Railroad Crossing Signs, Signals, and Pavement Markings
Railroad crossings combine advance signs, crossbucks, signal devices, and pavement markings. The Missouri exam tests whether you know which devices require a stop and how to clear a crossing safely.
Core rules
- A round yellow advance sign with an X and "R/R" warns of a railroad crossing ahead. Slow down, look both ways, and listen; trains can be quieter and faster than they appear.
- The crossbuck is a white X-shaped sign with "RAILROAD CROSSING" lettering. It means yield to trains. At a passive crossing with no lights or gates, stop only if a train is approaching.
- Flashing red lights require a stop. Gates require a stop, and you must remain stopped until the gate rises and the lights stop flashing.
- Pavement markings may include an "R/R" symbol, a stop line, and a no-passing zone before the tracks. Never stop on the tracks; if your vehicle stalls, get everyone out and move away.
- Multiple tracks require caution: one train can hide another. Do not proceed as soon as one train passes.
Worked example
A driver sees flashing red lights and a lowered gate at a crossing. The driver stops behind the stop line and waits. Even after a train passes, the driver waits for the gate to rise and the lights to stop, then looks both ways before crossing.
Traps
The crossbuck is not a stop sign at every crossing; it is a yield sign. Do not try to beat a train or drive around a lowered gate. If a signal appears defective, stop and proceed only when you are certain no train is coming.