Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

McK&H.Aust · Post by **McK&H.Aust** » Tue Aug 01, 2017 9:48 am

TrickyMario7654 wrote:
McK&H.Aust wrote:
Username1 wrote:I just uploaded a video of the new e bell at Seaford: https://youtu.be/akJ062MPhB8

I actually think that the combination of the adjusted type 1 and the type 3 sounds really interesting!
Also I think Seaford has the most different types of bells as it has 4 adjusted type 1s, 1 type 2, 1 type 3 and 2 Westinghouse hybrid bells (Eel Race).
I can't understand the logic behind adjusting a GS type 1 to sound more like a type 2, it's a very fiddly job for no real benefit. In my opinion the adjusted type 1's are the worst sounding, it's a shame because I like the normal type 1 sound.
I agree, the adjusted type 1's are irritating (Murrumbeena comes to mind).

Also, Eel Race Road is in Carrum, not Seaford.

McK&H.Aust wrote:Certainly looks like a Safetran bell to me, it was a nice crossing so of course it had to go

With the recent demise of the Safetran bell at Taree and the impending upgrades of the crossings at Wodonga and Barnawartha, there can't be many more Safetran m-bells surviving in Australia. Maybe there is one left on the Portland line, or some other remote crossings that have escaped the bell Nazis.
It's a shame that the Level Crossing Removal is spelling the end of many nice crossings. While a couple of them may need to be removed badly, can't they at least give us the chance to document them before removing it?

Clear examples are both level crossings on Centre Road...

The one in Clayton has a really unusual setup, with the median signals having the lights above the crossbucks.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.929 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.929 ... 312!8i6656

Where as the Bentleigh one had CRB cantilevers on the wrong side of the road and trial pedestrian warning devices (although they were removed in early 2015).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656

As for surviving Safetran m-bells, there's one at Heywood (on the Portland line). The image is from 2008 though.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.133 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.133 ... 328!8i1664

Also, there was another one at Red Cliffs (on the Yelta line).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 328!8i1664

It was still there in 2015...
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 312!8i6656

But by 2017, it was replaced by a Safetran Type 3.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 312!8i6656

Further down the line, a crossing in St Arnaud has two of them. But the image is from 2010 and they've probably been replaced now.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.622 ... 312!8i6656

While we're on the topic of Safetran m-bells, this one near Elmhurst on the Ararat-Maryborough line will likely be gone soon as they're reopening the line as part of the "Murray Basin Rail Project". The other crossings with active protection along the line have Teardrop bells and one also has a WABCO bell (Chris96 has posted pictures of that crossing he took earlier this year on page 47 of this thread).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.166 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.166 ... 312!8i6656

I really want to know why the DOI hate mechanical bells so much?

I like the crossings at Bentleigh and Clayton, real classics so of course they have to go. It's a shame to think how many rare and interesting crossings have been removed over the years with little or no documentation of the equipment. It's sad to see the crossing at Murrumbeena suffering a slow death and gradually being butchered.

The crossing at St Arnaud would have sounded great with the two Safetran bells, but yeah they are most likely gone. I don't understand the widespread replacement of perfectly good m-bells, it would be more financially responsible to wait until an m-bell dies before replacing it. I don't buy the whole maintenance excuse, I've spoken to signal maintainers before and they hardly do any maintenance to m-bells. They will dust out the inside of the bell mechanism every now & then, but as long as the bell is working they don't do much else to it.

TrickyMario7654 · Post by **TrickyMario7654** » Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:53 pm

McK&H.Aust wrote:I like the crossings at Bentleigh and Clayton, real classics so of course they have to go. It's a shame to think how many rare and interesting crossings have been removed over the years with little or no documentation of the equipment. It's sad to see the crossing at Murrumbeena suffering a slow death and gradually being butchered.

The crossing at St Arnaud would have sounded great with the two Safetran bells, but yeah they are most likely gone. I don't understand the widespread replacement of perfectly good m-bells, it would be more financially responsible to wait until an m-bell dies before replacing it. I don't buy the whole maintenance excuse, I've spoken to signal maintainers before and they hardly do any maintenance to m-bells. They will dust out the inside of the bell mechanism every now & then, but as long as the bell is working they don't do much else to it.

As I've mentioned before, the crossing in Bentleigh was upgraded in 2006 and sadly I've hardly found any pictures or video of the crossing pre-upgrade.

The only good pre-2006 footage I've found is this news report from 2011 on a pedestrian death at the crossing. They briefly touched on a 2004 death at the crossing (which was the main reason for the upgrade two years later) and showed footage of the crossing (1:05-1:17).

At 1:09, the signal on the station side of the crossing is shown having the gate on a separate mast (much like the station side signal at McKinnon). I'm also willing to bet the crossing had inverted SORS signs and unmarked Westinghouse lights in McK&H brackets (as this setup was from 1974) at the time.

