MP:  83.56

 

Updated October 8, 2010

 

Total Accidents:   1

Crossing DOT #:  069801M
TOTAL DAILY TRAINS:   35   (AS OF 2008)

 

The first 33 pictures were taken by chicagorailfan@yahoo.com.

 

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An interesting sign.

Both signals have 12"x20" old WCH lights, and one mechanical bell that's on top of the signal in picture 2.

 

This crossing is next to a railroad park meant for railfans. Rochelle wants to get rid of it. They are always looking for excuses to abandon it, which is a really dumb idea.

 

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Closeups including the WCH name.

Note a small patch over the lights in picture 4.

Facing East.
Facing West.

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The wooden grade is in good shape.
Just to show you how big the gap between the end of the board and the track was.
A Federal Signals part.
This is an extremely rare and very very old pedestrian gate

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Another view.
The other signal with the bell.
Another view of the wooden grade.
A very low look at the tracks facing East.

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An old WRRS gate motor.

Looking east at a private road.

The bell belongs to WCH.
Another look at one of the pedestrian gates.

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Looking West from the private road.
The other bell-less signal.
An overview of the crossing. You can also see the UP crossing in the distance.

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The rules of Rochelle.
The crossbuck is put on the wrong way!

 

Pictures 1-25 were taken on August 10, 2007.

 

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The UP crossing is in action in the background.
Snowy searchlight signals.
The lights are flashing, but it's hard to see, since the pictures were taken so close.

 

Believe it or not, picture 26 was taken from a cell phone!

 

A weird story exists for picture 27: A BNSF stack train had full clearence and all greens to Flag Center. Another horn sounded and was thought to be another train. It was only an echo. Looking back, the signal changes from green to red! The train is then put into Emergency. As soon as the train passed, it changed back to a green, but the engineers were to close to see that. The train was in emergency for a good 10 minutes. It didn't stop over the diamond, but because it was stopped past the signal, the UP mainfest could not pass. BNSF crews thought the crews had gone loco, since BNSF didn't really believe them!

 

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A snowy view of one of the gates.
A view of the other signal in action.

 

Pictures 26-33 were taken on December 28, 2007.

This last part written by: Tommy McGowan.

 

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Facing south at new signals.
Looking north.

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The new southern signal.
You can see the old base.
US&S model 95 gate.
US&S 12"x24" frames with Safetran ball LEDs.

 

Both signals have a Safetran type 3 e-bell. BNSF has installed these new signals on nearly every crossing on BNSF in Rochelle.

 

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The new northern signal.
Note new sidelights for the private road.
US&S signal and my shadow.
US&S model 95 gate.

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The old northern signal base.
Even the rare ped gates were forced to say good bye.

 

But don't count your tears yet...

 

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The old northern signal lays on its side here as BNSF donated it to the park!
The old WCH 12"x20" lights.

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The old WRRS gate.
The old WCH bell.
Another view of the old signal.

 

Pictures 34-52 taken by Tommy McGowan on May 26, 2008.

 

CLICK THE ICON TO THE LEFT TO HEAR THE CROSSING IN ACTION.
(RECORDED BY TOMMY MCGOWAN ON NOVEMBER 11, 2007)

TOTAL TIME:

1:08

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On September 18, 2010, A.J. Gonfiantini came out to the crossing, showing no changes to the signals.

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Active shots!