Abstract: A heavy duty shock absorber system for resisting large forces as may be encountered, for example, in a restraining barrier for a railroad crossing. A concrete bunker with an upstanding concrete-filled steel pipe has a hydraulic, compressive shock absorber mounted on the steel pipe for rotational, axial, and orthogonal movement. Forces applied to the shock absorber always pass through the axis of the steel pipe, thereby maximizing the resistance to the force while minimizing the necessary size of the system. A net is stored in a pit transverse the roadway parallel to the railroad tracks and is raised and lowered as appropriate. Each end of the net is attached to shock absorbing systems of the type described above.