Manually operated crossing gates

[snavely]

The topic of manually operated grade crossing gates has come up in the nostalgia forum on nj.com. Anyone know what the last ones to remain in service were and when they were discontinued?

[RichM]

I think we covered this on the old forum... but I don't remember what the correct answer was, so I'll start with the EL in Hackensack, still had a crossing tower at Main Street in front of Packard's on Main Street in the mid-60's.

[Scrap The U34CH]

I just learned in the last week or so from the EL list that, The gates near Denville station were controlled by the towerman there. That lasted into the 80's.

[Jtgshu]

There are still "gates" - actual large fence gates though - operated by either one and sometimes two men at 2 crossing shanties at the private Xing inside Monmouth Park on the Coast Line - in teh little huts, a BRIGHT red light comes on when a train is approaching and they either go out and stand in the road, or close both of the gates or just one across the road when a train is coming.

Cool to see and a unique thing to watch - its just railroad west of the Port Au Peck Ave xing.

[Ken W2KB]

South Amboy had gatekeepers into the 1970's I believe, but am not certain.

[Don31]

I think it was into the early 80s Ken, not sure either.....

[nick11a]

There are still "gates" - actual large fence gates though - operated by either one and sometimes two men at 2 crossing shanties at the private Xing inside Monmouth Park on the Coast Line - in teh little huts, a BRIGHT red light comes on when a train is approaching and they either go out and stand in the road, or close both of the gates or just one across the road when a train is coming.

Cool to see and a unique thing to watch - its just railroad west of the Port Au Peck Ave xing.

Yes, I rembember when you tried to trivia us with that tidbit with that riddle of yours from last year. Riddle me this Batman! But you're right, it is pretty cool.

[clamdigger]

To all those interested in this subject/topic,check out this web site ;www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs ... 791&Page=1
I remember hand cranked gates at Monmouth st. in Red Bank on the NY&LB, but they were gone before Conrail.Photographs of the Red Bank gates are in "Jersey Central Lines in Color" by Wm.Brennan and in "The Unique NY&LB rr" by Don Wood,et.al.I recall,as a boy' many pleasant conversations with the gate operator by Kinsella's garage in Keansburg on the CNJ's Seashore branch(was this Church st.?).Gallo's book on the CNJ's Seashore branch,"The Henry Hudson Trail"contains photos of other gate controlled crossings on the Seashore branch.
VJH

[Ken W2KB]

I think it was into the early 80s Ken, not sure either.....

Could well be.

[henry6]

Manual gates? Don't know when the last but I would imagine South Amboy has to be in the running. Dover had two crossings west of the station but I believe they were automated in the late 60's or early 70's. The gates at Estline or Estiling (natives fight over the name) Lake crossing at Denville station were controled by the Tower operator. Into the 60's there were two "trolley car" controllers, one for each gate, each with a "t" type handle which turned right for down, left for up; bell was automatic with the operation or could be pre started with a button or key at the desk. Some towermen started the bell then walked over to the controls giving moterist the extra warning; others just flipped the controllers with no warning. I think I was told these controls were removed and replaced before the tower was closed.

[wis bang]

Union square in Phillipsburg between the Free Bridge & N/S Main streets...

[Dougster]

I don't know if this counts but the grade crossing of County Road in Secaucus over the west end of Croxton Yard had manually operated gates into the early 1980's I think. Operator was in a elevated shanty there.

There also was a crossing in East Rutherford on the Bergen Couny Line that had flashers and bells only and there someone there to guard the crossing when trains passed. That also lasted in the early 1980's when gates were installed.

Anyone remember these?

Doug

[GOLDEN-ARM]

The LV had manually operated crossing gates, from a cool little bungalow, complete with LV diamonds on either end, in Roselle Park, right up until the mainline was elevated, as part of the Aldene project, in the mid to late 60's. The metal bungalow sat on a fill, along with the depot, at the corner of Chestnut street, and it also controlled the gates at Locust street, as well.

[David]

I was allowed to manually operate the gates at Euclid Avenue, Haddonfield when I was about 10 years old. From what I can remember, it was on a Sunday night in the summer and when the bell in the shanty began to sound we had roughly several minutes to crank down the gates. Nine RDCs, coupled together, came through from the shore. They were fast and I believe they were an express. The guy in charge of the shanty was a black gentleman by the name of Clarence. Anyone know about this train?

[PRSLTrainman]

I might mention that the PRSL also had manual gates in South Camden that were identical to the ones David remembers in Haddonfield (4-way, manual crank). The gates guarded the Morgan Blvd. crossing of the three-track Millville Branch, just south of Brown Tower. They were manned 24/7 until well into the middle 70's. I believe they were finally replaced after the Conrail takeover, but I'm not sure exactly when. One interesting feature of this crossing was that there was a coal bin adjacent to the watchman's shanty that the crew could use to get coal for the stove in the cabin car. The railroad kept this stocked with coal during the winter at least into the early 70's.