What does it cost to install a pair of crossing gates on an American road?

J

JonMyrlennBailey

Well-known member
Also, what does upkeep cost annually for just one pair of said gates? They do need to be periodically inspected, repaired and/or replaced if they don't work as they should. They will need an electricity supply to power them.

I have to chuckle to myself. On my Trainz layout I have installed a grade crossing gate on a rural private driveway. A set of RR gates just to protect one private landowner from a possible train-related collision. This is because visibility at this particular crossing is quite limited in a forested area and trains travel 50 mph here. A person attempting to cross the tracks will more readily see the red lights on the gates flash and hear the bells than see or a hear a fast train coming barreling out of the woods.

I have to ask myself if the RR pays the entire cost of the gates in situations such as this or does the private landowner with his private drive's crossing the tracks have to kick in some money?
 
Pretty sure no homeowner has a crossing gate ... I would think that only a Federal, State, or major County road would have crossing gates, installed on RR property, installed and maintained by the RR company, and are not installed nor maintained by the DOT
 
There are private roads (not owned by the RR) that cross RR tracks, correct?

OK, what then do gates cost the RR regardless of who owns the motor roadway crossing them?

If I were a RR owner I would take on the expense of having a crossing gate at every crossing, whether a public or private roadway, I deem

particularly dangerous such as at a crossing with limited visibility from the motor roadway. I would not want to be sued

by a private road owner if my train were to hit his car because he did not see my train coming. It's a liability issue.
 
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When a RR can not stop a train, and wants to operate HS or continuous run through trains across a public road, and it might cause a death or lawsuit, then the State would require the RR to provide grade crossing protection, but private roads would require the private road traffic to stop for trains ... Possibly costing the RR "a Buck 380", a Pennyfarthing and a 1/4 Schilling", or a "Spanish Doubloon", or a "Bit and a Half" per day :hehe:
 
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I would gladly stop my car at a RR crossing as a private drive owner with my drive crossing train tracks should I be aware that a train is even coming.

Yes, I want to know for certain a train is coming before even thinking about driving my car over the tracks. I don't want a train to kill me any less than a RR doesn't want a lawsuit.

Yes, I do create my Trainz routes with total safety in mind whether real-world RRs actually follow these practices. These serve as models to the real-world RR industry

for ideal safety practices. As a motorist I assume the tracks are safe to cross if the bells and flashing red lights at the crossing are not active.

If the tracks crossing the motor roadway, even a private gravel drive to somebody's house on the other side of the tracks, are in a 50-mph train-speed zone and visibility is less than 1,000 feet in either direction down the tracks from the perspective of an automobile driver then that crossing should offer the protection of flashing red lights and bells if not gates also. If visibility is 1,000-plus feet either way, then RR cross bucks and a stop sign might suffice.
 
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cascaderailroad said:
Pretty sure no homeowner has a crossing gate ... I would think that only a Federal, State, or major County road would have crossing gates, installed on RR property, installed and maintained by the RR company, and are not installed nor maintained by the DOT
Click to expand...


All crossings, private, public, and pedestrian, along the Michigan Line have crossing gates and lights, as required by law for 110 MPH operation.
 
Bluewater said:
All crossings, private, public, and pedestrian, along the Michigan Line have crossing gates and lights, as required by law for 110 MPH operation.
Click to expand...

Not true... There are still some private crossings & pedestrian ones that are not. I know of three crossings in the Ann Arbor area that only have cross bucks (one is a public road) and one that does not have gates.

peter
 
Over here (UK), the company owning the track is responsible for fencing and crossings.

Most level crossings are over public roads, and will be half barrier, full barrier (ie pole) or gates.
The gates are the drop variety, so all of these can be operated remotely.
There are still "occupation crossings" where a private road/track crosses the line. These often have the old wooden swing gates - with a red disc on them. Some crossings have just a warning sign - like the one to a sailing club on the Thames. Car park on one side of the track, look both ways then pull your sailing dinghy across the line making sure the.mast is down for the phone lines (not overhead pantograph!).

There are also pedestrian crossings with just a stile, we met one in Northumberland which had a phone to the appropriate signal box - phone before crossing as the line max speed is 100mph. You don't see the train until too late!

There are a few ungated crossings, but these will have yellow & flashing red lights.
Colin
 
In the US, the RR is responsible for the crossings. There are a number of rules dictating which types can be installed where, and in general the RR will install the cheapest option that is allowed at that crossing. However local governments can pay the railroad to upgrade the crossing to a different type. Usually this is done to install quiet zones.

peter
 
Not far from where I live BHP has a private line to a colliery off the Main
Every property along that line which has to cross the line for access has had lights installed at the crossing
Some of these properties are only about 100mts apart but each has it's own set of crossing lights
Apparently the cost of installation and maintenance is not worth considering against the cost of legal action
and loss of production delays due to an accident where someone drives out in front of a train
 
Near where I live is the village of Voorheesville NY. The CSX mainline out of Selkirk crosses through the village twice, about a hundred yards apart. The village wanted to make the crossings a Quiet Zone (no horns)
That would require 4 gates at each crossing to completely block the road. In 2016 CSX came up a an estimate of $350, 000 for the 2 crossings . I imagine it's up to $400,000 by now or $50,000 per gate. (if they don't count the 2 gates already there at each crossing)
Otherwise, it's about $100,000 per gate.
Yes, the village would have to foot the cost. That's why it hasn't been done yet.
 
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I seem to have a slight problem with my ' 0 ' , on my number keyboard.

Make it $400,000 and $100,000 or exactawee " a huge bucket load of money "
 
PerRock said:
Not true... There are still some private crossings & pedestrian ones that are not. I know of three crossings in the Ann Arbor area that only have cross bucks (one is a public road) and one that does not have gates.

peter
Click to expand...


Should’ve clarified that that’s the KAL-Porter segment....I keep forgetting the KAL-DER segment.
 
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