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> Ed,

> 

>   Exactly. And, the moving current doesn't help things, either.

>   Normally, the crossings where electronic signals are, have a
> battery backup power supply, which usually will activate the
> signals, and lower the gates, when power is lost to the bungalo
> signal box. However, those batteries don't last forever (as does
> nothing in this life). Apparently, the signals deactivate when
> the battery backup is about to run out, then they don't work at
> all. At that point, it's the same is a private grade crossing
> with only a crossbuck.

>   After Hurricane Charlie several years ago devastated much of
> Florida, damaging much of the railroad and other infrastructure,
> most of the signals went dark. As a result, there were "slow orders"
> for all the trains (including Amtrak), and the crossings had to be
> "flagged", where a member of the crew (likely the Conductor) would 
> get off, walk to the crossing, with a flag, and possibly the flares, 
> to stop traffic. When the locomotive eased into the crossing to fully 
> block it, the Conductor got back on, and the train went on its way.

>   Or, if some of the railroad management were involved as flaggers, 
> they had HT's to communicate with the dispatcher and the engineer, 
> to advise that they could proceed at restricted speed, and that the 
> crossing was flagged. The flagger would also check once the rear of 
> the train had passed, to verify that the end of train device/marker 
> was there, and was activated.

>   I remember while still living in Florida, there were warning
> signs at one crossing noting that "the signals were not working,
> and to use caution".

>   Before I had to quit driving, the grade crossing only 1/4 mile
> away from my house was activated (gates down and lights flashing),
> but there was no train. I called the number on the Emergency
> Notification System (ENS) sign, and was told which options to
> choose. 

>   If there was a derailment, a hotbox or railcar fire (especially 
> if there was hazardous materials involved (with a colored placard 
> on the side))...you would choose option 1. If there was a vehicle 
> blocking the crossing, the signals weren't working, or they were 
> broken, to choose option 2. 

>   On the ENS sign was the location of the crossing, the host
> railroad, the milepost, and a department of transportation ID
> number. You would give all that to the dispatcher at the other 
> end of the line. They, in turn, would change the signals, issue
> slow orders, and contact the crew...along with other local area
> emergency personnel. They will also dispatch maintenance of way
> (MOW) personnel, to work on repairing the signals.

>   If this is done as soon as it occurs (or very shortly thereafter), 
> there is a higher chance of stopping an approaching train before it 
> slams into stuff at the crossing, or a derailment and fiery explosion
> results, which requires evacuations.

>   I have reported this to Union Pacific Railroad (the main railroad 
> through Little Rock) more than once...and I gave them my name, and
> my amateur radio callsign.

>   Only in America...we rush to beat:

> 1) The traffic lights at intersections.
> 2) The trains at railroad crossings.
> 3) The boats at draw bridges.

>   Yet, we'll stand patiently for 3 hours on the golf course.

>   They probably wouldn't want you...or me, either. 

> 73,

> Daryl, N5VLZ

> ... And there were plagues of locusts, and frogs, and MS-DOS, and MS Windows.
> === MultiMail/Win v0.52
> --- SBBSecho 3.29-Win32
>  * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:19/33)



Daryl, Your Tagline included DOS amoung the list of plagues 
Maybe MS-DOS but not IBM-DOS.
On my 486 desktop with MS-DOS 5.0 I later added IBM-DOS 7 to it after finding a
IBM-DOS 7 CD at a thrift store.

I have always wondered if I got caught and committed if the place would allow
me to have my Kenwood TS-520S in my room.
I have a Husler Mobile antenna bottom section with upper portions for 75M
through 10M.
If the institution didn't want to hear my squeaky voice I would bring Headsets
and a J-38 Key.
At least that's the plan I have in my mind 
/Portable# should work O.K. unless I was transmitting on the 15M band.
73
Ed
.   .
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