So with the latest incarnation, the bare per-board cost is down to ~$1.30...and if you do eBay for components, the total out-of-pocket is $2 per board! Wow.
So I realize the thread is titled pax cars, but mate this with a 99-cent (free-shipping from Asia) eBay relay module, set the current to max (45 mA) and for $3 you have an insulated-rail relay module for gate-crossing mechanisms, dual-aspect signals, etc.. Again, this means you must know which end of a soldering iron to hold, but I believe this would be the lowest cost ever for an insulated-rail relay module.