School Bus: stopping is pointless - Trains Magazine

QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd

HighIron notes: 'If you do the job properly you will not stall.. one of the rules is to cross the tracks in a gear that permits you to transit the crossing in one move. Never never never remove the power from the transmission.'

So right. There are really very few ways that a modern vehicle can find itself without power without warning; one of the few is to miss a shift at a critical moment. The concern about stalling on the crossing is, I think, much over-rated. Most busses these days have automatic transmissions anyway.
The objective of the exercise is to stop, check and ensure that the crossing is not occupied and not going to be occupied by a train while you are on it, that you can clear the crossing on the far side, and then -- and only then -- proceed. This is the law; oddly, it is also common sense.
If you are hauling either hazardous materials or people, you should, ideally, be always taking the safe option, and not assuming that all the crossing gadgets work or that there is never a train on that track.
As for stopping on the track, oh help! One can only assume that the driver(s) in question heard or read part of the law, but never ever stopped to think about 'why'.