Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[Username1]

Found a few photos of what Old Barnawatha Rd, Wodonga looks like now. It appears the new signals have WCH gate mechs, bases, and gate lights. They also have Westinghouse clear LEDs and Safetran type 3 e-bells.
https://www.bordermail.com.au/news/poli ... g/#slide=1
Probably the first accident I’ve seen with a hi-rail vehicle to make the news!

The crossing has WCH gate lights as well which were all strangely removed from the Maryborough-Arart line. Wonder why this crossing has them but they were removed from the Maryborough crossings?

[trainman7]

Found a few photos of what Old Barnawatha Rd, Wodonga looks like now. It appears the new signals have WCH gate mechs, bases, and gate lights. They also have Westinghouse clear LEDs and Safetran type 3 e-bells.
https://www.bordermail.com.au/news/poli ... g/#slide=1
Probably the first accident I’ve seen with a hi-rail vehicle to make the news!

It's certainly not the kind of crossing accident you see very often. I'm presuming that the hi-rail didn't activate the signals, so would be interesting to know who was at fault in this situation.

I have a vague recollection of a similar accident on the South Coast Line in the late 1980's or early 1990's. Could be mistaken but I thought it was at the Oak Flats crossing which had gateless signals and was located here https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.570 ... 328!8i1664

I was certainly surprised to see a story like this! I doubt the signals would’ve activated as they only seem to stop and activate busier crossings. I wonder if the ATSB will investigate it?

[trainman7]

Found a few photos of what Old Barnawatha Rd, Wodonga looks like now. It appears the new signals have WCH gate mechs, bases, and gate lights. They also have Westinghouse clear LEDs and Safetran type 3 e-bells.
https://www.bordermail.com.au/news/poli ... g/#slide=1
Probably the first accident I’ve seen with a hi-rail vehicle to make the news!

The crossing has WCH gate lights as well which were all strangely removed from the Maryborough-Arart line. Wonder why this crossing has them but they were removed from the Maryborough crossings?

The gate lights are still there because the line is owned by ARTC. They use slightly different equipment than V/Line/VicTrack.

[Username1]

Found a few photos of what Old Barnawatha Rd, Wodonga looks like now. It appears the new signals have WCH gate mechs, bases, and gate lights. They also have Westinghouse clear LEDs and Safetran type 3 e-bells.
https://www.bordermail.com.au/news/poli ... g/#slide=1
Probably the first accident I’ve seen with a hi-rail vehicle to make the news!

The crossing has WCH gate lights as well which were all strangely removed from the Maryborough-Arart line. Wonder why this crossing has them but they were removed from the Maryborough crossings?

The gate lights are still there because the line is owned by ARTC. They use slightly different equipment than V/Line/VicTrack.

Opps haha forgot that VicTrack Oversees the Ararat-Maryborough line. My mistake lol.

[trainman7]

Well another Safetran Type 3 e-bell has bitten the dust! The bell in question is this one on Geelong-Ballan Rd, Moorabool, VIC.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Ge ... ab902a6538
It has been replaced by a hybrid bell! This is yet another example of how e-bells aren’t always more reliable than mechanical bells (especially type 3s!)
The new hybrid bell can be seen in this video.
https://youtu.be/rU1Rt3ETuaQ

[TrickyMario7654]

Well another Safetran Type 3 e-bell has bitten the dust! The bell in question is this one on Geelong-Ballan Rd, Moorabool, VIC.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Ge ... ab902a6538
It has been replaced by a hybrid bell! This is yet another example of how e-bells aren’t always more reliable than mechanical bells (especially type 3s!)
The new hybrid bell can be seen in this video.
https://youtu.be/rU1Rt3ETuaQ

Considering the amount of failures Safetran Type 3's are having, do you think they'll eventually switch to another brand in the future? Surely they're smart enough to do that...

[trainman7]

Well another Safetran Type 3 e-bell has bitten the dust! The bell in question is this one on Geelong-Ballan Rd, Moorabool, VIC.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Ge ... ab902a6538
It has been replaced by a hybrid bell! This is yet another example of how e-bells aren’t always more reliable than mechanical bells (especially type 3s!)
The new hybrid bell can be seen in this video.
https://youtu.be/rU1Rt3ETuaQ

Considering the amount of failures Safetran Type 3's are having, do you think they'll eventually switch to another brand in the future? Surely they're smart enough to do that...

I think they will eventually switch to another brand. It’s pretty stupid installing equipment that is increasingly falling and has to be replaced soon after it’s installed. Hopefully, they’ll wake up to the failures like ARTC NSW has. But then again, just when we thought V/Line/VicTrack had ditched Siemens in favour of WCH, they went straight back to Siemens for some reason.

[McK&H.Aust]

Well another Safetran Type 3 e-bell has bitten the dust! The bell in question is this one on Geelong-Ballan Rd, Moorabool, VIC.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Ge ... ab902a6538
It has been replaced by a hybrid bell! This is yet another example of how e-bells aren’t always more reliable than mechanical bells (especially type 3s!)
The new hybrid bell can be seen in this video.
https://youtu.be/rU1Rt3ETuaQ

Considering the amount of failures Safetran Type 3's are having, do you think they'll eventually switch to another brand in the future? Surely they're smart enough to do that...

