Abstract: Warning lights at a railroad grade crossing are energized at a predetermined flash rate when a train is approaching through the use of an essentially fail-safe solid state crossing controller employing circuitry that is active in creating an off condition of the warning lamps. A controller unit operates a pair of warning lamps alternately in synchronism with a warning rate (flash rate) signal having a predetermined repetition rate, such as 55 pulses per minute. When the crossing is safe, an RC circuit in the lamp driver responds to a 500 Hz safe status signal by providing continuous control excitation to a normally conductive lamp switching circuit to maintain the lamps deenergized. In a failure mode, the normal condition of the switching circuit maintains one lamp of each pair continuously energized.

Abstract: A railroad train moving along an approach to a grade crossing (or other location of interest) is detected by apparatus that is responsive to the change in effective track impedance caused by the moving shunt. A constant current AC signal is applied to the track adjacent the crossing, and the resulting voltage changed in amplitude and phase is picked off by a receiver on the opposite side of the crossing. Voltage and current information derived from these signals is inputted to a microcomputer which calculates the track impedance and determines whether or not a warning device or devices at the crossing should be activated. Such determination is made on a repetitive basis in accordance with a repeating program loop and stored in memory.