Page written by: WEHRAR17.

This crossing is on the UP/Metra Northwest line that parallels US Highway 14 northwest out of Chicago. The picture is facing southwest. It was taken from the car as we passed by on US 14 during a weekend trip to Chicago for a wedding in the family.

This crossing was the location of one of the most infamous grade crossing accidents in modern US history. Comparing the picture above to the aerial photograph in the NTSB report linked in the accident page above, it looks like the signals haven't changed much since then (the main contributing factor to the accident was poorly timed interconnection with the traffic signals at the intersection with US 14). There is still one cantilever and gate on the south side of the crossing, and a gated mast signal on the north side. The lights are 12" x 24", and there is one mechanical bell (Safetran, Griswold or RACO type) on the cantilever. One difference of note is that there are now traffic signals south of the crossing (including one on the cantilever itself) so that traffic will stop at the light before crossing the tracks.

It's not known for sure, but I'm guessing the lights are L.E.D. now, and were incandescent at the time of the accident.

The picture was taken on July 14, 2007.