What does the Number of Tracks plaque mean?
The Number of Tracks plaque (MUTCD R15-2P) is a railroad crossing sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. It counts the sets of rails at this crossing. Two or more means the train that has just cleared may be screening a second one running the other way.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 8, Table 8B-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the Number of Tracks plaque?
| MUTCD code | R15-2P |
|---|---|
| Group | Railroad crossing signs |
| Shape | Inverted T-shaped plaque below the crossbuck |
| Color | White background, black numerals and border |
What white means. Regulatory. A black legend on a white background is a law, not advice.
Railroad crossing signs. Advance warning, crossbuck and the passive versus active distinction. Rare on the road, common on the test, and the questions turn on who has right of way.
What is the Number of Tracks plaque often mistaken for?
Nothing visually, but its absence is read as meaning one track, and the multi-track case is the classic second-train collision.
What are the other railroad crossing signs?
All 8 railroad crossing signs on one page, or every US road sign by shape and color.
Test yourself on this sign and the rest of the set with a road signs practice test for Florida, Texas or California.
The artwork is the federal design itself, which the manual dedicates to the public domain in MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 1, Section 1D.06, checked 2026-09-09. The Interstate Shield, the 511 pictograph and the National Scenic Byway graphic are named exceptions and are not reproduced anywhere on this site.
Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 11th Edition. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration or any state agency.