Wig Wag Railroad Crossing in Hawthorne, CA

[lionelkid456]

Cool!

[singwith]

@lionelkid456 Thanks!

[lionelkid456]

@singwith :)

[lionelkid456]

@singwith They should really fixed the bell on that wig wag.

[6891man]

Burned out light bulb on the wigwag.

[singwith]

@6891man They fixed it and I got new video of this.

[SpiritsoftheWolf]

i saw that wig wag crossing light in rosebud, and it has sat there for a long time, the tracks is out of service now, and i finally got my camera, and went back to get a video of it, it was gone, those things are RARE now!!!

[TheViRoCo]

Nice Catch with the gensets!

[singwith]

@TheViRoCo Thanks!

[breadboyplaysguitar]

how often do trains come through here?

[singwith]

@breadboyplaysguitar two or three times a week.

[crossoverkid12]

That's an interesting railroad crossing.

[januarygurlguzzard92]

I wonder how the bottom got bent?

[tartopfan]

@januarygurlguzzard92 I bet you a truck wacked the hell out of it

[WPRR1]

They should take it down and get it repaired.

[phillyslasher]

Awww, just think of how many generations of young BB gun weilding youths spent their summers "playing" with that wigwag. Shit, I know I did. lol Those things were cool, there was one on the street my grandma lived on in Rialto but motorist wouldn't notice it and would get hit by the train from time to time.

[calif1mc]

@phillyslasher Nice, thanks for admitting the vandalism.

[phillyslasher]

@calif1mc I'm a monster

[ChaosDemonwolf]

I did...........i got videos of wig-wags........the delux versons complete with crossing gates.....oh......sorry.......­....i just realised.......this is a ''working' crossing?........get the red light fixed, and straighten out the bango

[ChaosDemonwolf]

I did...........i got videos of wig-wags........the delux versons complete with crossing gates

[Trance1972]

I haven't seen one of these in years

[crossinggate84]

That signal is sad. It's just clicking.

[BoomerangTown]

We got some of these at my zoo for the zoo railroad.

[singwith]

@BoomerangTown where is it?

[BoomerangTown]

@singwith Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska there 2 of them and 2 other signals that are different

[singwith]

@BoomerangTown btw, I was in Omaha back in NOV 2010. it was raining/snowing and not able to look around the town.

[BoomerangTown]

@singwith downtown pretty much big with the new stadium our older stadium Rosenblatt by my work the zoo we going to knock that down with the wrecking ball to make the zoo bigger.

[BoomerangTown]

@singwith usually only 1 works 1 never seens to work they get maintain by the volunteer Union Pacific works but seen to break down the other 1 usually works sometimes it red light comes on make the bell noise and go up and down other wise some days it just comes on with the red light only

[paullubliner]

All I want to do is straighten out that banner. It hurts to look at it!

[singwith]

@paullubliner they did but they could not fix 100%.

[paullubliner]

@singwith I sincerely doubt they tried. It's sheet steel, it can easily be straightened out.

[singwith]

@paullubliner I have photos.

[paullubliner]

@singwith Photos of what? Them not using a torch and then flattening it with a planishing hammer?

[SWTexan82]

that is one cool signal, I remember there were a couple on the SP line south of Dallas but theyve been gone since at least the mid 90s. Glad to see a few still doing their job.

[singwith]

@SWTexan82 Thanks for the comment.

[DonutKingDx]

thats dangerous, people today are used to seeing blinking lights when a train is coming

[paullubliner]

@DonutKingDx: Hey from your name and the content of your comment, may I ask if you are the Police?

[BBT609]

Either something is inside the gong stopping its sound, or its just needs a new one

[Tabooaustin]

cool ! is it still there today? Fix the bell too... great post

[singwith]

@Tabooaustin yea, it's still there. Thanks!

[singwith]

@dumbasscracker lol yea.

[mafarnz]

For all those people commenting about how "bad" the bell is, stop it! That's how the bells on wig wags sound, unless there was an additional bell added.

