Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Yeah . I asked them and they said quote : Thanks for getting in touch with us about your interest in obtaining level crossing equipment. While many items are reused elsewhere on the network, there are some instances where equipment is available for heritage groups and the community.

We are in the midst of preparing a process for allocation for such items but in the meantime, I will keep your details on file so we can contact you if any items become available.

I find it kinda odd about them saying that equipment is reused elsewhere on the network . 15 of the 30 level crossings removed ( I’m counting station st Carrum as it has have its boom gates removed I think ) had hybrid bells when they were removed . I know that some went to places like VR workshops and other railfans . But reusing something that doesn’t comply with safety standards seem stupid . ( not saying at all that hybrids are bad be they are definitely not and ebells suck ) . Also i think that incandescent lights are a safety hazard and I have no idea on gate mechs . Anyway I hope I get some equipment soon but I doubt that I will.

Don’t forget that mechanical bells can be used as “quick fix” to a crossing with a dead bell until an e bell can be sourced. Incandescents are definitely staying out of service so in that case they will give em to collectors. As for gate mechs I have no idea, but AFAIK I don’t think they get reused. There isn’t really a way to give gate mechs to collectors since they are so bulky.
Here in SA you either get No as a response or you get no response at all when you ask for equipment. TBH i think some of the places (including museums and heritage railways) are hoarding the equipment because I saw some of the equipment, and its just stored away, they don’t even use it because they end up using new stuff anyways.
Also I got some sad news to report.
The teardrop bell at the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide has been replaced, but it has been replaced with another good bell, a Safetran Mechanical Bell. I wonder why it got replaced. Now this means there are 2 Safetran bells at the NRM, along with a WRRS bell.
In a few weeks I will be going on my next crossing trip (I am busy with school/college stuff) and here are the crossings I am visiting:
Cameron Rd, Mt Barker has the last Wig Wag in SA in its original spot, but unfortunately it is on a non operating part of the Steamranger Railway. It could get reactivated soon though.
Old Princes Hwy, Littlehampton is on the same section of line and from what I can tell, it has unmarked bases typically seen with Mck&h equipment, Mck&h lights, and a WCH 333 bell.
Next is Altmanns Rd, Mt Barker Junction on the Adelaide to Melbourne line. This setup is unique, it has GEC bases (I think?), Westinghouse LEDs and the ultra rare Safetran Type 1 E Bell. Mck&h Aust filmed it last year and it was sounding sick, so it may very well have been replaced.
I have not planned the rest of the trip so we shall see what other crossings I film.

[freebrickproductions]

There isn’t really a way to give gate mechs to collectors since they are so bulky.

I know of at least a few collectors here in the US that have gate mechanisms in their collections, but at the same time, they usually have at least one entire signal set-up.

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

There isn’t really a way to give gate mechs to collectors since they are so bulky.

I know of at least a few collectors here in the US that have gate mechanisms in their collections, but at the same time, they usually have at least one entire signal set-up.

I have seen people with Gate Mechs in their collection, but it’s not as easy as getting a bell or a light, it’s not exactly something you can carry around.

[chris96]

Yeah . I asked them and they said quote : Thanks for getting in touch with us about your interest in obtaining level crossing equipment. While many items are reused elsewhere on the network, there are some instances where equipment is available for heritage groups and the community.

We are in the midst of preparing a process for allocation for such items but in the meantime, I will keep your details on file so we can contact you if any items become available.

I find it kinda odd about them saying that equipment is reused elsewhere on the network . 15 of the 30 level crossings removed ( I’m counting station st Carrum as it has have its boom gates removed I think ) had hybrid bells when they were removed . I know that some went to places like VR workshops and other railfans . But reusing something that doesn’t comply with safety standards seem stupid . ( not saying at all that hybrids are bad be they are definitely not and ebells suck ) . Also i think that incandescent lights are a safety hazard and I have no idea on gate mechs . Anyway I hope I get some equipment soon but I doubt that I will.

Don’t forget that mechanical bells can be used as “quick fix” to a crossing with a dead bell until an e bell can be sourced. Incandescents are definitely staying out of service so in that case they will give em to collectors. As for gate mechs I have no idea, but AFAIK I don’t think they get reused. There isn’t really a way to give gate mechs to collectors since they are so bulky.
Here in SA you either get No as a response or you get no response at all when you ask for equipment. TBH i think some of the places (including museums and heritage railways) are hoarding the equipment because I saw some of the equipment, and its just stored away, they don’t even use it because they end up using new stuff anyways.
Also I got some sad news to report.
The teardrop bell at the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide has been replaced, but it has been replaced with another good bell, a Safetran Mechanical Bell. I wonder why it got replaced. Now this means there are 2 Safetran bells at the NRM, along with a WRRS bell.

I managed to get a couple of Hybrid Bells from the LXRA, but it was a very long and complicated process. In my numerous emails to them, I made it very clear that my aim was to preserve the equipment for historical purposes and explained how these bells were being rapidly withdrawn in favor of E-Bells and would likely be discarded by the railways. I think it was mentioning these factors that made them finally agree to give me some equipment.

