I’ve seen signs posted at crossings of the EJ&E in the Libertyville/Mundelein/Vernon Hills area that say no horns at this crossing. I was wondering how this works. I thought it was a requirement to blow the horn for the crossing or to have a fake horn system. Can this requirement be overridden by local government? Or do I have the wrong impression of grade-crossing horn laws?
~~Nathaniel
It sure seems like many times wealthy folks can get whatever they want accomplished.
iirc, I believe they(the community, not the railroad) have to apply to the FRA/ICC for a “quiet zone” exemption. They have it in the rules for things like hospitals, and built-up communities are abusing this loophole. It seems to me the more built-up an area is, the more important horns become, obviously, whoever’s giving them permission doesn’t. Most grade crossing accidents happen it more populated areas than out in the middle of nowhere.
I hate the idea of bans on locomotive horns. If I was an engineer, I would have a difficult time sitting back in my seat going over crossing after crossing without giving any warning with the horn. Can a railroad choose to override the bans on horns placed by communities?
Once in place, the only exception to the quiet zone is when two trains are rolling by each other, or when MOW crews are working, or in case of emergency (like someone on the track). The local police can and have given tickets for crews blowing their horns. Even FRA guys, I’ve heard, have been known to cite crews for it.
I’m sure a real railroader will show up soon and give a detailed explanation on how this all works, or doesn’t work.
Well I dont know about a “real railroader” but I do work for a railroad…LOL A quiet zone must have lights, gates and avoidence protection (pylons in the center of the road or full barrier gates). Even then the bell must be sounded instead of the horn. If they want to pay for all that then more power to them, cause after you listen to a blarring horn just a couple feet above your head it get old after a while.
I was using “quiet zone” as a generic term for towns that outlaw horns. Are those the requirments for a town to get horn exempt? And I bet that horn right above your gets annoying on a twelve hour run. How many aspirans you take in a day?[;)]
Did you see the movie “My Cousin Vinny”? One of the repeating jokes is Vinny getting blasted out of his jail cell bed as a train went by every morning at 5, making it difficult for him to perform as a lawyer. Apparently jails don’t qualify.
Snagletooth, those are just some of the requirements. Sound barrier walls (just like freeways) and more training are things proposed by the FRA but not required. The towns are usually responsible for the costs.
The villages of Naperville and Plainfield are now trying to get whistle bans put in effect on the EJ&E. Plainfield was supposed to get the whistle ban in effect in May, but they are taking their sweet time getting the crossings up to code. They have only put in barriers in the center of the road and one crossing so far. The reason they want to put this whistle ban in effect is because in both Naperville and Plainfield, people are moving into houses right next to the tracks, then COMPLAINING about the horns. I don’t know what these people expected when they moved right next to the tracks. It is kind of sad EJ&E engineers are going to be penalized for these people moving in. I don’t know a exact time when Naperville is going to apply for its ban.
I must admit that there are some nights (especially when I have the windows open like last night when it was in the mid fifties here) I would like the “J” trains NOT to blow for the crossings at Rt. 34, Liberty Street and Diehl Road (all of which are in ear shot of my home at most times), but then I normally remember this is for MY safety as well as for the safety of others too.
Some times at night while laying in bed listening to the"J" and the BNSF Eola yard McClure crossings, I remember the sounds of the NYC FL9 Hancock whistles as the Harlem Division trains came through Bronxville (where I grew up) as I tried to sleep back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and then I don’t mind today’s horns quite as much.
Eolafan’s memory of Hancock air whistles includes a bit of irony since EJ&E’s Baldwin centercabs were also equipped with them.
Eola is the last crossing we blow for while heading east. Then its ding ding ding ding ( gets old quick) all the way across the Chicago sub. Unless we are passing a train and he is about to clear a crossing we are coming to or MOW is out working, you can forget the horn.
Now we had to give it a quick blast the other day. SOme kid was running towards the tracks ( didnt see his parents too much of a crowd)he was roughly 4 years old and we gave a quick blast and he stopped hard!
How would you like to have a track condition message that states" be on the look out for increased crowds estimated to be 3000 at the borders store at x for the big Harry Potter book party"needless to say it was fun running along this weekend. Farmers markets, Harry Potter parties,and the like.
But I have yet to notice along the Chicago sub any kind of real barrier at the grade crossings. Nor are the gates reinforced.Oh well could be worse.
Sounds like LaGrange–my favorite Border’s!
I think that the Chicago quiet zones were somehow “grandfathered”. I’ve seen a few median strips on rebuilt crossings, but little else. On UP West, we have two crossings east of West Chicago for which horns are always sounded–one in Melrose Park, where visibility is obstructed (it was even worse at one point), and one in Chicago proper, near 40th Street (a Chicago grade crossing is a rarity in itself!).
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1318
Here is the FRA’s final report on “Quite Zones”.
Bing a soda or a cup of coffee, it’s a long read in typical FRA, Federal “We don’t really want you to understand what we are saying” language.
In essence, the auto traffic and pedestrian use have to be below a given level, the city or local government has to assume the majority of the liability for accidents, and the crossing has to be equipped with specific equipment.
And, the federal rule still states the engineer must sound his horn or whistle if he (the engineer) feels that doing so will prevent an accident or feels that the need to alert someone of the train’s presence is required.
I have to concur with route_rock about the crossings. The one that sticks out in my mind is Old School Road in Libertyville. IIRC, it has standard gates and nothing special, except the sign warning about the horns (or lack thereof). I am planning a bike ride tomorrow and I will refresh my memory.
The grade crossing on the UP West line is at Kilbourn Ave. It exists only because the UP has to drop to grade level to pass under the BRC about two blocks further west.
I grew up in Chicago beyond the South Side and grade crossings are plentiful enough in the parts of Chicago that didn’t build up until after WW2. It was a geographical fact that you could not get out of my neighborhood without going over a grade crossing.
Your right CShave that was the Borders. I have looked in on it when getting ready to deadhead home.
I wondered if that was a grandfather type thing for our crossings… Kinda figured as much.Oh well wont have to worry about it now as I will be going west now.