Talk about signals ranging from wigwags to EVA signals here.
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McK&H.Aust
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by McK&H.Aust » Fri Dec 08, 2017 6:51 pm
TrickyMario7654 wrote:McK&H.Aust wrote:
Looks like a WRRS bell to me. Trains stopped running a couple of years ago due to safety and accreditation issues, and I believe the track was in poor shape. Apparently the Cooma-Monaro Railway is still working towards fixing the track and resuming services, hopefully they succeed and I can film the crossing one day.
Considering that the lights are Mck&H, I wonder if the WRRS bell was a replacement for a teardrop? There is also the possibility that these are not the original signals, there were 3 other active crossings between Michelago and Cooma and they all had the signals removed not long after the track was closed in 1989.
I presume those three active crossings would of been on the Monaro Highway, shame they're gone...
https://www.google.com/maps/@-35.946556 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@-35.836642 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@-35.774053 ... 312!8i6656
Also found a picture of one of them, it had a Teardrop bell too.
http://www.nswrail.net/locations/gphoto ... height=600
How many crossings were signalized south of Cooma?
Yes those crossings were on the Monaro Hwy, pretty sure two of them (plus a section of track) were completely removed to allow straightening and re-alignment of the road. It was done by the roads department just after the track was closed and was seen by many as a deliberate act of vandalism to prevent the line from ever re-opening.
Pretty sure these are the remains of one crossing where the road was straightened
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-35.774 ... 312!8i6656
There were no signalized crossings south of Cooma.
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TrickyMario7654
- Posts: 1355
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- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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by TrickyMario7654 » Fri Dec 08, 2017 7:17 pm
McK&H.Aust wrote:Yes those crossings were on the Monaro Hwy, pretty sure two of them (plus a section of track) were completely removed to allow straightening and re-alignment of the road. It was done by the roads department just after the track was closed and was seen by many as a deliberate act of vandalism to prevent the line from ever re-opening.
Pretty sure these are the remains of one crossing where the road was straightened
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-35.774 ... 312!8i6656
There were no signalized crossings south of Cooma.
Shame there were no signalized crossings south of Cooma, guess the line wasn't really busy.
Certainly wasn't the last time a road & rail department was criticized for removing signals on a closed line. I found this 2012 article from The Cobram Courier on how two men accused the local council of sabotaging efforts of reopening the closed Cobram line by removing the crossings along the line.
https://www.pressreader.com/australia/t ... r/20120111
There were three signalized crossings along the line, one of which had a Teardrop bell.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-35.926 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-35.925 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-35.921 ... 312!8i6656
According to the article, the crossings were removed for "safety reasons & how they think people might mistake them for active crossings". I think that's a load of crap as at active crossings, you only need to stop when the lights are flashing. If they aren't, then you can go. Very stupid move on removing the signals and that's why I've adopted a new name for VicRoads, "NaziRoads".
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McK&H.Aust
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- Location: Sydney, Australia
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by McK&H.Aust » Sat Dec 09, 2017 4:18 am
Yes sadly it's a familiar story in many areas, seems that once a line has closed it's fair game for local councils and roads departments to remove and vandalize whatever they want.
Reminds me of when the Mudgee line closed in 2007. At first the council were opposed to the closure and wanted the line kept open for tourist trains and just after the track closed, all of the crossbucks and signage on the passive crossings mysteriously disappeared. Then just a few months later the government proposed to upgrade the line to run coal trains to Mount Piper Power Station (near Wallerawang) and the council were suddenly against the idea. Even though there only would have been 3 or 4 trains per day, the council said the coal trains would cut the town in half and demanded that the government pay to grade separate the crossings in town. The sudden opposition probably had something to do with certain persons in council owning land near the railway line and wanting to build a new housing estate.
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TrickyMario7654
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by TrickyMario7654 » Sat Dec 09, 2017 4:44 am
McK&H.Aust wrote:Yes sadly it's a familiar story in many areas, seems that once a line has closed it's fair game for local councils and roads departments to remove and vandalize whatever they want.
Reminds me of when the Mudgee line closed in 2007. At first the council were opposed to the closure and wanted the line kept open for tourist trains and just after the track closed, all of the crossbucks and signage on the passive crossings mysteriously disappeared. Then just a few months later the government proposed to upgrade the line to run coal trains to Mount Piper Power Station (near Wallerawang) and the council were suddenly against the idea. Even though there only would have been 3 or 4 trains per day, the council said the coal trains would cut the town in half and demanded that the government pay to grade separate the crossings in town. The sudden opposition probably had something to do with certain persons in council owning land near the railway line and wanting to build a new housing estate.
It's absolutely disgusting that they can get away with acts like that.
That is one hypocritical council the Mudgee area has, maybe building a skyrail will make them shut up.
