May 12, 2002. Nothing has changed here at the crossing since my last visit.

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Here are some better views of the tracks since my last visit. Picture 19 is facing north. Picture 20 is facing south.

 

8/20/2005 Update:

 

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After leaving Apache Dr. in Wickenburg on August 8, 2005, I beat the train here by almost 10 minutes. The signals started up, but all was not well with this crossing. The left light on the signal in picture 23 was burned out...

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...as well as the right light of picture 24 on the other signal. The thing is that the lights that did light up were together, so the ones that were burned out, were together too. I went up to the rear of the signal in pictures 24 and 25 just to see if it was coincidence, or a serious problem in the wiring, and both rear lights were working properly, so it was just a very weird bit of coincidence.

The old mechanical bells have been replaced by General Signals Type 2 electronic bells, and they shut off when the gates have fully raised to their upward position.

 

3/21/2006 Update:

 

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I found this train in Wickenburg, but couldn't get to it in time, so I raced out here. I wondered if the lights were fixed, when I was last here on 8/20/2005. They were fixed, but now the left light on the front signal is now burned out! The rear signal works just fine though. This crossing could benefit from an L.E.D. upgrade seeing how many lights burn out. The train takes about 2 minutes to cross.