Delaware and Raritan River Railroad-General Discussion

Thank you Bracdude. Makes sense. I didn't know the switch was so close to the road there.

Your welcome. Overall the construction of this whole thing hasn’t really gone the way I thought it would, but the end result does look nice.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 3:24 pm It’s not commonly seen here in NJ, but I have seen it used at crossings that see don’t see many cars and only a few trains per week.

At least they added yield signs in conjunction with the standard crossbuck.

To define what the crossbuck means:



https://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/railroad-crossing-signs.html

That’s odd. My copy of the NJ Drivers manual says the crossbuck is equal to a stop sign. Did they change it?

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 6:22 pm That’s odd. My copy of the NJ Drivers manual says the crossbuck is equal to a stop sign. Did they change it?

Yes, they did change the Federal rule. Crossbucks used to have a stop sign, but it was silly to have to stop when there was no train around and most people ignored it, causing problems when there was a train around. So the law now requires a yield sign which makes more sense. It still requires stopping if a train is present but not when there is no train.

Ahh okay. Thanks for the info!

CR7876 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:43 am

This may sound dumb, but...

Is it possible the yield sign could maybe allow C&D to not have to flag every crossing?

Been wondering about that myself. There’s several crossings on the network without the yield sign and they flag them all…

The ones I've seen before like on the Pittsburgh line have the yield, and obviously they don't flag those too

49 CFR 218.99(e)(4)(iv)(C) and 49 CFR 218.93 “Track is clear” states no flagging is required for movement under 15 mph. Above that, flaggers or crossing gates are needed. A yield sign won't save you there.

Some excerpts from https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/license ... manual.pdf , confirming the above comments on the Federal Law as in the NJ driver manual for average motorists (not hazardous materials, school buses, etc)

page 63: A motorist should slow down enough to be able to see clearly and stop quickly in traffic. Failure to do so can result in a moving violation....
Always slow down:
• On narrow or winding roads.
• At intersections or railroad crossings.
...
[Comment: "stop quickly in traffic"- presumably a train ahead can be considered "traffic"!]

page 65 Although laws govern the right-of-way, a motorist should always be prepared to yield. These basic rules always apply:
• Emergency vehicles: When police cars, fire engines, and ambulances are giving warning signs (sirens, flashing lights).
• Trains: When a train is approaching a railroad crossing.

page 76: A motorist must stop at least 15 feet from a railroad crossing when there are flashing red lights, ringing bells, descending or lowered gates, or flag signals.

End of excerpts.

So indeed it is "slow down" and "yield" except "stop" when there are "flashing red lights, etc."

There seems to be a lot of leftover ties and rails at some spots where they rebuilt the tracks, like by Howell Rd, where there is a TON of ties. Are they going to put siding tracks in at some point somewhere along the line?

The sign seems to be the way the state is going now. The reopened Salem branch has these signs up, not that it did any good for the trucker who was doing 68 MPH on a 50 MPH road and derailed the train.

lensovet wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 10:34 pm 49 CFR 218.99(e)(4)(iv)(C) and 49 CFR 218.93 “Track is clear” states no flagging is required for movement under 15 mph. Above that, flaggers or crossing gates are needed. A yield sign won't save you there.

That's only for pushing and shoving movements and remote controlled locomotives. If the engine is manned and leading they don't have to flag as long as the proper horn sound is given.

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 6:44 am There seems to be a lot of leftover ties and rails at some spots where they rebuilt the tracks, like by Howell Rd, where there is a TON of ties. Are they going to put siding tracks in at some point somewhere along the line?

I noticed same thing. Waay back, there was a passing siding in the vicinity of Howell Rd. Can't see any reason for a passing siding in that area, but it's a puzzlement. Perhaps a siding just past the substation serving the commercial buildings there? The way Howell is building, wouldn't be surprised.