Updated November 20, 2007
Total Accidents: 10
Crossing DOT #s: 174973G, 260541T
TOTAL
COMBINED DAILY TRAINS: 114 (AS OF 2009)
All photos were taken by chicagorailfan@yahoo.com.
Note: The 28.39 milepost number goes with the 260541T CN/UP crossing. The 30.23 milepost number goes with the 174973G UP/Metra crossing.
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A bunch of signals! |
One of the two crossings activates. You can see an unknown red L.E.D. light lit up in picture 3. |
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Note in picture 1 that the left 12"x20" signal doesn't have a bell on top.
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The UP train crosses in front of a Safetran 12"x24" signal. |
A letter "B". Each signal has one ranging from A to H. |
A pedestrian gate for a driveway with an Associated Signal electronic bell! |
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CLICK THE ICON TO THE LEFT TO HEAR THE ASC ELECTRONIC BELL IN ACTION. (RECORDED AUGUST 2, 2007) |
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The 12"x24" signal seen in picture 4 is the only picture of that signal for now. It has a WCH electronic bell on top of it.
Pictures 1-7 were taken on March 17, 2007.
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These two signals belong to the EJ&E railroad. The lights and L.E.D. lights are from Harmon. The gates and the electronic bells are from US&S. Union Pacific also has trackage rights to these tracks, and Union Pacific uses them more than the EJ&E! |
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The gates are US&S too. |
This is from the UP crossing. |
Looking NorthWest down the tracks, and one of the EJ&E signals. |
A UP worker truck SouthEast towards the Wood crossing. |
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This lone signal also protects UP trackage. The lights used to be clear L.E.D. lights but were changed to these red L.E.D. lights. There is no bell on this signal. I think these LED lights are from Safetran, but I not very certain. |
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The UP truck cruises by the UP crossing. |
The only 12"x20" signal is from Harmon with unknown L.E.D. lights. |
One of the gate mechanisms is from WCH. |
The L.E.D. lights seen in pictures 2, 3, and 21 used to be clear L.E.D. lights either from WCH or US&S. They've changed to red L.E.D. lights recently, along with the 12"x24" signal seen in pictures 16-19.
Also, even though this is a double crossing, it doesn't function as one, although traffic does not go in between the crossings when one (or both) are activated.
Pictures 8-22 were taken on March 24, 2007.
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After much delibration, the light is indeed a Safetran 12"x24" light. |
Griswold Signal Company?! |
The rear of the Safetran lights. The gate is from WCH though. |
A wide view of the lone signal. |
Note: I've had a HUGE difference of opinion on my forums about what kind of light picture 23 is. I was right the first time by saying it's a Safetran 12"x24" light. The white screws are similar to that of Harmon lights, but the light IS SAFETRAN!
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UP goes through the crossing, while activated. |
Closeups of the unknown L.E.D. lights. |
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The 12"x20" L.E.D. lights with white L.E.D side lights! |
The train still crosses... |
The WCH signal, non-active. |
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A view of the pedestrian gate at the crossing. |
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Pictures 23-35 are of the UP/Metra crossing.
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A closeup of the Harmon fading L.E.D. light. |
The Westbound signal. |
A small gray box... |
The circuit box that has some controls of the signals. If the train stops at a certain point, it'll turn them on and off.
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A broken umbrella is in between the tracks here... |
Closeups of the Harmon 12"x24" lights. |
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A look at a WCH signal base. |
The only 12"x20" signal are from Harmon with Safetran L.E.D. lights. |
One of the gate mechanisms is from WCH. |
Pictures 36-44 are of the EJ&E/UP crossing.
Pictures 23-44 were taken on May 5, 2007.
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The tracks are being worked on for upcoming grade reconstruction.
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An EJ&E employee cleans the lights on the signal. |
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Another view of the EJ&E/UP signals. |
A clueless railfan asks the EJ&E employee if a train is coming. |
Here's the EJ&E worker that was asked. |
Luckilly, the EJ&E employee was nice, and didn't instruct anyone to leave or stay away.
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We see the newer EJ&E signals in action! |
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After blocking the crossing for more than 7 minutes, the train fully crosses and the gates rise. |
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The US&S electronic bells only sound during activation to gates fully lowering, and again from gates rising to deactivation.
Pictures 45-60 were taken on September 29, 2007.
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Take a good look here. The crossing is closed because the grade is removed, but there's something weird here.
The 12"x20" lights in picture 62 are NOT on, but the gate lights do work! Otherwise, the signals work just fine. The other 2 signals worked normally. |
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The signals activate on the EJ&E/UP crossing, however both US&S electronic bells are turned off. As you can see, this crossing is under construction too, and is closed off to traffic. |
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The UP 12"x20" just doing nothing... |
Old tracks laying by the new tracks. |
A closeup of a gate light, which is L.E.D! |
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Pretty bright L.E.D. light. |
A closeup of the 12"x24" Harmon L.E.D. light. |
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The lights look to have gotten a little dirty... |
Facing towards the UP crossing. |
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After 8 minutes, the train finally crosses, and the gates rise... In picture 90, the lights turn off when the gate is about halfway to 3/4 of the way up. |
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Pictures 61-90 were taken on October 6, 2007.
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The diamond where the EJ&E/UP and UP/Metra tracks intersect. |
The people who live in these houses are blocked in for a whole week, unless they drive on the grass to Wood St. |
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While the crossing was under construction, this bell, along with the WCH electronic bell on the other side of the crossing were still working!
Pictures 91-93 were taken on October 7, 2007.
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On October 27, both crossings are fully opened up, and there are new grades. Cement for the 3 track UP/Metra crossing, and rubber for the EJ&E/UP/CN tracks (Note: CN has trackage rights now). |
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Note the signals in action in picture 94. It was a mistake that UP made. There were no trains in the area. You can see the problem was fixed very quickly by comparing the times shown underneath pictures 94 and 95.
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Another view of the new rubber crossing. |
Another look at the UP/Metra crossing. |
A look at one of the 3 new cement grades at the UP/Metra crossing. |
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| The new ballast and tracks. | Another train goes by... |
The ASC e-bell still goes on. |
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There's still a little work to be done on one of the tracks on the UP/Metra line. |
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Another look at the completed project. |
A train moving at 5 MPH... |
The Harmon 12"x24" lights with the sun glaring on them. |
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More views of the Harmon 12"x24" on the EJ&E/UP/CN crosing. the backgrounds are still dirty, although the L.E.D. lights look cleaned up. |
Another L.E.D. view of the 12"x20" signal at the UP/Metra crossing. |
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Another L.E.D. view of the 12"x20" signal at the UP/Metra crossing. |
Interesting additions here... I wonder what each one of these does, and why they're labeled ONE, TWO, and THREE?
Note that they say they're from Griswold with UP locks! |
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A side view of the EJ&E/UP/CN signals. |
A front view of the 12"x20" UP/Metra signal. |
A train is coming down the EJ&E/UP/CN track! |
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Another quick picture of the 12"x20" UP/Metra signal. |
The EJ&E/UP/CN signals in action again... |
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The US&S electronic bell on the right signal is turned off! The other e-bell one works, and only sounds during activation to gates fully lowering, and again from gates rising to deactivation. Seems as though this was done on purpose. The right bell does work.
Pictures 94-107 were taken on October 27, 2007.
Pictures 108-120 were taken on October 28, 2007.
