Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Talk about signals ranging from wigwags to EVA signals here.

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McK&H.Aust
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:09 pm

Found out some interesting history about the crossing at Back Brawlin Rd, Cootamundra https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656

Turns out that it's actually a new crossing opened in 1997 to replace this underpass which was prone to flooding. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.653 ... 312!8i6656

You can see the darker asphalt where the newer section of road begins https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.653 ... 312!8i6656

Here is the other side where it used to connect with the Olympic Hwy https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656

Another interesting thing is a sign which reads "Bob Dear's Crossing". https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656
Don't know who Bob Dear was, or why the crossing is named after him. There is a stone with a plaque attached next to the sign but it only commemorates the opening of the crossing and gives no information about the mysterious Bob Dear.
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TrickyMario7654
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:18 pm

McK&H.Aust wrote:Found out some interesting history about the crossing at Back Brawlin Rd, Cootamundra https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656

Turns out that it's actually a new crossing opened in 1997 to replace this underpass which was prone to flooding. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.653 ... 312!8i6656

You can see the darker asphalt where the newer section of road begins https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.653 ... 312!8i6656

Here is the other side where it used to connect with the Olympic Hwy https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656

Another interesting thing is a sign which reads "Bob Dear's Crossing". https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656
Don't know who Bob Dear was, or why the crossing is named after him. There is a stone with a plaque attached next to the sign but it only commemorates the opening of the crossing and gives no information about the mysterious Bob Dear.
Wow, that pretty rare to see a crossing replace an underpass (although it would be pretty funny to see a crossing recently removed in Melbourne be de-grade separated). :LOL3:

Looks like Bob Dear might of been a local of Cootamundra many decades ago. I found this old 1944 article from the Cootamundra Herald mentioning that the son of Mr. & Mrs. Bob Dear was killed in a WWII plane crash over the French Island of Corsica.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/16440440
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McK&H.Aust
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:40 pm

TrickyMario7654 wrote:
McK&H.Aust wrote:Found out some interesting history about the crossing at Back Brawlin Rd, Cootamundra https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656

Turns out that it's actually a new crossing opened in 1997 to replace this underpass which was prone to flooding. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.653 ... 312!8i6656

You can see the darker asphalt where the newer section of road begins https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.653 ... 312!8i6656

Here is the other side where it used to connect with the Olympic Hwy https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656

Another interesting thing is a sign which reads "Bob Dear's Crossing". https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.652 ... 312!8i6656
Don't know who Bob Dear was, or why the crossing is named after him. There is a stone with a plaque attached next to the sign but it only commemorates the opening of the crossing and gives no information about the mysterious Bob Dear.
Wow, that pretty rare to see a crossing replace an underpass (although it would be pretty funny to see a crossing recently removed in Melbourne be de-grade separated). :LOL3:

Looks like Bob Dear might of been a local of Cootamundra many decades ago. I found this old 1944 article from the Cootamundra Herald mentioning that the son of Mr. & Mrs. Bob Dear was killed in a WWII plane crash over the French Island of Corsica.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/16440440
Interesting article but a sad story. The man killed was Ken Dear, and if I read the article correctly it seems he had a brother (or other relative) whose name was also Bob. It seems Bob was 28 at the time and was a prisoner of war in Malaya, if he survived then he would have been 81 in 1997 when the crossing opened.
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TrickyMario7654
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:57 pm

McK&H.Aust wrote:Interesting article but a sad story. The man killed was Ken Dear, and if I read the article correctly it seems he had a brother (or other relative) whose name was also Bob. It seems Bob was 28 at the time and was a prisoner of war in Malaya, if he survived then he would have been 81 in 1997 when the crossing opened.
I also noticed that the Gundagai Road crossing (also in Cootamundra) had a gateless signal with McK&H lights, which is strange as I'm pretty sure that the signals replaced manually operated gates in the mid 1980's.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.643 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.643 ... 312!8i6656
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McK&H.Aust
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Thu Dec 07, 2017 6:05 pm

TrickyMario7654 wrote:
I also noticed that the Gundagai Road crossing (also in Cootamundra) had a gateless signal with McK&H lights, which is strange as I'm pretty sure that the signals replaced manually operated gates in the mid 1980's.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.643 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.643 ... 312!8i6656
Yes here is a picture of the old gates from 1980 http://nswrail.net/locations/gphoto.php ... height=600

