Nappanee Rail Safety

07/11/2026

ELKHART RAIL 175 SERIES
National NYC Railroad Museum

I am thankful to be able to work with Taylor Artibani and her colleagues at the National New York Central Railroad Museum. For today's Elkhart Rail 175 Lecture, we are highlighting (1) the small blue ENS sign at every railroad crossing and (2) the importance of staying off the railroad tracks, where way too many pedestrian casualties take place. Special thanks to Indiana Operation Lifesaver for educational brochures and rail safety tchotchkes.

I urge you to visit the Museum, which is one of Elkhart's best treasures. Our safety table will be on display for the next several weeks.

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PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities

07/07/2026

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL PARENTS!

Thankful for this reminder from Indiana Operation Lifesaver and Operation Lifesaver Inc. Trespassing on railroad tracks is illegal. Even more, it is associated with the majority of railroad fatalities. This is a simple but vital message for all parents to teach all children!

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PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities

07/04/2026

06/24/2026

NATIONAL ENS SIGN AWARENESS DAY
National NYC Railroad Museum

Taylor Artibani and the National New York Central Railroad Museum are highlighting Indiana Operation Lifesaver's National ENS Sign Awareness Day.

The Emergency Notification System (ENS) signs were required starting in 2017, so not only are they small but they are new. To help acquaint Americans with this important information that is unfamiliar to so many, this is the second year that Operation Lifesaver Inc. has designated June 24 to educate the nation about this lifeline to the railroads.

This small blue sign has the direct phone number to the railroad as well as a unique crossing ID that identifies the location. This same information is also available on the Federal Railroad Administration's Locator App, which is available on your app store for your phone. For more information, see my post at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BXwq9sjES/

I am grateful that the Museum gave me a chance to participate.

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PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities

06/20/2026

NATIONAL E.N.S. SIGN AWARENESS DAY
Wednesday, June 24th

The Emergency Notification System signs were required starting in 2017, so not only are they small but they are new. This is the second year that Operation Lifesaver has designated June 24 to educate the nation about this important sign that is a lifeline to the railroad.

This small blue sign has the direct phone number to the railroad as well as a unique crossing ID that identifies the location. This same information is also available on the Federal Railroad Administration's Locator App, which is available on your app store for your phone. For more information, see my post at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BXwq9sjES/

For this week, I posted signs at our Nappanee crossings with four different messages highlighting different circumstances for which the small blue signs may be used.

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PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities.

06/09/2026

HELP OTHERS BE SAFE

Since 2017, every crossing is required to have a small blue Emergency Notification System sign with the railroad phone number and a unique crossing ID. If there is a problem or an emergency, use that information to speak directly to the railroad.

If a vehicle gets stuck on the tracks, get everyone out and away from the tracks. Find the small blue sign at the crossing and call the railroad so they can try to stop any train.

COMING: June 24th is Operation Lifesaver's ENS SIGN AWARENESS DAY. According to OL, "ENS Sign Awareness Day is dedicated to helping the public and first responders recognize and understand the vital role of the Blue and White signs posted at railroad crossings. These signs provide a phone number and location information needed to quickly report emergencies or safety concerns around tracks and trains directly to the railroad."

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PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities.

05/13/2026

THANKFUL FOR HELP IN NAPPANEE!

In Nappanee, those of us who may be hurting or struggling have access to food pantries, social services, pastors, churches, counselors, psychiatric centers, and even 988, the Su***de and Crisis Lifeline. If you encounter someone who may need help -- whether a neighbor, someone at school or church, or even someone hanging around the railroad tracks -- reach out to help them find help. Small talk saves lives.

For a few days, I have my reminder signs out at some of our railroad crossings. And at the top of this page, I have a short list of some of the groups in Nappanee who offer help. We are thankful for all of them. See https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DE16WdtZ5/
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PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities.

03/24/2026

HELP THEM FIND HELP!

85% of all U.S. railroad fatalities involve pedestrians. That's 5 times as many deaths as the drivers and passengers involved in vehicle/train collisions. Contrary to conventional wisdom, most of these pedestrian tragedies involve people struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues -- not the "jaywalkers" of popular myth. So, there are people on the tracks who need our help.

In Nappanee, we are thankful to have access to friends, pastors, counselors, prayer lines, food pantries, and 988. At the top of this page is a short list of those prepared to help those of us who may be struggling. We are thankful for them and many others who stand prepared to help.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GtAJMsYxy/

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SOURCE: Bespoke digital art provided by Microsoft CoPilot.

PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities.

03/13/2026

21st ANNUAL TRAIN SHOW
Sponsor: Elkhart Model Railroad Club

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM EDT
Location: Claywood Event Center
Address: 13920 N 1100 W, Nappanee, IN 46550
Admission: $5.00 for adults. FREE for children aged 12 and under (when accompanied by a paid adult).
Parking: Free on-site parking is available.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Vendors: More than 150 vendor booths offering new and used model trains, accessories, and railroad collectibles.
Displays: Multiple operating model railroad layouts in various scales and live demonstrations.
Food & Amenities: Refreshments are available, including hot sandwiches and desserts at the on-site Amish restaurant. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
Community: Opportunities to connect with members of the Elkhart Model Railroad Club (EMRRC) and the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA).

INFORMATION: www.emrrc.com

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SOURCE: Digital art provided by Microsoft CoPilot based on EAS instructions. Event Details and Key Highlights from Google AI.

PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities.

02/26/2026

DOWNLOAD THIS APP FROM THE FRA
The Railroad Crossing Locator App

I urge you to download the updated CROSSING LOCATOR APP from the Federal Railroad Administration, available from your App store. It uses GPS, so from your phone, you can:

* See RR crossings near your current location.

* Find the RAILROAD PHONE NUMBER and CROSSING ID needed to report a railroad crossing problem to the right railroad. This is the same information as is available on the small blue sign at each crossing. You will need the PHONE NUMBER and CROSSING ID to report (1) a vehicle stuck on the tracks, (2) a problem with a crossing signal, or (3) a problem you see with a train, such as a fire.

* Find Accident Reports for a specific crossing.

* Find information about a specific crossing from the FRA's Inventory Record, such as train counts or signal configurations.

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The Federal Railroad Administration just released this new version with these instructions. See their post at www.facebook.com/share/p/1AM6GN2drG/

📱Apple (iOS) Users:
Your current app will continue to function and receive updates as usual. You can also download it anytime from the Apple App Store.

📱Android Users:
Please delete the older version of the app and reinstall the updated FRA Locator application from the Google Play Store.

💻Web Users:
To access the “Map To” feature, be sure that Google Maps is installed on your device. We’ve also added a new FAQs guide and help section to the web application to provide additional support.

Stay informed. Stay safe.

Access the Rail Crossing Locator here:
www.fra.dot.gov/railcrossinglocator

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PLEASE REMEMBER: This page is the work of a retired private citizen and is not associated with any organization, railroad, company, government, or government agency. For Introduction, Background, and Disclaimers, go to https://bit.ly/4fKoGqP.

This page is focused solely on rail safety education and has NO authority over engineering or enforcement issues. Please report those to appropriate authorities.