Railroad and Crossing Signs
Railroad and Crossing Signs
Railroad signs warn of tracks and tell you where to stop, look, and listen. Indiana has many at-grade crossings, so the exam tests both active crossings (lights and gates) and passive ones (signs only).
Core rules
- The crossbuck is a white X-shaped sign reading RAILROAD CROSSING; it means yield to trains, and you must stop if a train is approaching.
- A round yellow sign with R R is the advance warning sign, placed before the crossing.
- A number plaque such as 2 TRACKS means a second train may follow the first; wait until you are sure all tracks are clear.
- Flashing red lights mean stop; gates mean stop and never drive around them.
- At a passive crossing with no lights or gates, slow down, look both ways, and listen; do not rely on the train horn.
- Never stop on the tracks; if traffic is backed up, wait before the crossing until you can clear it.
Worked example
You approach a crossbuck with a 2 TRACKS plaque. A train passes from left to right, and the crossing appears clear. The correct action is to wait and look again before proceeding, because the plaque warns that a second train could come from the other direction on the second track. Proceeding as soon as the first train clears is the classic error the plaque is designed to prevent.
Traps
A crossbuck is a yield sign, not a stop sign - but you must stop when a train is coming. Do not assume the lights have failed just because no train is visible; they may be activated by an approaching train you cannot see. Never drive around a lowered gate.