Re: The bigger issue

The down hill highway grade leading to the Dalton crossing is very hard for truck traffic to stop, and the line of vision is poor. The C&TS Railroad should consider setting up a rule for “Reduced Speed”, which is a rule common in the past of some lines. This is a speed, any quantity less that track speed, and is the judgment of the engineer for the hazard involved or expected. It could be cows reported on the track and if seen to be clear, could be 1 mph less in movement. That rule should be applied to westbound train approaching the Dalton crossing and cause the train to be prepared to stop for the crossing based on what the engineer see for the conditions. I am not requiring a Stop and Proceed for the crossing as it would help little to have a man flag for the train, if a truck is on the run-away run down the mountain.
It also might help to ask the highway department to build a very steep emergency safety exit a few hundred feet up above the crossing. They are built with soft sand to bog down a runaway, rather than have a truck t-bone a loaded coach and kill folks.
The C&TS does not need the cost of automatic crossing gates, and all the electrical things and reports, inspections that come with them. They do not need a Signal Supervisor or helper.