That's very sad news about the National Railway Museum's Teardrop Bell. I guess there are no working Teardrops left in SA now . It sounded really healthy in recent videos I've seen too. Is there a change you might be able to get some pictures or video of the new Safetran bell next time you're there? I've spoken to volunteers at the Museum about crossing infrastructure before and they've all been very knowledgeable and friendly to chat with. Perhaps they'll be able to explain what happened as it's really quite bizarre.

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Yeah . I asked them and they said quote : Thanks for getting in touch with us about your interest in obtaining level crossing equipment. While many items are reused elsewhere on the network, there are some instances where equipment is available for heritage groups and the community.

We are in the midst of preparing a process for allocation for such items but in the meantime, I will keep your details on file so we can contact you if any items become available.

I find it kinda odd about them saying that equipment is reused elsewhere on the network . 15 of the 30 level crossings removed ( I’m counting station st Carrum as it has have its boom gates removed I think ) had hybrid bells when they were removed . I know that some went to places like VR workshops and other railfans . But reusing something that doesn’t comply with safety standards seem stupid . ( not saying at all that hybrids are bad be they are definitely not and ebells suck ) . Also i think that incandescent lights are a safety hazard and I have no idea on gate mechs . Anyway I hope I get some equipment soon but I doubt that I will.

Don’t forget that mechanical bells can be used as “quick fix” to a crossing with a dead bell until an e bell can be sourced. Incandescents are definitely staying out of service so in that case they will give em to collectors. As for gate mechs I have no idea, but AFAIK I don’t think they get reused. There isn’t really a way to give gate mechs to collectors since they are so bulky.
Here in SA you either get No as a response or you get no response at all when you ask for equipment. TBH i think some of the places (including museums and heritage railways) are hoarding the equipment because I saw some of the equipment, and its just stored away, they don’t even use it because they end up using new stuff anyways.
Also I got some sad news to report.
The teardrop bell at the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide has been replaced, but it has been replaced with another good bell, a Safetran Mechanical Bell. I wonder why it got replaced. Now this means there are 2 Safetran bells at the NRM, along with a WRRS bell.

I managed to get a couple of Hybrid Bells from the LXRA, but it was a very long and complicated process. In my numerous emails to them, I made it very clear that my aim was to preserve the equipment for historical purposes and explained how these bells were being rapidly withdrawn in favor of E-Bells and would likely be discarded by the railways. I think it was mentioning these factors that made them finally agree to give me some equipment.

That's very sad news about the National Railway Museum's Teardrop Bell. I guess there are no working Teardrops left in SA now . It sounded really healthy in recent videos I've seen too. Is there a change you might be able to get some pictures or video of the new Safetran bell next time you're there? I've spoken to volunteers at the Museum about crossing infrastructure before and they've all been very knowledgeable and friendly to chat with. Perhaps they'll be able to explain what happened as it's really quite bizarre.

Ah yes the world of trying to get equipment from Railways, not easy at all.
I reckon the Teardrop bell got stolen, there is no way it just stopped like that. The NRM does regularly have theft issues, a lot of stuff from their locos got stolen a year ago in an obviously planned robbery. At least they had another bell on hand though, it’s not the one from the display signal because it’s still there and it sounds a little different (from what I heard from the bell it could be a Griswold, that would be nearly as good as the Teardrop) but yes unfortunately there is only 2 teardrops left in SA, and only 1 is SAR original, it’s the vandalised one on Commercial Rd and it may not last longer. If it gets vandalised to a certain point then I’m gonna try and find out who owns it and I may try to get it.
The other Teardrop (I think it’s VR) at Old Tailem Town could be cast iron from what I have heard, but it’s really rusty.
At the moment I’m busy with school/college subjects but I can make time for filming the new bell in the next 3 weeks, maybe I can do it on the same trip as the one I mentioned before. This week I’m getting help from a family member to build a Crossing Signal with a WRRS Bell, Westinghouse Incandescents and a Mck&h light and also a Stop on red signal sign. I will get the crossbucks later this year as I do not have them yet.
Also question for everyone here, you know how Rail equipment has been stolen from various abandoned railways, would you be ok if they were being taken for historic preservation in a collection? (Well a collection that’s made public but where they are kept is private like mine, and no I did not steal the bells I have, I got them online) I would be fine with anything as long as they are not going to scrap.