[cmallport]

@mafarnz

This is not the case. The bell needs to be tuned for full resonance. This wig wag just needs a little TLC

[yakridersky]

Heh. Used to throw rocks at that wigwag when I was in grammar school at Eucalyptus. Well, to tell the truth. I threw rocks at it clear into Jr High. I suppose it was the thing to do; maybe a rite of passage., like "the won't let you be a kid unless you throw rocks at the railroad signs." (...and put pennies on the tracks behind the YMCA on Ramona..._)

[publica74]

@yakridersky Holy Shit!!! I went to the YMCA on Ramona '81-85!!

[TrainzMovies]

Okay, who the hell with the high load hit that wig wag. I will personally throw a WRRS minibell at their face. Okay, no I won't, but I'd pay a maintainer to go straighten it out.

[johnmventre]

I really HATE graffitti on freight trains !! Thats a brand new engine with graffitti on it.What a shame !

[27thCrown]

There was a crap load of wig wags pre-alameda Corridor days all along Randolph and Alameda St.

[racksandrazors]

How come the light wasnt activated

[singwith]

@racksandrazors they need to change the lightbulb.

[racksandrazors]

@singwith Well why dont they get on that man its unsafe not to have a lightbulb on

[TheMattsbro]

@singwith they also need to change the bell in my opinion

[singwith]

@TheMattsbro yea, I think so too.

[DeserTBoB93535]

That same signal flagged many a Red Car in its day, and is STILL working...without maintenance!

[singwith]

@DeserTBoB93535 wish they change the light bulb.....

[DeserTBoB93535]

@singwith Oh, there's a way to get THAT done. Call the FRA and the local police agency. I guarantee you they'll have stUPid out there in record time!

[singwith]

@DeserTBoB93535 yea, but UP might remove the wigwag instead.

[snapthecrap3]

@singwith hence the stUPid

[DeserTBoB93535]

@DeserTBoB93535 That would be stUPid logic...spend a couple of grand to have a crew take down a signal (illegally) rather than send a maintainer out to pop in a $4 lightbulb. The logic of that RR escapes me comopletely these days. Remember the one at Old Colton at 9th and O? That one got mowed over by a semi, and rather than fix or replace it, they just took off with it and replaced it with nothing....which is illegal.

[GunMetalJeep45]

awesome! Wig Wag AND Gensets!!!!! very nice!

[singwith]

@GunMetalJeep45 Thanks!

[train2589]

it looks like a semi hit and bent the light part of it.

[singwith]

@train2589 I see, may be that's why? I thought someone did it.

[GoldenCreekValleyRR]

ugh i dont like that engine! i wish we had a wig wag in indiana.

[singwith]

@GoldenCreekValleyRR yea,. Genset engines are everywhere in SoCal.

[myrealghostbusters]

what happen to that signal, and why is the bell so poor sounding?

[singwith]

@myrealghostbusters IDK. may be no one knows how to fix it?

[robertgift]

@myrealghostbusters The bell's clapper mechanism wears or the lubrication becomes dirty.

Needs adjustment and probably cleaning and relubrication.

The 10-volt lightbulb is also out.

[UP5853]

That wig wag needs some TLC

[metroareatransit]

old junk

[turnoutjim]

I spent the early years of my life on this street. My grandfather, who worked for ATSF for a while would take me down the street to watch the El Segundo turn go by. During these walks, he would tell me of his life and the road and it's there that I, too, fell in love with the railroad. I currently work for the UP and have worked on these units. I guess, I've come full circle. thanks for posting this.

[singwith]

@turnoutjim That must be early 90s? now almost everything is changed. no more go through trains on the BNSF harbor sub. How's your life as railroader? I hope you enjoy what you are in now. Thanks for the comment.

[turnoutjim]

@singwith Actually, it's a little bit further than that. My grandfather worked for the Santa Fe back during WWII, He ran out of Winslow, AZ to Gallup, NM. having grown up in Hawthorne, I used to drive down Avaition in hopes of seeing a freight coming or going. Life on the RR is good, it pays the bills and it's actually quite a sense of satisfaction seeing a train go by with units that you worked on the previous day. And no, I haven't gotten tired of horns!

[DetroitLove4U]

I reside in the Long Beach area and I recall that off Wardlow just East of the Wardlow/Cherry Intersection en route to nowadays Boeing Aircraft - there was a wig wag rail crossing but the FUNNIEST thing to me why I thought they had and left those wig wags there was because the line ended roughly there nearly 250 feet from that crossing. There was a small lumber outfit juxtaposed near mid way on that remaining stretch of line. That line was removed about 12years ago with the wig wags!!!

