I got stuck at a rail crossing in St Joseph MO once. I could've hit my shipper with a thrown stone I was so close. It started snowing and accumulating while I waited. I even had dinner plans with a buddy and his wife. Called the railroad. About 1.5h later a dude showed up, carried a propane torch into the little shack, and the gates lifted. Missed dinner. Parking lot at the shipper hadn't been plowed so I had to do the roll back and forth thing to make certain I could move in the morning. Whole thing sucked, but it happens.
Yes sir. My semi truck broke down this weekend, and my Wife's car broke down the same day in the store parking lot after buying groceries.
While trying to juggle maintenance for my truck, I had to juggle her car situation too while she was stranded with our screaming 1 year old in the heat.
When it rains it pours. And since I'm on a 48, of course I locked the keys in a storage compartment, drank some fireball, cooked a mean ass steak in my air fryer and watched tv cause it is what it is and you've gotta make the best of things.
That's what I tell my Wife about the dishes in the sink, but they just magically disappear instead. She doesn't like that one 😂 jokes aside, truck driving is definitely filled with bumps along the road that can end your career or ruin your day, every day. It's in the top 10 most dangerous jobs. I just got rear ended by another semi truck the other day and thought it was going to rollover and kill people on the highway.
I don’t know why everybody thinks 911 is the answer for everything they can’t do anything about it. Call the blue sign crossing arms being stuck down is not an emergency that’s the railroads problem local police can’t do anything about
So they can contact the railroad about this issue. The same thing you do if you’re stop at a traffic light at a busy intersection, call 911, so they can contact the local police to assist you.
A train once stopped too close to the arms and they were down for almost an hour. There were 3 lanes of traffic and the cars kept piling up for up to half a mile or more.
I googled what to do and said fuck it, I guess I'm the guy today.
I hopped out the truck and walked past tons of people staring at me, I could feel them staring me down while I called the number.
Once the train started moving and the arms lifted right after I called, I could feel everyone staring at me like "who tf is this guy who has the power to move trains?" as I walked back to my truck 😂
Probably a malfunction with their junction box. They're supposed to be fail safe so if something goes wrong they just close the crossing. If the power had gone out you wouldn't have the lights though. At least not for long I think some have a battery backup.
Not sure if that’s been replaced over the years a train has come through and was going very slow and seems to have realigned the sensors so it is now operational hopefully
The sensors don’t require alignment. It’s two wires (ok, six) to the rails. Put some voltage on one rail, and if those steel wheels are close enough, it’ll see some voltage on the other rail. Measure it to determine the train speed, reverse engineer when to do the whole signal sequence, and boom.
I say six wires because they have isolators on either side of the crossing itself, so there are three separate circuits: one for the crossing itself, one for this way, one for that way. The logic is built so if it senses a train coming from “this way”, then sees it on the crossing itself, then sees it on “that side”, then sees “this way” unoccupied, then sees the crossing unoccupied, it opens the crossing. Likewise, if it saw a train coming from “this way” and then senses that it has stopped (the voltage change has stopped), it opens the crossings.
Sit and wait. All you can do. I’ve been inside the cab of a truck after it got hit by a train that was only going 25 mph. The devastation was incredible. Our driver lived but was seriously injured.
TruckerBiscuit@reddit
I got stuck at a rail crossing in St Joseph MO once. I could've hit my shipper with a thrown stone I was so close. It started snowing and accumulating while I waited. I even had dinner plans with a buddy and his wife. Called the railroad. About 1.5h later a dude showed up, carried a propane torch into the little shack, and the gates lifted. Missed dinner. Parking lot at the shipper hadn't been plowed so I had to do the roll back and forth thing to make certain I could move in the morning. Whole thing sucked, but it happens.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
Damn, sounds like a rough day. Definitely just another day in trucking unfortunately lol.
TruckerBiscuit@reddit
Yep. You gotta take it in stride else this life will kill ya'.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
Yes sir. My semi truck broke down this weekend, and my Wife's car broke down the same day in the store parking lot after buying groceries.
While trying to juggle maintenance for my truck, I had to juggle her car situation too while she was stranded with our screaming 1 year old in the heat.
When it rains it pours. And since I'm on a 48, of course I locked the keys in a storage compartment, drank some fireball, cooked a mean ass steak in my air fryer and watched tv cause it is what it is and you've gotta make the best of things.
Unique_Arm435@reddit
I read that as cooked a mean steak in some fireball!
