I was railfanning with Chessie in Rocky Mount, NC. The CSX main line runs right through downtown and there are several street level crossings. Through all of these several crossings, trains are not allowed to use their horns as it disturbs the peace. To prevent any stray movement across the tracks, each crossing has double crossing gates on both sides of the track. In other words, you cannot "drive around" the gates. Anyone ever see this anywhere else? I had never seen it before. Chessie has the details, if necessary.
This would be a "quiet zone". If an area is a quiet zone the crew does not have to blow crossings. But the crossings have to have additional protection, like double gates. While the train crew does not have to blow the crossing the whistle can be used if needed. Adam
Canmore ab, hinkle or, alot of towns have made this law. First thing that happens is a few town folk get squished.
The towns that wish to silence train horns have to shoulder the liability that may arise from a collision and usually have to pay for the required upgrades to a crossings. These can include double gates, median dividers and one-way traffic patterns, each crossing is decided case-by-case. As far as I know the engine bell is still to be rung for a warning (at least on my railroad) and the horn can be sounded in case of emergency or when otherwise required (like approaching roadway workers). I really hate quiet zones since the horn is the last line of defense against the idiots of the world. The horn isn't always enough, but I think it helps. Even for people not at a crossing the sound of the horn is a reminder that trains do exist. Quiet zones create a lack of awareness in the general public.
I'm not sure, but I think there is an engine bell sound generator at each crossing on the top of the crossing post. It sounds the entire time the gate is down. It is not the normal gate bell but is supposed to sound like an engine.
There's one grade-crossing on the Austin Area Terminal north of me that is quiet. Due to commuter rail that will push the freight in to the night. All of the other crossings are still double-armed, in anticipation of silencing the 2 long, 1 short, 1 long signal there, too.
At some crossings here in Sugar Land they are putting up stationary horns that point at the oncoming traffic. They are activated when the gates go down so the train crews do not blow theirs. The sound level aimed at the traffic is about equivalent to what they would hear from an approaching locomotive but because it is focused on the street the sound does not carry into the surrounding neighborhoods near as much.
I can understand this. As far as I am concerned, officials and communities that opt for these regulations, should be automatic Darwin Award winners. :sad: Boxcab E50
Hey, On our RR,we also have towns that we're not allowed to blow in "except in an emergency".If we do blow,we have to make out an incedent report.:angry:
The mainline from Louisville,KY to Cincinnati,Ohio goes thru St.Matthews,KY and the have a quite zone & La Grange,KY also has a quite zone
The college town of DeKalb IL is a quiet zone as of a year or two ago. UP goes through there from Chicago and Rochelle. I remember hearing a report on NPR about the instalation of stationary electronic "horn" at the crossing gates. I don't know what other saftey protocols they have installed as I don't get there as much as I used to. Jim
Does anyone know what kind of safety rate these quiet zones have vs regular horn allowed zones? I'm curious if all the extra safeguards put in place really help or not.
I am sure there must be data to support the "quiet zone" in Rocky Mount.... after all, most of the crossings are on one way street and all have the four quadrant crossing gates. I cannot recall any crossing collisions in any recent years. Harold
Allow me to comment. No Blow zones are the stupidest things I have ever heard of. People do not realize when they move into these areas that the railroads were here way before they came on the scene. I don't care if you have armed guards at the tracks, there is still going to be some moron who thinks he/she can beat the train to the crossing. I would much rather hear a locomotive horn than to hear the siren of a rescue squad or ambulance having to go cut some fool out of his or her car because the town wanted the train to tiptoe through the town quietly. May I say this, that the horns on a locomotive were not put up there to look "pretty" or "decorative". They were put up there as a warning device just like the bell is. Having no-blow zones is just asking for a tragedy to happen. That's just my opinion like it or not. Dan (t55dan)
I run the "short line" to cinci and there are other quiet zones at Latonia, Anchorage, and Shelby st. to Kentucky st in downtown Louisville. the funny thing is that it seems like more traffic stops at these crossings than the ones I approach at 60mph with the horn blasting my eardrums out.
as for federal regulations for quiet zones, I've heard that the crossing has to be a "positive block" meaning that vehicular traffic cannot drive around the gates. This has obviously not been enforced because a few quiet zone crossings in St. Matthews are flashers only and some in Lagrange are crossbuck only.
This is the stupidest thing I've heard of. The RR's and the FRA just look to hang a guy over any rule violation under the pretence of safty. Then waffle and cave in to some town board. Since when dose a few people complaining over rule federal regulations. What, did some one wake up one day and realize there was a RR in there back yard? People have been killed over this nonsense.
People are just that stupid. It will require many more deaths, and devastated lives. Then litigations galore. To reverse the selfishness of a "quiet zone." It used to be that potential property owners had the responsibility of checking out their new neighborhood- Before buying. Now, people just buy, move in, and start suing over whatever they don't like. Our society is sick. :thumbs_down: Boxcab E50
I just read they finally were able to order the equipment after the City came to an agreement with the UP about liability issues. The city gets to pay the premiums. They were haggling over the maximum coverage. Meanwhile down the tracks a ways, a new residential neighborhood is being built on old prison farm land across Highway 90A from the railroad. A bigger problem is the Sugar Land airport that butts up against the tracks on the north side. The flight path for the runway goes right over the new neighborhood. Not only are the new residents complaining about trains, they are howling over all the corporate jets that roll them out of their hot tubs.
Similar to the problem in Dorval (Montreal) with the airport that has been there forever (it was in use before WW II) and is now surrounded by residential areas. New people move in and then complain about the noise. The airport is now closed between midnight and about 6 AM. I live on the 10th floor near downtown facing the main commuter line into Montreal. I'm used to the noise and don't hear it most of the time. No horns is a stupid rule. The main point is "If you don't like noise, don't live near the airport (or train line)" Dave.
