What puts you on the wrong side of the tracks?

Just wait at the tracks for a "fresh" green, then on your merry way.

 

Dash cam? Push them out into the intersection. Here in Illinois, it is illegal to pass within 100' of a rail crossing (they still do) as well as within 100' of an intersection (they still do that, too), so that gets them for the illegal pass and improper lane use. You might get a failure to reduce speed ticket, but that is far better than one for stopping on the tracks (or worse yet, getting clobbered by a train). Present the dash cam along with Table 3 to §383.51 #4 as your justification. You HAD sufficient clearance when you entered the crossing...BEFORE the clown in question illegally passed you.

If I'm looking at 60 days DQ for stopping on the tracks (1st offense) vs a mere citation and small fine for failure to reduce speed, it's a no-brainer. Even if they charge you with reckless driving, you get 2 of those before you're DQ'd, so it's still the lesser of the evils.

Perhaps when some of these clowns start getting run over, they'll think twice about what they're doing.

Or, you could just anticipate the clowns passing you and remain stopped until the light turns green. Not as much fun...but probably the more "professional" choice.

 

Are ther tracks “red light” controlled? If so, you are not required to stop.

 

You are not ALLOWED to hang your trailer over the tracks vs a stop sign or red light. So you make your stop PRIOR to the tracks and sit, wait for the happy green to come around.

There is a small town in Ohio I remember well, a used car lot next to a rail crossing against a red light intersection. Most people unaware will not see the smokey buried among the cars as they wait for you to stop at the red light white line, hanging your trailer over the track under you.

I'll sit there until Green. Now in certain situations I'll take it all without stopping after a stop prior to the tracks. I follow trains all my life, particularly the steam and it would be easy to be careful around the tracks.

What's really crazy is sometimes the Union Pacific will conduct a rolling pass on both mains in the same direction. So you hear one engine set with it's 10K ton of coal blowing and then you a few moments later hear a totally different engine with 6K of containers begin to blow on the next rail over one doing say 60 and the other 40. A rolling pass. Shakes the very ground.

The only time I had trouble ever was near Norfolk where passenger trains are free to take it up in speed on the wide open land. There you are at the crossbuck, no signals looking downrange both ways 3 miles and nothing. As soon you get across in one move. BOOOOM there he goes right behind you. Very similar to Amtrack NE Corridor which I consider to be lethal ground. Acela coming at you at 125 or faster you will NEVER hear it. You would be killed and stand in front of Peter asking him what in the world kilt you. Oh that train you didnt see coming.

The one thing I do not do anymore is passenger stations if at all possible. Especially if a through train who does not intend to stop there throws that long blow coming on hard ta 70, people still hug the edge of the track and lean out to see what's doing. It's very stupid to do stuff like that.

 

Back in the 90's I got a "parking" ticket from a Hillsboro County FL sheriff's deputy for that very thing. Had pulled out of a side road, turned right and cross RR tracks to immediately stop for red light. There was enough room for me to get rig across, but at last second a 4 wheeler whips by me on right and pulls into the turn lane in front of me. 2 foot of my trailer was on track. 2 wheel cop was in gas station across the road and saw the whole thing. He gave me ticket for illegal parking. $35 fine. I was quite prepared to shove said 4 wheeler into the intersection if train came by..