The "Public Relations Challenged" LIRR

Hi 7285,

The gate circuits are typically set to come down as if a train was travelling at the maximum allowed speed in that particular area. Ordinarily, this is not a problem for motorists unless a train is travelling at a slower speed then what is allowed. Naturally in this case, the gates would seem to be down longer. In some areas, the LIRR has the gate circuits set to come up if a train is in a station and such. The DOT will in the near future along with the LIRR experiment with crossing gates that can sense the speed of an oncoming train and the times naturally will vary as to how long the gates stay down.

I would like to take this time to commend you on your insight into railroad operations. You must be an employee in the transportation department or some high level position in the railroad.

Hope this helps, happy railroading.

Liquid,

I happen to be on the way home from school and decided to make a detour, then I came to the stop sign an seen the gates were down so I took a look around no one was insight behind me so I decided to watch the train, and that’s how I took note to the situation. I figured that the gates were set for MAS, but it was just irritating to see the morons keep inching up to see if there was a train or not.

Locals are familiar with this, because there is a circuit in the tracks that trouble makers use to trigger off the gates when no trains are present. this usually caused the pedestrian gates to go down but I don’t know about the main road gates witch are approximately 1/4 mile east (geography north of the location of the pedestrian crossings.) there has been times that this happened and people would just round the gates thinking they were broken.

Things like what I just stated can cause hell because some times people think that it’s a false alarm and don’t even look them just go around. No morons today just curious on lookers scouting it out and spotted the train.

The gates that you described about in your post with the timing and sensing devices may actually be good in this location. And many others around here.

There are some times trains running at branch MAS past Westwood eastbound so they cannot really do nothing about the gates going down when they do. Let’s hope no moron sees this as an opportunity to gamble life and limb.

When I was on Trinity Rail in Fort Worth, by the Richland Hills station, the gates came up after one minute because the train held in the station until its scheduled departure. However, that is a one track line with a siding midway. I honestly do not see how this could be accomplished on the Main Line.

On another note, is this why the South Shore line had all of its grade crossings eliminated in electric territory in the 1970s---increased development? (Not all of the Main Line is heavily developed residentially, at least not as much as the South Shore Line.)

AMoreira81 wrote:But don't most railroads possess enough political clout (as exhibited by their influence on Mineta) to have liability limited? (Granted, this could create a slippery slope).

No. But what makes matters worse is that the LIRR is self-insured (with the taxpayers money). If there is a settlement, we all pay for it.

Nester