[chris96]

Ah yes the world of trying to get equipment from Railways, not easy at all.
I reckon the Teardrop bell got stolen, there is no way it just stopped like that. The NRM does regularly have theft issues, a lot of stuff from their locos got stolen a year ago in an obviously planned robbery. At least they had another bell on hand though, it’s not the one from the display signal because it’s still there and it sounds a little different (from what I heard from the bell it could be a Griswold, that would be nearly as good as the Teardrop) but yes unfortunately there is only 2 teardrops left in SA, and only 1 is SAR original, it’s the vandalised one on Commercial Rd and it may not last longer. If it gets vandalised to a certain point then I’m gonna try and find out who owns it and I may try to get it.
The other Teardrop (I think it’s VR) at Old Tailem Town could be cast iron from what I have heard, but it’s really rusty.
At the moment I’m busy with school/college subjects but I can make time for filming the new bell in the next 3 weeks, maybe I can do it on the same trip as the one I mentioned before. This week I’m getting help from a family member to build a Crossing Signal with a WRRS Bell, Westinghouse Incandescents and a Mck&h light and also a Stop on red signal sign. I will get the crossbucks later this year as I do not have them yet.
Also question for everyone here, you know how Rail equipment has been stolen from various abandoned railways, would you be ok if they were being taken for historic preservation in a collection? (Well a collection that’s made public but where they are kept is private like mine, and no I did not steal the bells I have, I got them online) I would be fine with anything as long as they are not going to scrap.

If the new bell's a Griswold that would be amazing because (as far as I know) there aren't any Griswold's still operating in the entire country these days! Metro removed the last Griswold bell in Melbourne in 2007 (from Devon Rd in Pascoe Vale) and I haven't heard of any others since. It would be fantastic to have one back in service!

In regards to taking old crossing equipment from disused lines, I certainly wouldn't recommend it. Instead, I would try contacting the railway's previous operator or the State Transport Authority about the matter before anything else. As tempting as it is to try and rescue vintage crossing equipment (believe me, I've felt the same way too) it's not worth getting into potentially serious trouble over.

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

I was looking at a video of the NRM (not a detailed video, so it’s hard to tell) and I zoomed in on the new bell. Judging from the back and the base, it’s most likely it’s a Safetran Bell, but it was pixelated since I zoomed in on it.
Also I would like to add that money was provided In the federal budget to grade separate these 2 crossings in Adelaide
Brighton Rd, Brighton/Hove https://www.google.com/maps/place/Brigh ... af44c1abe1
And Torrens Rd, Ovingham https://www.google.com/maps/place/Torre ... e163d0efb6
I find the Brighton Rd one disappointing since the signals are likely an original SAR installation, Mck&h bases and WRRS Gate Mechs were common combinations on the SAR and VR once.
Also that crossing at Oaklands is now gone, goodbye to a Mck&h Gate Mech and a WRRS Gate Mech https://www.google.com/maps/place/Morph ... 335a7058fc
Also, the grade separations that happened with the Torrens Junction Project, 1 of the crossings had Lex C lights and Mechanical Bells, https://www.google.com/maps/place/2+Gib ... f8e4af1429

[freebrickproductions]

In regards to taking old crossing equipment from disused lines, I certainly wouldn't recommend it. Instead, I would try contacting the railway's previous operator or the State Transport Authority about the matter before anything else. As tempting as it is to try and rescue vintage crossing equipment (believe me, I've felt the same way too) it's not worth getting into potentially serious trouble over.

As a side note, I'm pretty sure that's the legal position us admins of this forum are supposed to take in regards to stuff like that, though personally, I'm of the same opinion.

Though I ain't above dumpster-diving to rescue something, lol.

[chris96]

I was looking at a video of the NRM (not a detailed video, so it’s hard to tell) and I zoomed in on the new bell. Judging from the back and the base, it’s most likely it’s a Safetran Bell, but it was pixelated since I zoomed in on it.
Also I would like to add that money was provided In the federal budget to grade separate these 2 crossings in Adelaide
Brighton Rd, Brighton/Hove https://www.google.com/maps/place/Brigh ... af44c1abe1
And Torrens Rd, Ovingham https://www.google.com/maps/place/Torre ... e163d0efb6
I find the Brighton Rd one disappointing since the signals are likely an original SAR installation, Mck&h bases and WRRS Gate Mechs were common combinations on the SAR and VR once.
Also that crossing at Oaklands is now gone, goodbye to a Mck&h Gate Mech and a WRRS Gate Mech https://www.google.com/maps/place/Morph ... 335a7058fc
Also, the grade separations that happened with the Torrens Junction Project, 1 of the crossings had Lex C lights and Mechanical Bells, https://www.google.com/maps/place/2+Gib ... f8e4af1429

I really hope it's a Griswold bell at the NRM, however a Safetran is still a pretty nice replacement. It's a shame to hear about those grade separations and the removal of more vintage equipment along with it. I hope some of it can be recycled some how.

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Adelaide Metro does recycle equipment, they don’t do it often though. I filmed a crossing at Croydon (the SA location) and 2 of the signals were replacements for older ones, the newer signals I believe were installed in 2017. One of them had a recycled WCH Base and the other had oddly enough, a recycled WRRS Bracket/Junction Box.
Also I would like to point out, most of SA’s remaining Mechanical Bells are actually the rarest version of the WCH 333 bell, the ones with the WRRS Base and not the newer Double mount base.