Created May 15, 2007

 

Total Accidents:   10
Crossing DOT #:  079487H
TOTAL DAILY TRAINS:   171   (AS OF 2008)

 

These photos come from chicagorailfan@yahoo.com.

 

1

800x533    98.1 KB

2

800x533    101 KB

3

800x533    83.3 KB

Facing West.

Facing East.
The North Cantilever.

 

Picture 3 shows one of the 12"x20" signals, with a General Signals electronic bell on top. They made the mistake of posting the rear lights on the gate unfortunately.

 

The FRA says that this crossing gets activated 171 times, but they forgot something important!

 

The FRA says the crossing gets 112 Amtrak trains, and 59 BNSF trains. They forgot Metra though...


Metra goes by 97 times per day, which makes the total train count 268.

 

4

800x533    69.7 KB

5

800x533    44.4 KB

6

800x533    85.7 KB

7

800x533    104 KB
Here's a very rare triangle pedestrian gate, with one WCH L.E.D gate light.
An BNSF crosses, with a warbonnet in tow!

8

800x533    70.1 KB

9

800x533    98.8 KB

10

800x533    77.9 KB

11

800x533    105 KB

All 12"x20" lights are incandescent, which surprises me. With how often these signals are active, these incandescents would burn out way too quickly. They should be replaced with either clear L.E.D. or ball L.E.D. lights. All gates though have WCH L.E.D. lights.

 

The triangle pedestrian gate is posted on a WCH gate, which is very unusual.

 

The signal in picture 8 doesn't have a bell. The crossing overall only has one bell.

12

800x533    179 KB

13

800x533    168 KB

14

800x533    119 KB

15

800x533    128 KB
Here's what a Metra train looks like.
A case for something...
An electric switch track.
Appears to be related to an electric switch machine, possibly hyudraulic.

16

800x533    148 KB

17

800x533    81.7 KB

18

800x533    105 KB

19

800x533    73.1 KB
An underground wire junction box with the Safetran logo.

A cooling fan for a relay case. Never saw anything like this...

Another track view including the BNSF relay case facing East.
Another look at the pedestrian gate.

20

533x800    113 KB

21

800x533    87.6 KB

22

800x533    80.8 KB

23

800x533    106 KB
Another picture of the rare triangle pedestrian gate.
BNSF uses remote controlled locomotives on this trackage.
Another look at one of the cantilevers.
A bread truck crossing the tracks.

 

You can see another pair of 12"x20" lights underneath the main mast lights. Quite an unusual setup there...

 

24

800x533    170 KB

25

800x533    165 KB

26

800x533    111 KB

27

800x533    70.6 KB
Some Metra passenger cars.
Another Metra train, with a different paint scheme.
This gate is an US&S model 95.

28

800x533    88.6 KB

29

800x533    94.1 KB

30

800x533    86.4 KB

31

800x533    84.2 KB
Another look at one of the signals facing East again.
This schedule gives all of the times that Metra trains arrive.

 

Note: This crossing is right next to a Metra station. People get on and off the trains right near the crossing here.

 

32

800x533    102 KB
A side view of the cantilever witht he GS bell on it. You can barely see the weird side lights underneath the front mast lights.

 

Train sightings are very weird and unusual here...

 

On weekdays, you can expect to see about 2 BNSF trains per hour, and passenger train sightings are very common.

On weekends, you can expect to see about 3 BNSF trains per hour, and passenger trains are not as common.

 

This crossing is listed as a quiet zone, and I can see why. People around here don't need to hear over 250 train horns per day!