[Jolly Amaranto]

The logic behind the crossing gates is kind of "Fail Safe" in that if there is a malfunction, the gates go down and close the crossing until the railroad signal maintainers can check it out and repair it. If gate and warning lights were not working and stayed open, a train would not trigger them and crossing collisions would be a big risk. They would be held liable for anything. If the gate is down and appears to be malfunctioning, the crossing is closed so turn around and go somewhere else. There is a phone number on each crossing control box or on the mast holding the gate or lights. There is also a unique number assigned to that location. If you call the phone number and give that location number, the railroad will be right on it if they were not already aware there was a problem. This number is also important if a vehicle is stalled or a trailer is high centered on the tracks. The dispatcher will alert any train approaching that location and hopefully get them stopped before they collide with anything.