Motorhome at a Passive Two-Track Crossing
You are driving a 30-foot motorhome southbound on a two-lane road at 45 mph. You approach a passive railroad crossing marked only with a crossbuck and a '2 TRACKS' sign. A white stop line is 12 feet before the nearest rail, but it is faded and partly covered by gravel. The crossing has no gates or lights. A pickup truck ahead of you crosses the tracks, then stops 40 feet beyond the crossing to make a left turn into a driveway. Your vehicle is 8 feet wide and 11 feet tall. The road beyond the crossing slopes uphill, and your loaded motorhome accelerates slowly. The nearest rail to the stop line is 12 feet. A train is not visible, but the crossing angle is shallow and trees block the view to the right until you are within 30 feet of the track. The speed limit is 45 mph.
1. Where should you stop, and does the faded stop line change your obligation?
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The crossbuck requires you to yield to trains; because the view is blocked and the vehicle beyond the tracks may force you to stop, you must stop before entering. The stop line 12 feet before the nearest rail is the intended stopping point if you can see it. A faded line does not erase the geometry: stop with your front bumper at or before the line, not with any part of the motorhome on the tracks. If the line is obscured, use the crossbuck post and pavement edge as cues and stop far enough back to see past the trees, at least 15 feet from the nearest rail. Open your window, turn off the fan and radio, and look both ways.
2. The pickup stops 40 feet beyond the tracks to turn left. Do you follow? What is the risk with a 30-foot motorhome?
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No. The pickup's stopping point does not leave enough room for your 30-foot motorhome plus a safety gap. If you pull forward and stop behind the pickup, your rear bumper could still be on or near the rails, especially because the road slopes uphill and your loaded motorhome accelerates slowly. The space beyond the crossing is only about 40 feet minus the pickup's overhang; you need at least your vehicle length plus 10-15 feet beyond the farthest rail before you commit. Wait until the pickup turns and clears, then verify that the space beyond the tracks is clear before crossing.
3. How does the '2 TRACKS' sign affect your scan, and what should you do if a train appears after you start across?
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The '2 TRACKS' sign means you must check each track separately. A train on the near track can hide a second train on the far track moving the opposite way. After one train passes, do not immediately proceed; look and listen again. If a train appears after you have started across, do not stop on the tracks. Keep moving to clear the crossing if the path ahead is clear. If you have not entered, stop. This is why you must not enter until the space beyond the tracks is clear: stopping on the rails is the dangerous outcome.