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Old 03-08-2017, 11:23 PM   #1
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Low-ground clearance railroad crossings

Reading about the recent Bus- Train accident in Mississippi and wondering...anybody ever have an issue pulling an RV trailer and having a problem with these type "Low-ground clearance" or "hump" railroad crossings? Apparently there are about 30+ of these type crossings in Texas and many more nationwide.

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Old 03-08-2017, 11:27 PM   #2
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So many things to worry about.
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Old 03-08-2017, 11:33 PM   #3
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The only problem I've had is having to stop behind a second set of tracks because of truck+trailer length ("Don't stop on RR tracks") and not triggering the signals.
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Old 03-09-2017, 12:58 AM   #4
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I guess I could say that we are in "train city" in Texas, founded by the railroad, and while one might need to be careful at crossings, I do not know that there is that problem. I will look for it. What we do see much of is dips in the roads, all over the place. They are definitely a problem. Have seen that in New Mexico and elsewhere also.
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Old 03-09-2017, 01:04 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by freespirit View Post
...anybody ever have an issue pulling an RV trailer and having a problem with these type "Low-ground clearance" or "hump" railroad crossings?
No... although I haven't seen one so severe that it needed a warning sign.

The issue here is breakover angle. I've never had an issue with this (on railway crossings, speed bumps, driveway entrances, campsites, or anything else); it seems that departure angle is the more common challenge - either the hitch or the trailer bumper drags.

I think it's only likely to be an issue with the style of trailer shown in the sign: long distance from hitch to trailer wheels (such as a semi-trailer) combined with low trailer clearance (so the illustration shows a low-boy). Buses are obviously long (from axle to axle), and the ground clearance under the middle of highway coaches with their baggage compartments is quite low. Escape-sized travel trailers are low, but not very long (from hitch or tug axle, to trailer axle).


I saw part of a TV news item about a bus-train collision, but hadn't realized that the bus was stuck on the tracks until this discussion suggested that and I looked it up. The news reports said Main Street in Biloxi, so I looked at that in Google Street View... and it has one of those signs. With the tug's wheels and the trailer's wheels each a couple of metres from the track (on each side), I don't see enough slope to look like a problem, but I can see how some trucks and that charter bus might have difficulty.
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Old 03-09-2017, 07:34 AM   #6
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Reading about the recent Bus- Train accident in Mississippi and wondering...anybody ever have an issue pulling an RV trailer and having a problem with these type "Low-ground clearance" or "hump" railroad crossings? Apparently there are about 30+ of these type crossings in Texas and many more nationwide.

Simple answer " Avoid Texas" , which is what we plan on doing until they get this crisis resolved . No sense in taking unnecessary chances when you can avoid the problem entirely. There are still 49 other states to visit , so why worry.
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Old 03-09-2017, 08:33 AM   #7
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Simple answer " Avoid Texas" , which is what we plan on doing until they get this crisis resolved . No sense in taking unnecessary chances when you can avoid the problem entirely. There are still 49 other states to visit , so why worry.
Seriously? These type of crossings probably exist in all 50 states. Why would you avoid traveling in a state where you have perhaps a one-in-a-thousand chance of encountering such a crossing? We've traveled all over the southwest, and have yet to encounter one that was a problem.

If you don't want to travel in Texas, or Oklahoma, or Mississippi, or wherever, that's great, but I wouldn't use the existence of a low ground clearance crossing as a deciding factor.
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Old 03-09-2017, 08:43 AM   #8
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Seriously? These type of crossings probably exist in all 50 states. Why would you avoid traveling in a state where you have perhaps a one-in-a-thousand chance of encountering such a crossing? We've traveled all over the southwest, and have yet to encounter one that was a problem.

If you don't want to travel in Texas, or Oklahoma, or Mississippi, or wherever, that's great, but I wouldn't use the existence of a low ground clearance crossing as a deciding factor.
The issue with the railroad crossings is "A" deciding factor not
"THE" deciding factor. It is more a ,been there , done that , no reason to do it / see it again thing. We really liked Georgia.
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Old 03-09-2017, 08:50 AM   #9
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The issue with the railroad crossings is "A" deciding factor not
"THE" deciding factor. It is more a ,been there , done that , no reason to do it / see it again thing. We really liked Georgia.
OK, that I understand. Once you've seen a place (and I grant you, Texas isn't the most scenic despite its size) you may want to explore someplace new instead.

My comment was specifically about the idea of avoiding a state because of such a hazard. Since there are road hazards across the country, that'd be pretty limiting.
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Old 03-09-2017, 08:54 AM   #10
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low ground clearance

If my trailer hangs up, I'll step on the gas pedal if a train is headed my way and I'll pull it clear. I love the big engines.
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Old 03-09-2017, 09:00 AM   #11
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To me it seems like we are trying to create an issue where there really isn't one. One the very rare occasion that it should occur, I would hope common sense would play out.

