Crossbuck
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A crossbuck is a traffic sign used to indicate a level railway crossing. It is composed of two slats of wood or metal of equal length, fastened together on a pole in a saltire formation (resembling the letter X). Crossbucks are often supplemented by electrical warnings of flashing lights, a bell, and/or a boom barrier that descends to block the road and prevent traffic from crossing the tracks.
Vienna ConventionEdit
The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, a multilateral treaty of the United Nations with the intention of standardizing traffic signs around the world, prescribes several different regulations for the "crossbuck" sign.
The sign should consist of two arms not less than Template:Convert long, crossed in the form of an File:Emojione BW 2716.svg. The first model may have a white or yellow background with a thick red or black border. The second model may have a white or yellow background with a thin black border and an inscription, for example, "railroad crossing", "railway crossing", etc. If lateral clearance obstructs the placement of the sign, it may be rotated 90° so that its points are directed vertically. If used at a level crossing with more than one track, a half cross or a supplementary plate stating the number of tracks may be added below.
It specified these models:
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-1.svg
Several countries in the world base their crossbucks on this model.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-2.svg
Finland, Greece, and Nigeria base their crossbucks on this model.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-1-EA.svg
Cambodia, France, Francophone Africa, Haiti and Monaco base their crossbucks on this model. France use a grey target board.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-2-EA.svg
Former Eastern Bloc countries base their crossbucks on this model.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28c-V1-1.svg
Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and the Philippines base their crossbucks on this model. The former two countries may use a red target board.
It also specified multi-track models:
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28b-V1-1.svg
Several countries in the world base their crossbucks on this model.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28b-V1-2.svg
Finland, Greece, and Nigeria base their crossbucks on this model.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28b-V1-1-EA.svg
Cambodia, France, Francophone Africa, Haiti and Monaco base their crossbucks on this model. France use a grey target board.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28b-V1-2-EA.svg
Former Eastern Bloc countries base their crossbucks on this model.
- Vienna Convention road sign A-28c-V3-1.svg
Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and the Philippines base their crossbucks on this model.
Variants around the worldEdit
Template:Multiple image In the United States, the crossbuck carries the words "rail" and "road" on one arm and "crossing" on the other ("rail" and "road" are separated by the "crossing" arm), in black text on a white background. Older variants simply used black and white paint; newer installations use a reflective white material with non-reflective lettering. Some antique U.S. crossbucks were painted in other color schemes, and used glass "cat's eye" reflectors on the letters to make them stand out. Other countries, such as China, also use this layout, but with appropriately localized terms. Often, a supplemental sign below the crossbuck indicates the number of tracks at the crossing.
A special kind of crossing sign assembly was introduced on an experimental basis in Ohio in 1992, the "Buckeye Crossbuck". It included an enhanced crossbuck, reflective and with red lettering, and also a reflective plate reading "YIELD" below the crossbuck, whose sides are bent backwards in order to catch and reflect at a right angle the light of an approaching train. The experiment's final report gave the device a favorable review;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> however, the plate, R15-9 "Crossbuck Shield", was rejected for inclusion in the 2003 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.<ref>Template:Federal Register (2003-11-20) "Given the strong response opposing the proposal, the FHWA believes that the proposal of the Crossbuck Shield was premature and removes all text and graphic references regarding the Crossbuck Shield sign from this final rule."</ref>
Template:Multiple image In Canada, crossbucks have a red border and no lettering. These were installed in the 1980s shortly after English-French bilingualism was made official, replacing signs of a style similar to those used in the U.S., except the word "railway" was used instead of "railroad" and in certain areas the words "traverse de chemin de fer" were used.
In Mexico, the crossbucks read "cruces ferrocarril", a literal translation of its U.S. counterpart. Older designs read "cuidado con el tren", meaning "beware of the train".
In Argentina, the most common legend is "peligro ferrocarril" ("danger: railroad"). Other crosses also read "cuidado con los trends – pare mire escuche ("beware of the trains – stop, look, listen") for the Ferrocarril Belgrano, "paso a nivel – ferro carril" for the Ferrocarril Mitre and "cuiado con los trenes" ("beware of the trains") for the Ferrocarril Roca.
In parts of Europe, the cross is white with red trimmings or ends, sometimes on a rectangular background; in Finland and Greece the cross is yellow, trimmed with red.
Taiwan uses two crossbucks: a version with a yellow and black cross, and one with the cross in white with a red border. A special symbol in the center indicates an electric railroad crossing, cautioning road users about excessive height cargo that may contact the electric wires.
In Australia, the crossbuck is a St Andrews Cross as in Europe, but uses words and the same color as the American crossbuck. In contrast to the American "railroad crossing", Australian signs say "railway crossing" or "tramway crossing". (Most cases where a tram in its own right-of-way crosses a road do not use a crossbuck and so are regular intersections rather than level crossings.)
Different countries may classify the sign differently. For example, in Australia it is considered a regulatory sign, while in close neighbour New Zealand it is considered a warning sign. Some countries, such as Australia, France, New Zealand, Slovakia and Slovenia may place the crossbuck design on a "target board", while other countries quite often do not. In the United Kingdom, it is only used for crossings with no barriers or signal lights.
