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At-grade railroad crossings put a road and railway on the same level. Road511 reported 126,002 public at-grade crossings in its North American production database on August 20, 2026, out of 162,284 public crossings in total. That is a vendor-reported database snapshot, not an independently verified current count from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
What “at-grade” means
An at-grade crossing is where a highway and railroad meet at the same level. At a grade-separated crossing, the highway instead passes over or under the railroad. The distinction matters for routing: a bridge or underpass avoids a road-and-track intersection at that location, while an at-grade crossing brings them together.
The FRA’s crossing inventory includes both types. The agency says the inventory supports public information and planning for crossing-safety improvements.
What the 126,002 figure counts
Road511 said its North American production database contained 162,284 public crossings on August 20, 2026. It classified 126,002 as at grade and 36,282 as grade separated. Those figures describe Road511’s snapshot; the FRA pages reviewed confirm the inventory’s scope and definitions but do not independently verify these totals as a current federal count.
#1 Best Overall
- Bright Colors for Eye-Catching Detail: Featuring vivid color designs, these traffic signals stand out in sand tables, dioramas, or model layouts, enhancing visual interest and realism in any miniature train scene
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Road511 says its feed covers public crossings, not private ones. Its account also says 32,674 records had no warning-device code. A missing code means the device type is unknown in that record; it does not establish that the crossing has no warning protection. These are limitations Road511 reports about the data it serves, not independently audited nationwide findings.
Why crossing type can matter to commercial drivers
Federal rules require certain commercial motor vehicles to stop at railroad crossings at grade, with exceptions. The FRA/FHWA handbook’s summary of 49 CFR 392.10 says a covered driver stops no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the tracks, then looks and listens in each direction and determines that no train is approaching. The regulation contains exceptions, so this summary is not an exhaustive list or a substitute for checking the current rule and its applicability to a particular vehicle or trip.
Rank #2
- REALISTIC RAILROAD CROSSING SOUNDS – Built-in speaker automatically triggers authentic train crossing sounds whenever a toy train rolls over the track piece, adding immersive, interactive play to any wooden railway layout. Includes a convenient ON/OFF switch so parents can silence the sound when needed.
- UNIVERSALLY COMPATIBLE WITH ALL WOODEN TRAIN TRACKS – The plastic track piece connects seamlessly to all major brands of wooden railway systems, making it a perfect add-on accessory for any existing train set layout without any modifications required.
- WOODEN RAILROAD CROSSING SIGN INCLUDED – Comes with a detailed wooden Railroad Crossing sign featuring a classic crossbuck design with signal lights, bringing realistic scenery and visual excitement to your child's train layout.
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This makes crossing type relevant when planning a route for a covered vehicle: an at-grade crossing may bring a stop requirement that a grade-separated crossing does not. A crossing inventory can help identify where tracks and roads intersect, but the record alone does not say whether a train is approaching or provide a live route-safety decision.
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How to look up a crossing
The FRA’s Rail Crossing Locator supports searches by DOT crossing identification number, address, or location. It provides crossing inventory records and collision-history information. Treat these as inventory and historical information, not a live train-location feed; records are updated through the inventory system rather than as a real-time account of conditions.
Rank #3
- Reference Scale: 1:87,Suitable for HO scale.
- Size:approx. 6.1cm or 2.4inch.
- Operating Voltage: 12V, DC Compatible.Operating Current: 20mA.
- Material: Metal &Plastic.
- Package included: 1 Railroad crossing signals, including 1 Resistor for 9~18V operation. 1 Circuit board flasher.
If there is an emergency at a crossing
For an emergency, use the blue-and-white Emergency Notification System sign at the crossing and provide the crossing identification number to the responder or railroad contact listed there. The locator also provides emergency-notification information, but the posted sign is the on-site reference.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- HO scale accessory set
- Realistic decoration
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- Create realistic scenes by combining Plasticville U.S.A. buildings and accessories
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- Authentic Looking Crossing Gate
- Gates automatically lower as train passes by
- Highly Detailed and Pre-Colored
- Adds Action and Detail to Your Train Layout
- Designed to work with Bachmann N Scale E-Z Track, N Scale 1:160
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