Elburn replacing train horn systems at downtown intersections

Elburn residents soon should find some relief from the relentless noise of train horns as they approach the railroad crossings in the downtown area.

Public Works Superintendent Phil Van Bogaert said the wayside horn system that was installed at the intersection of First and Main (Illinois Route 47) streets in 2009 has been malfunctioning since October 2022.

Village President Jeff Walter said they got the system working for a while but gave up when it went out again the last time.

Wayside horns were designed to replace the train’s horn as a means of alerting motorists to danger, enhancing the safety at at-grade rail crossings.

When a train approaches, the wayside horn system detects the oncoming train and blasts a warning sound focused directly at the intersection, reducing the noise in the surrounding area.

Train engineers still are allowed to blow their horn if they see something on the tracks, somebody walking near the tracks, in bad weather or if there is an indicator light that the automated system is not working.

When the system was first installed, the manufacturer, Railroad Controls Limited, told village officials that a regular 80-decibel train horn can be heard in the surrounding 171 acres while the automated horn at the intersection affects only five acres.

However, the signals (the large red XXs) at the intersection in Elburn that tell the train engineer that a horn will blow at the crossing are broken, so even if the crossing horn is blowing, the engineer doesn’t realize it and still thinks he also needs to blow his horn, Van Bogaert said.

It’s a lot of noise, Walter said.

“I’ve been receiving feedback from residents on a regular basis,” he said.

The village’s initial attempts at getting the system fixed were stymied when it was discovered that the original manufacturer did not make the components anymore.

After much research, Van Bogaert found another manufacturer, Rio Grande Pacific Technology, created by several former employees from Railroad Controls Limited.

Elburn received a proposal in 2023 from RIOTECH for the installation of two wayside horns, one at the South Main Street and one at the South First Street crossings for $125,905. With additional expenses, the total was $144,905. However, the money was not in last year’s budget.

This year, RIOTECH’s proposal for the work is $125,905. RIOTECH said it should be able to resolve all issues remotely in coordination with Elburn support staff and most likely could work with local electrical companies such as Leyden Electric if on-site repairs are needed.

RIOTECH also told village officials that monthly inspections, which the village had Leyden Electric perform in the past, are not needed. It recommended quarterly inspections. RIOTECH said it has been installing this version of the system since 2017 and so far has not had a need for an update.

Based on previous experience, Van Bogaert said there will be issues as the system ages, the magnitude of which is unforeseen. When other municipalities that had contracted with RIOTECH were contacted, one system had issues during extreme cold temperatures and the others said they had only minimal issues. All municipalities that responded said the service from RIOTECH has been timely and good.

Walter said he wasn’t sure when the new system would be installed.