[singwith]

Thanks for sharing your memory.

[mannyzx1]

That's so cool! Great vid. Being in the L.A. Area, and the majority of our great people being, um... Dumb. They wouldn't appreciate something like this. I'm surprised they haven't replaced it. Must be a lightly traveled railroad. Wonderful Video! Kudos! (BTW, what kind of train is that? Anyone know?)

[singwith]

Thanks.

[robertgift]

Usually a single wigwag signal would be on the OTHER side of the track.

If on your right when approaching it, it would be on the other side of the track. (Beyond)

If on your left, it would be on YOUR side of the track.

[singwith]

I'm confused! but I have seen one in Fresno, CA that Wig Wag was on the right side.

[robertgift]

Having a SINGLE wigwag signal on your side of the track is a disadvantage to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction.

To make it more equitable, a single signal seen on your right should be on the other side of the track.

If seen on your left, it should be on your side of the track.

This signal is incorrectly installed.

(But they were probably making use of the existing pole so had no choice.)

[danosf]

@robertgift They were done both ways.

[robertgift]

Well done video!

Remarkable steady for no tripod.

Thanks.

Why did it start again?

Crossing signal track detection circuit problem?

[singwith]

thanks!  somehow the train was slowing down and the wig wag re-activated again.

[robertgift]

Remarkabl[y] steady video!

That wigwag bell's "clapper" needs a simple readjustment.

Also, I have the 10-volt light bulb for that signal.

Probably the same as in regular (o)-(o) lamps.

The signal should not have reactivated. Slowing should not do that.

My wigwag signal has a black rubber hose 2/3rds up the metal shaft, maybe a radiator hose, which allows the signal to flex so the metal disk is not as damaged.

[danosf]

@robertgift The flexible pipe was more to protect the armature than the disc. The disc can be easily repaired. An armature break would require that the entire motor box be replaced.

[onthatone]

I have never seen one of these before, maybe I live in a cave, too bad the red light didn't work, thanks for posting!

[singwith]

well, unless you like trains, you don't even notice these tiny signals. :D

[foxthorne]

At the end of the video, did the wigwag reactivate when the train escaped

[singwith]

Yea, it did because the train stopped at Hawthorne Bl.

[microbusss]

wow wish I could find that signal someday

[singwith]

you might find one like this one at any RR museum.

[piperhalliwell2009]

that one wig wag was bented

[singwith]

I know... it's very strange that happened like that.

[foxthorne]

A tractor trailer must of passed under it

[spacecalander]

wig wag signals should be on entire line through donner pass :) great catch

[singwith]

lol...

[Spokker]

They should put these on the Gold Line Eastside Extension.

[singwith]

yeah they should.

[Coasterrider210]

wow that was awesome

[singwith]

Thanks!

[singwith]

Thanks!

[Lightwolf333]

Old meets new LOL! Nice catch Snuff. 5*****

[singwith]

Thanks!

[AmtrakBoys]

how did it get dented like that?

[singwith]

I don't know. It's very strange...

[ANDREWAMTRAK]

Are the ones in Anaheim still there?

[singwith]

Yeah, I think it's still there & want to take a look sometime soon.

[GregInCalifornia]

Cool!

[singwith]

Thanks!

[CoasterFan2105]

That wigwag sounds dead, lol. Nice job Snuffy. And congrads on the new HD camera.

[singwith]

Yeah, thanks!

[Amtrakdavis22]

You got to love wig wags.

[singwith]

Oh yeah!

[HighIronofWisconsin]

Nice wigwag video. Somebody should bend that banner back into shape.

[singwith]

Thanks! Yea, not sure how did that happen....

[fleecejackets]

Awesome catch! Wig-Wags are so cool. Great video!

(PS, good to see a Gen-set tagged!)

[singwith]

Thanks!

[singwith]

Thanks!

[Chicagojoe28]

WOW Brand Now Gensets Old Wig wags! Those are Very Rare!!!!

[singwith]

Yes it is rare but we got five of them in L.A/OC area. thanks!

[Chicagojoe28]

Cool! The only time I saw a real one was at the IRM.

[Satsc2]

Wow that wig wag has seen better days lol. Great video like always!!

[singwith]

Thanks!