Hear That Whistle Blowin'

What does a train whistle in Woodstock at 4:20AM mean?

Normally, trains pass through Woodstock without blowing whistles. What does a whistle mean?

A train whistle is a warning. The engineer may have spotted a car crossing the tracks around a gate that was down or a pedestrian trying to beat the train. What happens when the car or pedestrian doesn't make it?

Trains don't leave their tracks and run down cars or pedestrians a block or two from the tracks.

Yes, it's true that too often gates are down far too long in Woodstock. When a Loop-bound train stops at the station, gates go down well ahead of the train, often resulting in a 3-4-5 minute delay for drivers. It's easy to begin to think that the gates are stuck and to think about driving around the gate or reversing direction and finding an alternate route.

Pedestrians cross the tracks on Church, Calhoun and Madison Streets while gates are down. And they climb the embankment across from the apartments on Lake Avenue to head for Jewel (or Aldi's or Wisted's) or McDonald's (or Wendy's or Taco Bell).

What action do Woodstock police officers take when they see these violations? Has there ever been a ticket issued in Woodstock for a railroad track violation?

It's a good idea - no, it's a Great Idea - to respect and obey rail crossing devices. Obey them yourselves and teach your young drivers and kids to obey them. Trains are very unforgiving, if you get in the way.