Valley Road Railroad Crossing, Reno, NV
2,286 views · Published 24 November 2018 · 4:06 · Indexed 28 September 2026
Channel: freebrickproductions · 2018 · Science & Technology
*originally recorded on 10-30-18* Signal on the left: 4 pairs of Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights with Electro-tech LEDs and a Federal Signal mechanical bell. Signal on the right: 3 pairs of Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights with Electro-tech LEDs and a Federal Signal mechanical bell. After getting the train at Link Lane, I went on down to this crossing, having to wait a little while as the train switched a customer or two up at Parr Boulevard, picking up two tank cars in the process. At first we see them heading across the bridge over McCarran Boulevard (NV 659) in the background, before they make their appearance at the crossing. This is another crossing along the line that I'm quite glad I recorded, as it's another all-Federal Signal install, save for the LEDs. Interestingly enough, it appears that not only is the only gateless crossing that isn't near either end of the line, it's also the only gateless crossing to use mast signals along the UP Reno Industrial Lead. The crossing is also located right next to one of the many "horseshoe" curves along the line, which were put in to help the railroad traverse the mountains in what's now northern Reno without having steep grades. As such, both this crossing and Link Lane allow one to watch the train approaching before it reaches the crossing, without having to turn towards the side and look down the track, at least when it's heading back south. However, at Link Lane, the curve is much wider, meaning the train is much smaller in the shot, in addition to being obscured by a couple of large buildings, so I opted not to include a similar shot at the beginning of that video. These curves also make it a bit easier to chase trains along this line, as two interesting crossings near each other can sometimes be a lot closer by road than by rail.
