Protected rail crossings

Over the years, we've had random discussions about protecting rail crossing to prevent crashes. Last week, I was watching a Trans Siberian Railway video [Trans-Siberian Railway Winter Journey - part 4: Ulan-Ude - Lake Baikal - Irkutsk on Train № 001M -doc7austin’s DreamlinerCentral]

Pretty good video to view places that I'm not likely to visit. Somewhere along the way, I noticed that as the train went through the crossing, I noticed that the protection was a raised road blocking auto traffic. First time I've ever seen that. Looks like it will work except for those well determined individuals who must get across! haha

I replayed this section and snapped a picture of it. Could it work here? Is it here?

Do you even have to ask? Picture a texting college girl, or a drunk Bubba at 2AM, or some loser so wasted on drugs he can't see, or little old Mabel who should have stopped driving 10 years ago. That little thing won't do more than slow them down a little so they skid to a stop right on the tracks.

I'm thinking raise up a section of wall like they are building on the southern border! Now THAT would do the job!

There is many such crossings in Russia and some other countrys to.

This one in Siberia 2007.

https://oi25.photobucket.com/albums/c63 ... g~original

There were two similar crossings in the Boston area. When a train entered the circuit, the warning bell would sound and lights would begin to work. The barrier, maybe a foot high would rise out of the pavement and stay there until the train left the crossing circuit. Trouble was that sometimes vehicles stopped right where the barrier was supposed to rise and there were problems with snow, ice and debris on the road surface. (And probably with snow plowing operations too.) The two locations were on the Boston and Maine, Russell's crossing in Wayland and the other was in Newton, NH (I think) on the Boston-Portland Western Route. If you can find a copy of the B&MRRHS Central Mass. book there's a photo of the Wayland installation in action. This photo also appeared in a late 1940s or so issue of TRAINS Magazine.

there is a video on youtube of the russian crossing and huge amount of dummies wrecking their cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e19T2ded7VQ

In front of the barrier they could modify a gate arm and mount a squeegie. When an impact is detected, the arm swipes back and forth to remove the remains from the wall!

DutchRailnut wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2019 3:32 pm there is a video on youtube of the russian crossing and huge amount of dummies wrecking their cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e19T2ded7VQ

This is perfect. Cameras will show that yes, the lights started and you ignored them.

They need to install a gate that crosses both lanes. That will cut down on stupidity. Obviously, it will never eliminate all of them.

Are the Russian crossings manned with employees in vests? It seems after every crash someone ran out wearing an orange safety vest to investigate.

At the same time, I didn't see a single train impacted by these crossings so I guess they work.

Interesting! I don't know what the economic feasibility of this solution is over quad gates and concrete medians, though, and how much it really changes things.