Living in Pasco, WA, we had a signaled crossing (no gates) on the NP/BN crossing at Glade, north of Pasco Yard. The climate was dry, the sand is full of iron filings, and the ties are full of wind-blown sand. When it does rain, the wet ties conducted electricity, and shorted out the crossing signals.
To make it worse, trains from the north (TT East) came around a curve, through a "cut" in a sand dune, and couldn't be seen. In the railroad's defense, the entry signals for the yard were at the north end of the cut, and COULD be seen from the crossing. They were semaphores, and were always at STOP, unless a train was cleared by the operator. Most local drivers, whether they knew anything about trains or not, had learned to check those signals before crossing. Our drivers ed instructor even pointed them out! Trains from the south, leaving the yard, were easily visible, so that wasn't a problem.
Standard procedure there was that if the crossing lights were flashing, and no train was in sight, check the semaphores. If the semaphores showed anything except STOP, there was a train somewhere! Even if they said STOP, you stopped, looked, and listened. If no train appeared in a reasonable time, gun it, and get clear as fast as possible. It was treated as a flashing red light at an intersection - stop, look, then proceed.
Sometime after 1978 they replaced the semaphores, AND removed the sand dune, so there's now a clear view to the north.