Here's all the signalized crossings along the closed section of the line, maybe you can get pictures of them one day...
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.858496 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.790843 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.603976 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.599181 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.571493 ... 312!8i6656
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McK&H.Aust
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- Location: Sydney, Australia
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by McK&H.Aust » Sat Dec 09, 2017 2:28 pm
The first crossing at Kandos is actually going to be re-activated in the next few months
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.858 ... 312!8i6656
The section between Kandos and Rylstone is currently being upgraded and reopened for heritage trains. The crossing at Kandos was only installed in 2002 so it shouldn't need much work. The signals are still intact but I suppose the new red background crossbucks and SORS signs will make an appearance.
http://www.lithgowmercury.com.au/story/ ... ail-video/
The rest of the line from Rylstone to Mudgee and Gulgong is too far gone and there are about 6 large timber bridges which would need totally replacing.
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TrickyMario7654
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by TrickyMario7654 » Sat Dec 09, 2017 11:50 pm
McK&H.Aust wrote:The first crossing at Kandos is actually going to be re-activated in the next few months
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.858 ... 312!8i6656
The section between Kandos and Rylstone is currently being upgraded and reopened for heritage trains. The crossing at Kandos was only installed in 2002 so it shouldn't need much work. The signals are still intact but I suppose the new red background crossbucks and SORS signs will make an appearance.
http://www.lithgowmercury.com.au/story/ ... ail-video/
The rest of the line from Rylstone to Mudgee and Gulgong is too far gone and there are about 6 large timber bridges which would need totally replacing.
That's cool to hear!
On yet another completely different note, I found this really odd crossing near Trangie, NSW. This image from 2010 shows it's with relatively new gateless signals, with Alstom lights and a WCH m-bell.
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.013045 ... 312!8i6656
But fast-forward to 2015, and both signals have been replaced with "new" gateless signals...
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.013054 ... 312!8i6656
One of them looks pretty new (with United Group lights and a Safetran Type 3)...
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.012626 ... 312!8i6656
...the other, older than the one it replaced!
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.013054 ... 312!8i6656
This signal has a WCH m-bell, and WCH lights on a WRRS junction box.
Looking at the back of this signal, you can see the distance from where it originally came from (379.403km).
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.012773 ... 312!8i6656
Using the
NSW Public Level Crossing Finder, I found a
crossing in Stuart Town with the exact same distance printed on the signal. Looking at it on street view, it looks like a perfect match to me! Strange isn't it?
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McK&H.Aust
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by McK&H.Aust » Sun Dec 10, 2017 3:07 am
Both signals were probably knocked down by vehicles (likely in separate incidents), the foundation for the older signal with the m-bell is sitting higher above ground than the previous one. I guess the crossing at Stuart Town was upgraded and they had the old signal sitting around spare, wonder what is at Stuart Town now?
Would be interesting to know if the Safetran Type 3 actually works, but I suspect that it doesn't because the previous signal didn't have a bell so the wiring wouldn't be set up for it to work. Probably the same as Warral where they are using dead e-bells as pinnacles!
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Username1
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- Location: Melbourne Australia
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by Username1 » Mon Dec 11, 2017 2:41 am
Just a little update from the Upfield line: Victoria Street in Brunswick now has New WCH gate mechs and General signals type 3 e bells. This has happened quite recently actually, because I came through about a month ago and the crossing still had the original WCH gate mechs and Barker Technics E bells.
In fact, between Dawson street and Moreland station, every single crossing has been upgraded in the last year or so which I find quite strange. The last crossing that still has the original Barker Technics E bells would have to be Park street near Jewell Station (also Brunswick).
Does anyone know why all the crossings on the Upfeild line are being upgraded? Because I can’t fund anything on VicTrack or Metros websites talking about the upgrades.
Metro, why are you so bad at maintaining your railway crossings??
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TrickyMario7654
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by TrickyMario7654 » Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:27 am
Username1 wrote:Just a little update from the Upfield line: Victoria Street in Brunswick now has New WCH gate mechs and General signals type 3 e bells. This has happened quite recently actually, because I came through about a month ago and the crossing still had the original WCH gate mechs and Barker Technics E bells.
In fact, between Dawson street and Moreland station, every single crossing has been upgraded in the last year or so which I find quite strange. The last crossing that still has the original Barker Technics E bells would have to be Park street near Jewell Station (also Brunswick).
Does anyone know why all the crossings on the Upfeild line are being upgraded? Because I can’t fund anything on VicTrack or Metros websites talking about the upgrades.
Seems odd that last year, Metro didn't really care about replacing them, but all of a sudden they take a bell nazi approach towards them and replace them with General Signals e-bells. At least they're not installing adjusted Type 1's!