The McK&H gateless signal is still there today, even though the Harmon gate mechs were replaced by new signals.
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TrickyMario7654
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Thu Dec 07, 2017 6:30 pm

McK&H.Aust wrote:
TrickyMario7654 wrote:
I also noticed that the Gundagai Road crossing (also in Cootamundra) had a gateless signal with McK&H lights, which is strange as I'm pretty sure that the signals replaced manually operated gates in the mid 1980's.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.643 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.643 ... 312!8i6656
Yes here is a picture of the old gates from 1980 http://nswrail.net/locations/gphoto.php ... height=600

The McK&H gateless signal is still there today, even though the Harmon gate mechs were replaced by new signals.
On a completely different note, there seems to be a proposal (or there was) to replace this crossing in Scone with an overpass.
http://www.scone.com.au/rail-bridge-options/
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.045 ... 312!8i6656

The project will be done in conjunction with the Scone bypass of the New England Highway.
http://www.scone.com.au/bypass-progress/
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McK&H.Aust
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by McK&H.Aust » Thu Dec 07, 2017 10:24 pm

TrickyMario7654 wrote:On a completely different note, there seems to be a proposal (or there was) to replace this crossing in Scone with an overpass.
http://www.scone.com.au/rail-bridge-options/
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.045 ... 312!8i6656

The project will be done in conjunction with the Scone bypass of the New England Highway.
http://www.scone.com.au/bypass-progress/
At this stage it seems they are building the bypass and leaving the crossing for now, didn't notice any work taking place when I went past last month.

On yet another completely different note (LOL), found a whole bunch of crossings in the Pilbara region of WA with Westinghouse hybrid bells, some also have extra large SORS signs.....

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.758 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.758 ... 328!8i1664

This one also had wishbone gates in 2008!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.793 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.793 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.793 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.420 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.419 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.673 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.673 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.445 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.605 ... 328!8i1664

No hybrids, but this crossing has the bells mounted on the side of the masts like some US installations.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.881 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.881 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.491 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.699 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.871 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-23.211 ... 312!8i6656
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TrickyMario7654
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by TrickyMario7654 » Thu Dec 07, 2017 11:05 pm

McK&H.Aust wrote:At this stage it seems they are building the bypass and leaving the crossing for now, didn't notice any work taking place when I went past last month.

On yet another completely different note (LOL), found a whole bunch of crossings in the Pilbara region of WA with Westinghouse hybrid bells, some also have extra large SORS signs.....

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.758 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.758 ... 328!8i1664

This one also had wishbone gates in 2008!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.793 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.793 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-20.793 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.420 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.419 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.673 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-21.673 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.445 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.605 ... 328!8i1664

No hybrids, but this crossing has the bells mounted on the side of the masts like some US installations.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.881 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.881 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.491 ... 328!8i1664

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.699 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-22.871 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-23.211 ... 312!8i6656
Honestly, I think building the overpass at the crossing would be pointless after the bypass has opened due to the decline in traffic.

Nice finds with the hybrid bells over in WA, but I don't understand the point of having gigantic SORS signs. If you're going to have them, then you might as well top them off with these... :LOL3:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-31.423 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-31.423 ... 328!8i1664

Also, take a listen to this political baloney about the Camp Road crossing removal. It's only single track and yet they think it's "dangerous & congested".
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freebrickproductions
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by freebrickproductions » Fri Dec 08, 2017 1:46 am

They/Them for me, please.

Click here if you want to submit crossing photos to the site!

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Username1
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Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

Post by Username1 » Fri Dec 08, 2017 2:06 am

Sorry to change the topic once again, but the Parkers Road crossing at Parkdale Station now has WCH gate mechanisms and is now fully LED. Also the original E bells Remain and the Magnetic Autocontrol Swing gates are still being installed.

Anyway, I saw a hidden danger of crossings today, although it wasn’t the crossings fault. So the crossing at station street Seaford activated for a train that was not in service, well there were three primary school kids who after the bells and lights had been activated for some time decided that they could all beat the oncoming train. The first two got across the crossing in time, but the third one, who was on a bike did not get across in time when the pedestrian gates began closing. He then thought it would be a good idea to speed up to beat the closing gate, but came off second best when his bike hit the gate and he went flying and hit the pavement... Hope he learned his lesson though!! As sad as some people may think it is I may have laughed a little bit, because it was entirely his fault, not anyone else’s.
Metro, why are you so bad at maintaining your railway crossings??
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