WOW! A new crossing to model in N scale. Action!

[sirenwerks]

I wonder if these might have something to do with a visually impaired person living nearby. In the neighborhoods where I live, occasionally you will see a sign that says "Deaf Child", it stands to reason these additional gates would be an extension of this type of sign.

Just a thought, we do have a few of those gates in Minnesota.

Disabilities don't usually extend to common sense.  Someone with a visual impairment would hear the bells ringing and know not to cross.

[basementcalling]

The no trespassing signs!!!! 

$250k probably pales in comparison to the lawsuit from not responding to some request.  Could have been funded by the state or town or something too....

+1.

How long till gates come with cameras on them for the railroad to press charges? Or a drone in orbit above the crossings to just blast the offending vehicles to smithereens? I think at this point I prefer the latter. Darwin needs steroids these days.

[MRL]

The UP on 10th ST in Gering NE has a set up like this and the smaller gates cover sidewalks. they also have automated horns that sound horrible. You can still hear them pretty far away, so they really didn't save much noise from regular train horns...

[OldEastRR]

Ped gates like that have been fixtures for years along the BNSF (old CB&Q) Aurora Raceway out of Chicago. Does make you wonder why nobody has made a model of it before.

[jpwisc]

Just a thought, we do have a few of those gates in Minnesota.

I've noticed a lot of these in MN too. The UP has put quite a few on the sidewalk crossings on the Altoona Sub..

[u18b]

I don't think these would be all that hard to model.

The base, motor and main pipe all look the same as a full size one.

So I would think you could simply cut down a regular gate from NJ to kitbash the ped gates.

It would be pretty cool to see this modeled live in N scale.
Loco comes and ALL 6 gates go down.

[jmlaboda]

Unfortunately, these gates wouldn't stop automobile drivers from taking an errant left turn on to the tracks, which has happened here in Newark.   

No, that is why you need to pay a little extra for a GOOD GPS system and not go with a cheap one.

The idea of pedestrian crossings isn't a new innovation, they actually date back to when they had hand cranked crossings...

http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s482/LBuddy11/Village_Hall_and_Railroad_Crossing_zpse07bacbc.jpg

I remember seeing, back in 1979, something like this on one of the CNW lines north of Chicago but it was only for pedestrians, in between where passengers could cross from one platform or another.  Its not fool proof by any means but at least the survivors can learn from their mistakes and the loosers, well, the get the Darwin Award.

[arbomambo]

This is right next to the depot, right?....
pretty cool location...but Milton is a strange town....
45 minutes away from the house...
~Bruce

[u18b]

Correct.

I'm standing in the road right in front of the depot facing Bagdad (south).

[nkalanaga]

I also have seen pedestrian gates in various places over the years.  They're not a new invention, and seem to be more common where bicycles are common.

[C855B]

... The idea of pedestrian crossings isn't a new innovation, they actually date back to when they had hand cranked crossings...

I also have seen pedestrian gates in various places over the years.  They're not a new invention, and seem to be more common where bicycles are common.

Heck, no! I've seen separately-actuated pedestrian gates my entire railfanning life. I notice them mostly in urban settings where there was, yes, a fair amount of foot traffic.

The Milton thing, however, is just strange. Semi-rural, low-density rail line. Whole bunch of expense, both in initial investment and ongoing maintenance. Really, what's the point? Just to shut-up some local squeaky wheel? It's an unjustifiable waste of resources.

[harrumph!]

[PAL_Houston]

A road in our town had construction messing up traffic for a long time.

I finally found out what was going on.

CSX was installing a new design crossing.... the story I got was that some resident somewhere complained about walking his dog unsafely over the railroad tracks.

A quarter of a million dollars later, we have this.

Which of course sounds crazy.....

Safety education classes for the residents would've been a bunch cheaper, and probably a bunch more effective.

Besides, the dog won't have any problem running under the gates. 

[3DTrains]

Darwin gates.

Cheers!
Marc - Riverside