But after the upgrade, the said signal was replaced with one which had the gate on the same mast (though the mech was reused from the old signal).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656

On the other hand, here's another unusual place to put a cantilever.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.329 ... 312!8i6656

McK&H.Aust · Post by **McK&H.Aust** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 3:47 am

Siemens has introduced a new design of the Westinghouse 8 inch light. According to their website, the previous version can no longer be manufactured due to the tooling being worn out. The old design dates back to the late 1970's so I guess they had a good run with it! It seems that the new version still has the Westinghouse logo, will be interesting to see how long until the new lights show up on a crossing somewhere.

http://download.siemens.com.au/index.ph ... c_id=20313
http://download.siemens.com.au/index.ph ... c_id=20312

TrickyMario7654 · Post by **TrickyMario7654** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 5:11 am

McK&H.Aust wrote:Siemens has introduced a new design of the Westinghouse 8 inch light. According to their website, the previous version can no longer be manufactured due to the tooling being worn out. The old design dates back to the late 1970's so I guess they had a good run with it! It seems that the new version still has the Westinghouse logo, will be interesting to see how long until the new lights show up on a crossing somewhere.

http://download.siemens.com.au/index.ph ... c_id=20313
http://download.siemens.com.au/index.ph ... c_id=20312

Looks rather intresting, though I pefer the older design.

I'm willing to bet that one of the crossings being upgraded on the Melbourne-Sydney line will use them.

McK&H.Aust · Post by **McK&H.Aust** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 5:31 am

TrickyMario7654 wrote:
McK&H.Aust wrote:Siemens has introduced a new design of the Westinghouse 8 inch light. According to their website, the previous version can no longer be manufactured due to the tooling being worn out. The old design dates back to the late 1970's so I guess they had a good run with it! It seems that the new version still has the Westinghouse logo, will be interesting to see how long until the new lights show up on a crossing somewhere.

http://download.siemens.com.au/index.ph ... c_id=20313
http://download.siemens.com.au/index.ph ... c_id=20312
Looks rather intresting, though I pefer the older design.

I'm willing to bet that one of the crossings being upgraded on the Melbourne-Sydney line will use them.

I prefer the older design too, it has more of a classic look than the new one.

You are right, with the large amount of crossing upgrades (trashings) taking place on the Melbourne - Sydney line there is a very good chance of the new lights being used there. Probably won't see them in NSW as they haven't installed any new Westinghouse lights since around 2010, it's all United Group lights now (boring).

TrickyMario7654 · Post by **TrickyMario7654** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 8:03 pm

Found a rather interesting pedestrian crossing at Wondabyne station. It uses GRS Semaphore gate mechs and WCH e-bells!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.492 ... 168!8i3584
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.492 ... 168!8i3584
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.492 ... 000!8i2000

McK&H.Aust · Post by **McK&H.Aust** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 8:30 pm

TrickyMario7654 wrote:Found a rather interesting pedestrian crossing at Wondabyne station. It uses GRS Semaphore gate mechs and WCH e-bells!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.492 ... 168!8i3584
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.492 ... 168!8i3584
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.492 ... 000!8i2000

Wow, the crossing made it onto google. That's no easy task considering there is no road access and the only way there is by train, private boat or bushwalking. Those WCH e-bells have been there around 10 years and previously the crossing had WCH m-bells. There are plenty of videos of Wondabyne on youtube.

TrickyMario7654 · Post by **TrickyMario7654** » Mon Aug 07, 2017 12:00 am

I don't like being the bearer of potential bad news but I found this on the ARTC website:
https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?443165604

It mentions an upgrade being done on the Berthong Road, Cootamundra on May 19 & 20, 2017 (a few months ago). I'm confused about this, as it doesn't mention what's being done to the crossing. Hopefully they left the Teardrop bell alone.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.615 ... 328!8i1664

McK&H.Aust · Post by **McK&H.Aust** » Mon Aug 07, 2017 2:18 am

TrickyMario7654 wrote:I don't like being the bearer of potential bad news but I found this on the ARTC website:
https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?443165604

It mentions an upgrade being done on the Berthong Road, Cootamundra on May 19 & 20, 2017 (a few months ago). I'm confused about this, as it doesn't mention what's being done to the crossing. Hopefully they left the Teardrop bell alone.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.615 ... 328!8i1664

Drove past the crossing some time in May, can't remember exactly when but think it was about a week before the upgrade. The teardrop bell was still there and I didn't see any signs of an upgrade (no new signal foundations or cables). They could have been replacing the grade or the track. The teardrop bell is getting old and worn out and will most likely be replaced before too long, the best we can hope for is a WCH m-bell to replace it.

TrickyMario7654 · Post by **TrickyMario7654** » Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:30 pm

Found some interesting freight-only crossings at around Sydney Airport and the nearby port, but sadly most of them don't exist anymore.

Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

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