Crossbucks of the worldEdit
- Italian traffic signs - croce di S.Andrea.svg
Albania, Burundi, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, San Marino, Sierra Leone
- Bangladesh road sign B47 A.svg
Anglophone Africa, Anglophone Caribbean (Lesser Antilles), Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran (variant used for railway crossings without gates and lights),Template:Efn Kuwait, Qatar, United Kingdom
- Australia R6-25.svg
Australia (variant)
- Gefahrenzeichen 6d liegend.svg
Austria, Israel, Liechtenstein, Switzerland
- Gefahrenzeichen 6d.svg
Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland (vertical)
- Gefahrenzeichen 6d Tafel.svg
Austria (variant)
- Belgian traffic sign A45.svg
Belgium
- HR road sign A37.svg
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany (horizontal), Malaysia, North Macedonia, Slovakia
- Brasil A-41a.svg
Brazil
- BG road sign А34.1.svg
Bulgaria
- Canadian Railroad Crossing Sign.svg
Canada
- Canadian Railway Crossbuck (with red backing board).png
Canada (former)
- Canadian Railway Crossing Sign (English) (old).svg
Canada (former)
- Canadian Railway Crossing Sign (French) (old).svg
Canada (formerly used in Quebec)
- SIECA road sign R-1-6.svg
Central America
- Chile road sign PI-2a.svg
Chile and Colombia
- Colombia road sign SP-54 (old).svg
Colombia (former)
- Denmark road sign A74.1.svg
Denmark
- 153-53 Výstražný kríž (nad vozovkou, elektrifikovaná trať).svg
Germany and Slovakia (variant used for electrified railway crossings)
- 153-51 Výstražný kríž (vedľa vozovky, elektrifikovaná trať).svg
Germany, Iran,Template:Efn Slovakia (vertical, variant used for electrified railway crossings)
- MUTCD R15-1.svg
Jamaica and United States
- Taiwan Railway Crossbuck (black and yellow).svg
Japan and Taiwan
- MX road sign SIR-9.svg
Mexico
- Nederlands verkeersbord J12.svg
Netherlands and Suriname
- New Zealand road sign W15-3.1.svg
New Zealand (variant)
- NO road sign 138.1.svg
Norway
- Panama crossbuck.svg
Panama
- Peru road sign P-44.svg
Peru
- PL road sign G-3.svg
Poland
- RO road sign A51.svg
Romania
- RO road sign A49.svg
Romania (variant used for railway crossings without gates and lights)
- South Korea Railway Crossbuck.svg
South Korea
- Sweden road sign A39-1.svg
Sweden
- Thai Railroad Crossing Sign.svg
Thailand
- Inverted Railroad Crossbuck.png
United States (inverted variant)
- Buckeye Railroad Crossbuck.png
United States (experimental version used in Ohio for a time)
- United States Black Railroad Crossbuck.png
United States (variant, former)
- Venezuela road sign P3-16.svg
Venezuela
Multiple tracksEdit
Several countries use a sign to indicate that multiple tracks must be crossed at a level crossing. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S., a sign is mounted beneath the crossbuck (above the warning light assembly, if any) with the number of tracks. Many European countries use multiple crossbucks or additional chevrons ("half-crossbucks") below the first one. Taiwan also uses half-crossbucks below the regular crossbuck.
- Italian traffic signs - Doppia croce di Sant'Andrea.svg
Albania, Burundi, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, San Marino, Sierra Leone
- Bangladesh road sign B47 B.svg
Anglophone Africa, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran (variant used for railway crossings without gates and lights),Template:Efn Kuwait
- Australia R6-25 (multiple tracks).svg
Australia (variant)
- Gefahrenzeichen 6d doppelt liegend.svg
Austria and Israel
- Gefahrenzeichen 6d doppelt.svg
Austria (vertical)
- Gefahrenzeichen 6d doppelt Tafel.svg
Austria (variant)
- Belgian traffic sign A47.svg
Belgium
- HR road sign A37-1.svg
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia
- Brasil A-41b.svg
Brazil
- BG road sign А34.2.svg
Bulgaria
- Chile PI-2b.svg
Chile
- Colombia road sign SP-54 (2 tracks).svg
Colombia
- Denmark road sign A74.2.svg
Denmark
- Nederlands verkeersbord J13.svg
Netherlands and Suriname
- New Zealand PW-14b (multiple tracks).svg
New Zealand (variant)
- NO road sign 138.2.svg
Norway
- Peru road sign P-44A.svg
Peru
- PL road sign G-4.svg
Poland
- RO road sign A52.svg
Romania
- RO road sign A50.svg
Romania (variant used for railway crossings without gates and lights)
- Sweden road sign A39-3.svg
Sweden
- MUTCD Sign Assembly - R15-1 with R15-2P.svg
United States
- Venezuela road sign P3-16-1.svg
Venezuela
Advance warningEdit
Several countries include the crossbuck icon on their railway crossing ahead warning signs. In Argentina, railway crossing ahead signs used a common red-bordered triangle defaced with a black steam locomotive icon placed on white background according Vienna Convention as well as the most other countries in the world outside of the Americas.Template:Efn
- Vienna Convention road sign Aa-26b-V1.svg
Vienna Convention sign (triangular shape, used in the Philippines for railway crossings without gates and lights)
- Vienna Convention road sign Ab-26b-V1.svg
Vienna Convention sign (diamond shape, used in most Latin American countries except Argentina and formerly used in Ireland for railway crossings without gates and lights)
- Australia road sign W7-4.svg
Australia, Ecuador, Fiji, New Zealand
- Australia Rail Crossing sign (W7-3).svg
Australia (former) and Jamaica
- Australia RX-7 (R).svg
Australia (side road)
- Australia RX-11.svg
Australia (variant with warning lights)
- CA-MUTCDC WA-018.svg
Canada (current)
- Canadian Advance Railway Crossing Ahead (old).svg
Canada (former)
- Panama P-41.svg
Panama (variant for railroad crossings without gates but with lights)
- Philippines road sign W7-3.svg
Philippines
- MUTCD W10-1.svg
United States
- MUTCD Sign Assembly - W10-1 with W10-1aP.svg
United States (exempt railroad crossing, the usual requirement for commercial and mass transit vehicles to stop at the crossing regardless of activity on the line need not be obeyed)