Seriously, this has never been a consideration of mine, and likely never will. Just one man's opinion.
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Old 03-09-2017, 09:04 AM   #12
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We have lived in railroad towns and crossed thousands of sets of tracks. As Brian stated, the problem described occurs when there is too much distance from the pivot point to the rear wheels like the sign shows involving the " Lo Boy" trailer. One caution that is for sure valid is to make sure the trailer jack post is completely retracted. Even gas station driveways can be a problem let alone railroad tracks. Of course your exterior checklist, if followed before towing will prevent this. As old Dad always said " Easy does it".
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Old 03-09-2017, 11:25 AM   #13
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OK, that I understand. Once you've seen a place (and I grant you, Texas isn't the most scenic despite its size) you may want to explore someplace new instead.

My comment was specifically about the idea of avoiding a state because of such a hazard. Since there are road hazards across the country, that'd be pretty limiting.
I took it that someone was kidding since that situation is likely somewhere in just about every state. I do not expect to have it with our little short trailers.
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Old 03-09-2017, 01:11 PM   #14
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Hi: All... Just read the news that a tour bus in Biloxi Miss. grounded out on a rail crossing. The bus was struck by a train killing at least 4 seniors on their way to a Casino. Alf
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Old 03-09-2017, 02:28 PM   #15
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Simple answer " Avoid Texas" , which is what we plan on doing until they get this crisis resolved . No sense in taking unnecessary chances when you can avoid the problem entirely. There are still 49 other states to visit , so why worry.
Couple of things: 1) 2 of the 4 people killed were high school friends of my wife. 2) Texas has a ton of these kind of crossings, but they are usually found where ancillary roads enter a major highway and have to cross a RR track (eg: coming out of oil fields or ranch country). I do not recall ever seeing a crossing on a regular road/street with enough rise to be of concern. I have had problems with dragging the rear of a 24' travel trailer going up inclines into parking lots, entrances to places, etc.
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Old 03-09-2017, 02:40 PM   #16
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Couple of things: 1) 2 of the 4 people killed were high school friends of my wife. 2) Texas has a ton of these kind of crossings, but they are usually found where ancillary roads enter a major highway and have to cross a RR track (eg: coming out of oil fields or ranch country). I do not recall ever seeing a crossing on a regular road/street with enough rise to be of concern. I have had problems with dragging the rear of a 24' travel trailer going up inclines into parking lots, entrances to places, etc.
Hi: JimJoplin... So sorry to read this post. Alf
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Old 03-09-2017, 03:20 PM   #17
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Note: Thread tangent ahead!:
There are any number of places to high-center. In January, after a nice drive along Historic Route 66, we stopped at the Railroad station/museum in Kingman, AZ. With the trailer, we had to park next door in a gravel area. When we pulled out, it was uphill to the sidewalk/driveway ramp, then on to the highway with a lower cutter and high crown in the center. "Scraaaape!".
I thought it was the tongue jack foot, but the right front BAL stabilizer foot had scraped, and caught on the lip between the sidewalk and the gravel, thus bending the BAL.
When we got home, I took the stabilizer off to straighten it, but the jack screw ("drive rod") was bent.
Solution: Called Norco Industries (mfr. of BAL products), they told me to call Colaw RV, their parts distributor, in the S.E. US. A week later, I had the replacement drive rod. Took 10 minutes to install. It took talking to 5 people on the phone, but all were nice, helpful, and knowlegeable.
Now I know to look more carefully at driveway and roadway transitions.
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Old 03-09-2017, 05:02 PM   #18
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Drive a tractor trailer for a living, we have a couple of tracks like that around here. Not a problem unless you're a "lowboy " trailer, they're only about 5 or 6 inches off the ground and traffic will grind to a halt when they get stuck. It is fun to wait around for the giant tow truck to show up and guess how much it's going to cost some poor driver
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Old 03-09-2017, 06:56 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
The issue with the railroad crossings is "A" deciding factor not
"THE" deciding factor. It is more a ,been there , done that , no reason to do it / see it again thing. We really liked Georgia.
Even GA has their fair share of vehicles getting stuck on rail crossings. People don't see the big warning signs until after the fact :-(
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Old 03-09-2017, 08:27 PM   #20
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Simple answer " Avoid Texas" , which is what we plan on doing until they get this crisis resolved

(there is no "crisis" and because of that, it will never be resolved)

. No sense in taking unnecessary chances when you can avoid the problem entirely. There are still 49 other states to visit , so why worry.
...these type crossing are EVERYWHERE(including Wi)...there are quite a few of them in my little area and as a near 3million mile, accident free commercial(18wheeler) driver, I have seen(and avoided) these crossings in darn near every state in the nation...sheeesh, try eastern NJ or maybe Chicago if you wanna see difficult rail crossings......
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p.s. I can think of a few reasons to avoid Tx, but, that is not one of them...................mj
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