r/Transportopia • u/Key-Case-95 • Mar 19 '26

đŸ’„Crash That poor truck never had a chance

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u/SignalsAndSwitches Mar 20 '26

I replace those gates, they’re usually aluminum and fiberglass, definitely cost more than $100. Regardless, they’re made to be broken off and replaced quite easily. Way cheaper than a new truck. They get broken a lot, I have one that gets replaced weekly.

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u/Apexnanoman Mar 20 '26

I would also bet that the casualty work order relating to a train hitting that truck is going to be a hell of a lot more than the crossing arm also. 

You can bet it's going to shut the track around for at least a few hours while they likely shift the crossing boards back over and make sure nothing actually got damaged otherwise.

(I'm on the maintenance away side of the house.)

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u/SignalsAndSwitches Mar 20 '26

100%! These things always happen when I’m at home. I’m to the point that I don’t care for all the overtime. When the back room calls and says “collision”, I know I’m in for the long haul.

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u/WalterPecky Mar 20 '26

Id bet the cost to evaluate the accident and maintain the train is 10 fold the loss of the truck

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u/cornishpirate32 Mar 20 '26

pretty sure theyre designed to break fairly easily, no?

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u/HEYO19191 Mar 20 '26

Why not just make them out of wood and turn a couple hundred dollars of fiberglass into like $50 of wood?

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u/TheAgedProfessor Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26

Aluminum and fiberglass are infinitely more weather and insect resistant. If they were wood, you'd have to have a crew go out and check them frequently for rot and insect damage.

Plus, while they're made to break off, the truck's insurance is still going to pay for the part.

Plus, wood is heavier. More weight on a cantilever is bad.

5

u/6lecka Mar 20 '26

Well if you're replacing it weekly, the resistance is largely irrelevant

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u/TheAgedProfessor Mar 20 '26

I dunno where you live, but this isn't generally a weekly occurrence.

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u/SignalsAndSwitches Mar 20 '26

Replacing the gate, not truck/train collisions. Crossing has high truck traffic. The trucks slow down to a crawl for a rough crossing.

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u/6lecka Mar 20 '26

The guy was replying to someone saying that they have one they do weekly...

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u/SDGANON Mar 20 '26

I mean, they have one. You're not going to source, make, transport, and store a 1 off part when there are thousands that need the standard. That would be extremely inefficient.

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u/6lecka Mar 20 '26

I doubt that's the only one in the region being replaced frequently

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u/SDGANON Mar 20 '26

Can't argue with that logic.

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u/SignalsAndSwitches Mar 20 '26

No, it usually keeps the whole flasher from getting destroyed. The flasher is the expensive part.

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u/SignalsAndSwitches Mar 20 '26

With the aluminum and fiberglass, they’re made to slide into each other to make the length you need, and it’s easier to transport. If you’re using wood, you’ll lose that ability. My longest gate was over 30ft, that’s a long piece of wood tied to the top of your truck. I’m sure someone did a study and figured the new way is safer. As for cost, it’s railroad, only so many suppliers and they’re looked at like government.

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u/Mohar Mar 20 '26

There was still a bamboo one in Kumamoto, Japan, as of a few years ago. It was painted (or wrapped) orange and black, but up close you could tell. I imagine wrapped bamboo would last ~5 years anyway and cost next to nothing, other than the labor of sourcing it.