Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Talk about signals ranging from wigwags to EVA signals here.

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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by freebrickproductions » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:45 pm

Username1 wrote:
McK&H.Aust wrote:
Username1 wrote:Are these some Safetran hybrid bells on Coleman street in Warragul VIC?? https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/33 ... ca766e8dd4
They are the usual Westinghouse hybrids, although for some reason the gongs have been painted a different colour.
Damn got my hopes up.. I wonder why they painted the bells like that?
Anyway does this mean that newly-installed crossings in Victoria (apart from the pedestrian crossings) are all USA made?
Unless they've changed who they get the gate lights from, the gate lights at least are made by a British company (Unipart Rail).
They/Them for me, please.

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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:45 pm

Username1 wrote:
McK&H.Aust wrote:
Username1 wrote:Are these some Safetran hybrid bells on Coleman street in Warragul VIC?? https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/33 ... ca766e8dd4
They are the usual Westinghouse hybrids, although for some reason the gongs have been painted a different colour.
Damn got my hopes up.. I wonder why they painted the bells like that?
Anyway does this mean that newly-installed crossings in Victoria (apart from the pedestrian crossings) are all USA made?
As far as I know the only remaining Australian made equipment is the Westinghouse lights (made by Siemens but still with Westinghouse branding) and United Group lights (formerly Alstom). Pretty sure there are still some gates and gate lights made here too.

As for gate mechanisms and bells, they are all made in the USA.
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:20 pm

Username1 wrote:
McK&H.Aust wrote:
Username1 wrote:Are these some Safetran hybrid bells on Coleman street in Warragul VIC?? https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/33 ... ca766e8dd4
They are the usual Westinghouse hybrids, although for some reason the gongs have been painted a different colour.
Damn got my hopes up.. I wonder why they painted the bells like that?
Anyway does this mean that newly-installed crossings in Victoria (apart from the pedestrian crossings) are all USA made?
Doesn't matter anyways, as they've been replaced with Safetran E-Bells.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.158 ... 56!6m1!1e1
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Sun Jan 15, 2017 3:09 am

Here's something you don't see everyday, a set of McK&H lights on a late 90's install! Wonder if they were reused from another crossing or they had a set in spare?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.733 ... 312!8i6656

Just further up the line, a crossing located in a cemetery entrance! You can see it's active in this shot.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.713 ... 312!8i6656
Last edited by TrickyMario7654 on Sun Jan 15, 2017 4:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Sun Jan 15, 2017 4:07 am

TrickyMario7654 wrote:Here's something you don't see everyday, a set of McK&H lights on a late 90's install! Wonder if they were reused from another crossing or they were reused from another crossing?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.733 ... 312!8i6656

Just further up the line, a crossing located in a cemetery entrance! You can see it's active in this shot.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.713 ... 312!8i6656
Reminds me of a crossing at Griffith NSW which was installed in the mid 1980's. One of the median signals has McK&H lights, I suspect the original signal could have been destroyed by a vehicle and they needed a replacement in a hurry, so they found this one laying around from another crossing https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.287 ... 312!8i6656

Interesting cemetery crossing, never seen one before. If someone is killed at the crossing, they won't have far to take them (I'm only joking, I hope that never happens) :Smile:
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Sun Jan 15, 2017 4:44 am

McK&H.Aust wrote:Reminds me of a crossing at Griffith NSW which was installed in the mid 1980's. One of the median signals has McK&H lights, I suspect the original signal could have been destroyed by a vehicle and they needed a replacement in a hurry, so they found this one laying around from another crossing https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.287 ... 312!8i6656

Interesting cemetery crossing, never seen one before. If someone is killed at the crossing, they won't have far to take them (I'm only joking, I hope that never happens) :Smile:
For some reason, your comment on the cemetery crossing made me smile. :Tongue2:

Also, here's some photos I took today. The first crossing is located on Camms Road in Cranbourne.

I can confirm that the strange crossing lights I posted a while ago were made by GEC Alsthom.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... lQdWxLYW0w
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... VzeDdqTnRv

The crossing also has Westinghouse EB Gate Mechs (with graffiti murals all over them!)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... lhUE43QS1F
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... BQb2dPS0c4

One side has a faded crossing gate too!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ZwMXo4ZTlv

The other is missing a visor on one of the lights!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... 5aM1IxelVZ

Turns out, that it's been like that for a while.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.097 ... 312!8i6656

An action shot.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... d5SEN3akg0

The second crossing is Evans Road in Lynbrook.

As I've posted before, this crossing is on a road to nowhere! :Scared:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... 5jSFNnQjZv

Yet, it's still open to pedestrians.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ZwWkFzZUI4

I can tell that they reused the Crossing ID sign from another crossing.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... hYVDA3b3F3

Another crossing with GEC lights.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ktMXlOZmZv

This is also the only crossing on the Cranbourne line to have E-Bells.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... hfTWxhMXg4

The last crossing is Thompsons Road in Cranbourne North.

