BNSF 8143 westbound Lincoln, NE, to Denver, CO, (H LINDEN1-15) crew member flagged the non-operating signals at grade crossing in Keenesburg, Colorado, Sunday, 16 Feb 2025. BNSF Brush Subdivision where a signal maintainer was working on the issue.
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Harkens back to the days when only crossbucks (or similar) were around and they would flag every crossing on some lines.
In my 51 years of Class 1 employment - I am not aware of any main line crossbuck crossings that require Stop and Flag operation over them.
In the 21st Century - Train Dispatchers get notified of crossings that have defective crossing protection equipment and issue a Train Message about how to operate over that specific crossing to trains that will be operating over the crossing - that notification can come from all forms of data including civilians calling in to the number on the blue crossing identification signs affixed to the crossing protection.
Signal Maintainers are dispatched to the crossings with presumed defective equipment to make the necessary repairs.
It was back in the late 40’s, the Bellefonte Central Railroad still had unprotected crossings that required flagging. I have a Model Builder magazine from 1948 that describes this. I should have been more specific in my earlier post, I meant that certain branch/underdevoped lines would still flag crossings back in the day.
We don’t flag crossings unless they have OOS automatic protection. Two near stations do get flagged, mostly because we don’t blow for them.
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