I grew up in a little town that had freight trains through several times a day. For years when the train went on the east-west track, the north end of town was cut off until it passed - which could mean 15-20 minutes or more as the phosphate or citrus laden trains went by slowly. Sometime in the early 1960s after development grew to the north part of town, the city finally worked with the RRs to build an underpass - I think it took a fire that could not be reached due to a passing train. It is still the only way to get from the north end of town when a long train is passing by.
Aside from the E-W line that paralleled Hwy 60, there was a north-south line that ran right next to US 98. Anytime we drove to Lakeland we watched trains go up that track - and if we went to Sears or the Lakeland Mall, we had to cross it. Going back, there was one car length on the US 98 side of the track - everyone else had to stop on the other side of the RR tracks or take a chance on a train coming by and hitting them - which did happen on occassion.
Same thing going up US 17 north or south - RR tracks paralleling the highway and anytime you wanted to go to the east, you had to cross the tracks.
Railroad crossing safety was built into us - our elementary school backed up on one track - the high school was across the tracks. Every kid learned to pay attention to where the trains were - which you could tell by the train whistles at every intersection. Most intersections in town did not have lights or gates - there would have been dozens of them.
The track along US 98 is now a hiking/biking trail and it was the one that separated the schools but that town still has lots of trains going through every day. Sometimes I miss the sound of the train whistles that sounded day and night - but not much!
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