>former WP main line the bells also turn off after the gates are down - quiet zone.

The WP is the first RR I encountered which turned off the bells when the gates were down, and that was in the 1970s. The so-called "quiet zone" through Sac by the passenger depot was essentially a gentleman's agreement with the city. Rather recently the FRA called it into question but I believe more or less left it alone.

The first "modern" type of quiet zone was on the FEC in Florida in the late 1980s/early 1990s. After a few years, and after accidents increased, the FRA canceled it. The same is true today: if a city jumps through all those hoops to institute one, and the result is more accidents--even several years later, then good-bye quiet zone, period.