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
Damn it! I should've done that!
imcjoey13@reddit
These are the things the general public (like me) never see and just take for granted.
We just show up the day of or just after a weather event at a grocery store (or wherever) and magically the shelves seem to fill themselves.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
That's what I tell my Wife about the dishes in the sink, but they just magically disappear instead. She doesn't like that one 😂 jokes aside, truck driving is definitely filled with bumps along the road that can end your career or ruin your day, every day. It's in the top 10 most dangerous jobs. I just got rear ended by another semi truck the other day and thought it was going to rollover and kill people on the highway.
familyedit@reddit
How could you even tell if they were down you can't see through your filthy windshield
BonusHour8693@reddit (OP)
It was a swarm hovering over the road
Unique_Arm435@reddit
🤣🤣🤣
Acrobatic_Ocelot_461@reddit
They snap off really easily. Trust me I know. Just go slow and easy.
imcjoey13@reddit
I feel like I want to forget everything I’ve learned about driving, and start over with you as my instructor (and mentor!).
Acrobatic_Ocelot_461@reddit
Sorry, I'm close to retirement, I just want to go fishing. 🎣
yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit
Call 911
Less-Significance896@reddit
I don’t know why everybody thinks 911 is the answer for everything they can’t do anything about it. Call the blue sign crossing arms being stuck down is not an emergency that’s the railroads problem local police can’t do anything about
yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit
911 can contact the railroad for you.
lord_nuker@reddit
For what?
yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit
So they can contact the railroad about this issue. The same thing you do if you’re stop at a traffic light at a busy intersection, call 911, so they can contact the local police to assist you.
notfunklegendgc@reddit
Hey, I've been there. Back in my pneumatic days.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
Call the number on the blue sign.
A train once stopped too close to the arms and they were down for almost an hour. There were 3 lanes of traffic and the cars kept piling up for up to half a mile or more.
I googled what to do and said fuck it, I guess I'm the guy today.
I hopped out the truck and walked past tons of people staring at me, I could feel them staring me down while I called the number.
Once the train started moving and the arms lifted right after I called, I could feel everyone staring at me like "who tf is this guy who has the power to move trains?" as I walked back to my truck 😂
I felt like a hero that day lol.
jmzstl@reddit
I’ve been in a similar situation, but I just looked up the crossing on Google street view and called it in from my truck.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
Big brain move.
Environmental-Pear40@reddit
👏🏻👏🏻
BonusHour8693@reddit (OP)
I have notified CSX since there are no trains that have come through or are coming through. The arms are just down.
Environmental-Pear40@reddit
Probably a malfunction with their junction box. They're supposed to be fail safe so if something goes wrong they just close the crossing. If the power had gone out you wouldn't have the lights though. At least not for long I think some have a battery backup.
BonusHour8693@reddit (OP)
It’s happened a couple of times over the 3 or 4 years. I’ve been doing this run.
Environmental-Pear40@reddit
At the same crossing? And they haven't just replaced the junction box.
BonusHour8693@reddit (OP)
Not sure if that’s been replaced over the years a train has come through and was going very slow and seems to have realigned the sensors so it is now operational hopefully
Inside-Finish-2128@reddit
The sensors don’t require alignment. It’s two wires (ok, six) to the rails. Put some voltage on one rail, and if those steel wheels are close enough, it’ll see some voltage on the other rail. Measure it to determine the train speed, reverse engineer when to do the whole signal sequence, and boom.
I say six wires because they have isolators on either side of the crossing itself, so there are three separate circuits: one for the crossing itself, one for this way, one for that way. The logic is built so if it senses a train coming from “this way”, then sees it on the crossing itself, then sees it on “that side”, then sees “this way” unoccupied, then sees the crossing unoccupied, it opens the crossing. Likewise, if it saw a train coming from “this way” and then senses that it has stopped (the voltage change has stopped), it opens the crossings.
If you’re curious: Danny Harmon of Distant Signal covers crossings
asdfghjkl_2-0@reddit
Lots of wires that can be damaged or knockoff. I work on those now. Sometimes just mud or wet conditions can set them off.
DelawhereRider@reddit
Sit and wait. All you can do. I’ve been inside the cab of a truck after it got hit by a train that was only going 25 mph. The devastation was incredible. Our driver lived but was seriously injured.
beardedliberal@reddit
Gates down like that can also indicate a broken rail within the circuit for the crossing.
amazingmaple@reddit
Call the number on the blue sign. Call 911.