This one has a mix of Safetran and Westinghouse gate mechs.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... FIdFNUR1dV
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... J4cmZkRUJn

More GEC lights.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ZEWlo2bzN3

An action shot.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... xlWXp1VEl3

Some LXRA propaganda.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... FySmNZNEFJ
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Sun Jan 15, 2017 11:41 am

TrickyMario7654 wrote:Also, here's some photos I took today. The first crossing is located on Camms Road in Cranbourne.

I can confirm that the strange crossing lights I posted a while ago were made by GEC Alsthom.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... lQdWxLYW0w
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... VzeDdqTnRv

The crossing also has Westinghouse EB Gate Mechs (with graffiti murals all over them!)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... lhUE43QS1F
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... BQb2dPS0c4

One side has a faded crossing gate too!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ZwMXo4ZTlv

The other is missing a visor on one of the lights!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... 5aM1IxelVZ

Turns out, that it's been like that for a while.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.097 ... 312!8i6656

An action shot.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... d5SEN3akg0

The second crossing is Evans Road in Lynbrook.

As I've posted before, this crossing is on a road to nowhere! :Scared:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... 5jSFNnQjZv

Yet, it's still open to pedestrians.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ZwWkFzZUI4

I can tell that they reused the Crossing ID sign from another crossing.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... hYVDA3b3F3

Another crossing with GEC lights.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ktMXlOZmZv

This is also the only crossing on the Cranbourne line to have E-Bells.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... hfTWxhMXg4

The last crossing is Thompsons Road in Cranbourne North.

This one has a mix of Safetran and Westinghouse gate mechs.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... FIdFNUR1dV
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... J4cmZkRUJn

More GEC lights.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... ZEWlo2bzN3

An action shot.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... xlWXp1VEl3

Some LXRA propaganda.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Y7t ... FySmNZNEFJ
Nice pictures and great finds with those GEC lights, they are rare these days. I only knew of one crossing in NSW to have them, it was the one at Wollongong which I recently posted about that closed in 1989 (although those lights were a slightly earlier version).

Interesting to see a crossing with a mix of gate mechs, it's not all that common. I think you are being kind to the person who did the graffiti on those Westinghouse mechs, I'd call it scribble rather than a mural :LOL4:
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Sun Jan 15, 2017 3:48 pm

McK&H.Aust wrote:Nice pictures and great finds with those GEC lights, they are rare these days. I only knew of one crossing in NSW to have them, it was the one at Wollongong which I recently posted about that closed in 1989 (although those lights were a slightly earlier version).

Interesting to see a crossing with a mix of gate mechs, it's not all that common. I think you are being kind to the person who did the graffiti on those Westinghouse mechs, I'd call it scribble rather than a mural :LOL4:
Thanks, all of those crossings were installed in 1995, so it's safe to presume that those lights were still being manufactured at time time.

The earliest street view image for Thompsons Road shows it with both a Safetran and Westinghouse gate mech. Maybe they were out of EB gate mechs, and they had to use a Safetran gate mech instead?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.080 ... 328!8i1664
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:42 pm

McK&H.Aust wrote:
TrickyMario7654 wrote:Some more interesting things in Melbourne.

I noticed that at the Ripponlea crossing in 2007, the signal with the hybrid bell looked to of had a completely different bell! The image is completely blurry so I'm unable to tell what it is. (Though it looks like a Teardrop bell!)
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.876 ... 328!8i1664
I've had a look from a few angles and I'd say it was another Safetran bell.
I can confirm that it was a Safetran bell. Take a look at this picture I found.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/comeng301 ... 899872164/

Also, I just noticed something odd about one of the gate mechs at Poath Road. In 2009, the gate mech clearly looks to be a McK&H one.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.894 ... 312!8i6656

By 2013, it had became a WRRS one! What happened?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.894 ... 312!8i6656

I should also point out that by 2011, the Safetran bell had been replaced with a hybrid bell! :Blink: If you listen carefully to the clip at 2:18, you can actually hear the Teardrop bell that was on the other side.


I theorize that both the Safetran bells at Murrumbeena may have been replaced with hybrid bells, before being replaced with E-Bells!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.889 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.889 ... 312!8i6656

Same with this one at Koornang Road.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.885 ... 312!8i6656

As clearly heard in this video, Murrumbeena had E-Bells by 2012 (Same with Cranegie and Hughesdale).
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:30 am

TrickyMario7654 wrote:Also, I just noticed something odd about one of the gate mechs at Poath Road. In 2009, the gate mech clearly looks to be a McK&H one.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.894 ... 312!8i6656

By 2013, it had became a WRRS one! What happened?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.894 ... 312!8i6656
Nice find there, you don't see that very often!
It's possible that the McK&H mech was damaged and they needed to replace it in a hurry, there could have been a spare WRRS mech that was available to use as a replacement. The McK&H and the WRRS mechs seem to be almost identical and maybe they both use the same wiring and control circuit arrangements, it could have been a 'like for like' replacement without having to alter any of the existing wiring.

Another possibility is that the WRRS mechanism was refurbished as advertised by Siemens.
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