I think they will eventually switch to another brand. It’s pretty stupid installing equipment that is increasingly falling and has to be replaced soon after it’s installed. Hopefully, they’ll wake up to the failures like ARTC NSW has. But then again, just when we thought V/Line/VicTrack had ditched Siemens in favour of WCH, they went straight back to Siemens for some reason.

Speaking of dying Safetran type 3's, it seems that the tram crossing at Marion Rd, Plympton briefly had them before being changed back to m-bells....

November 2009: crossing has older m-bells, possibly WRRS or early WCH https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.967 ... 312!8i6656

March 2013: you can just make out the Safetran type 3 on the near signal https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.966 ... 312!8i6656

November 2015: crossing has the current newer style WCH m-bells https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.967 ... 312!8i6656

It isn't the only tram crossing to have bell issues, the next crossing at Winifred Ave has also gone through several bell changes....

January 2008: crossing has older m-bells and those odd round gates https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 328!8i1664

November 2009: crossing now has new WCH m-bells https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 312!8i6656

March 2013: crossing now has GS e-bells and new flat gates https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 312!8i6656

May 2017: crossing now has Safetran type 3 e-bells https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 312!8i6656

And as previously posted, the tram crossing at Leah St, Forestville has recently had it's GS e-bells replaced by WCH e-bells, although it isn't shown on GSV yet https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.953 ... 312!8i6656

The fact they went with WCH e-bells instead of Safetran type 3's probably means they are also losing faith in the Siemens equipment. Even many of the railway crossings around Adelaide have a mixture of older and newer Safetran type 3's with the shorter bases, which probably means that some of them have died and been replaced with newer models.

[trainman7]

Well another Safetran Type 3 e-bell has bitten the dust! The bell in question is this one on Geelong-Ballan Rd, Moorabool, VIC.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Ge ... ab902a6538
It has been replaced by a hybrid bell! This is yet another example of how e-bells aren’t always more reliable than mechanical bells (especially type 3s!)
The new hybrid bell can be seen in this video.
https://youtu.be/rU1Rt3ETuaQ

Considering the amount of failures Safetran Type 3's are having, do you think they'll eventually switch to another brand in the future? Surely they're smart enough to do that...

I think they will eventually switch to another brand. It’s pretty stupid installing equipment that is increasingly falling and has to be replaced soon after it’s installed. Hopefully, they’ll wake up to the failures like ARTC NSW has. But then again, just when we thought V/Line/VicTrack had ditched Siemens in favour of WCH, they went straight back to Siemens for some reason.

Speaking of dying Safetran type 3's, it seems that the tram crossing at Marion Rd, Plympton briefly had them before being changed back to m-bells....

November 2009: crossing has older m-bells, possibly WRRS or early WCH https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.967 ... 312!8i6656

March 2013: you can just make out the Safetran type 3 on the near signal https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.966 ... 312!8i6656

November 2015: crossing has the current newer style WCH m-bells https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.967 ... 312!8i6656

It isn't the only tram crossing to have bell issues, the next crossing at Winifred Ave has also gone through several bell changes....

January 2008: crossing has older m-bells and those odd round gates https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 328!8i1664

November 2009: crossing now has new WCH m-bells https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 312!8i6656

March 2013: crossing now has GS e-bells and new flat gates https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 312!8i6656

May 2017: crossing now has Safetran type 3 e-bells https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.962 ... 312!8i6656

And as previously posted, the tram crossing at Leah St, Forestville has recently had it's GS e-bells replaced by WCH e-bells, although it isn't shown on GSV yet https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.953 ... 312!8i6656

The fact they went with WCH e-bells instead of Safetran type 3's probably means they are also losing faith in the Siemens equipment. Even many of the railway crossings around Adelaide have a mixture of older and newer Safetran type 3's with the shorter bases, which probably means that some of them have died and been replaced with newer models.

I wouldn’t my betting the amount of activations at Marion Rd, made the bells die quicker. Some of the Type 3s have changed around Adelaide. I’ve seen a few dead and dying ones over the years such as Semaphore Rd, Exeter. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Se ... c8ab9e5dee
I guess it’s only a matter of time before more WCH e-bells begin appearing around Adelaide. I wonder if the high failure rates are why Hawker St, Ovingham and Belford Ave, Devon Park still have their m-bells?

[McK&H.Aust]

I wouldn’t my betting the amount of activations at Marion Rd, made the bells die quicker. Some of the Type 3s have changed around Adelaide. I’ve seen a few dead and dying ones over the years such as Semaphore Rd, Exeter. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Se ... c8ab9e5dee
I guess it’s only a matter of time before more WCH e-bells begin appearing around Adelaide. I wonder if the high failure rates are why Hawker St, Ovingham and Belford Ave, Devon Park still have their m-bells?

The frequent activations could have played some part in killing the Safetran type 3's at Marion Rd, but it sees the same amount of trams as the other crossings. I wonder if the bells are having problems with water leaks or if they're being fried by lightning strikes or power surges?

Regardless of the cause of the failures, it's no coincidence that we're seing more dying Safetran type 3's across three states, and there is likely some kind of design fault or manufacturing defect. There would already be 5 or 6 crossings around Adelaide that I have seen with WCH e-bells, so maybe they've either given up on the Safetran bells or they're trying an alternative. Wouldn't mind betting that they left the m-bells on those two crossings after seeing the failure rate of the Safetran bells, they probably figured it would be better to leave the m-bells alone while they're still working!