Passenger Trains > Quiet Zone in Orange, CA Story

http://www.trainweb.org/chris/qzorg.html

Enjoy,

Chris

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This is a pretty typical Quiet Zone crossing. I would be curious as to what it cost to set up one of these crossings! I still can't understand why the double crossing gates one the wrong side of the street, but that is just me!

TomPlatten Wrote:
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> This is a pretty typical Quiet Zone crossing. I
> would be curious as to what it cost to set up one
> of these crossings! I still can't understand why
> the double crossing gates one the wrong side of
> the street, but that is just me!

Hi Tom- I believe the reason for what we see in the pics
(gates on both sides/both directions) are there to PREVENT
automotive traffic from "zig-zagging" through; the situation
that so frequently causes train vs. car collisions. Most
locomotive engineers who work in populated zones have probably
seen cars doing this "snake" move through traditional one-side only
down gates. Can't be done with the quad style gates, hopefully!

And I never could get used to the word "horn" in RR applications-
Most older "rails" would call it a "whistle!"

The crossings in Orange County are going above and beyond the requirements set forth by the FRA for quiet zones. These crossings all have rather extensive signal components to them as the detection systems is not only linked into the railroad signal system, but also the traffic control system for the adjacent streets. Some crossings even have motion detection on the crossings to sense if a vehicle is backed up onto the tracks from an adjacent traffic signal.

Most motorists and pedestrians wouldn't be able to relate to the term "whistle".