Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[chris96]

Yeah I’m not getting my hands on the wig wag haha. Anyways,I think the dead hybrid being left at Murray Rd illustrates how inconsistent Metro is with their “upgrades”, replacing perfectly fine hybrids at Poplar Rd then leaving the dead bell at Murray Rd, creating potential hazards (unless you are a Queenslander of course, you are used to no bells).
Forgive me for my lack of knowledge but is High street closed now since you mention some of the gates have been removed and the remaining ones aren’t coming down? Kind of reminds me what the Oaklands crossing in Adelaide was like before it’s removal, one of the gate Mechs was removed but they left the signal where the gate mech used to be in place.
For some reason I thought Metro would be using different lights since they stopped production of old Westinghouse LEDs, but it looks like they are continuing to use them. Those lights are clearly the newer LEDs, the lens are darker, plus there is some sort of ring around the lights now, similar looking to United Group Lights in my opinion.

Metro have never made sense with their upgrades. They just seem to pick random crossings out of nowhere with no clear reason why. Speaking of Queensland crossings, I've just been told by someone on Youtube that Reserve St in Pomona (the last QR crossing with bells) actually had US&S Teardrops. However, after looking at street view, the bells seem a lot more like McK&H versions to me. You be the judge:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656

Too bad the bells are no longer at this crossing. All Queensland have left in regards to real crossing bells today is the single Teardrop at Dreamworld (and even its future is now in question with the train currently not operating).

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Yeah I’m not getting my hands on the wig wag haha. Anyways,I think the dead hybrid being left at Murray Rd illustrates how inconsistent Metro is with their “upgrades”, replacing perfectly fine hybrids at Poplar Rd then leaving the dead bell at Murray Rd, creating potential hazards (unless you are a Queenslander of course, you are used to no bells).
Forgive me for my lack of knowledge but is High street closed now since you mention some of the gates have been removed and the remaining ones aren’t coming down? Kind of reminds me what the Oaklands crossing in Adelaide was like before it’s removal, one of the gate Mechs was removed but they left the signal where the gate mech used to be in place.
For some reason I thought Metro would be using different lights since they stopped production of old Westinghouse LEDs, but it looks like they are continuing to use them. Those lights are clearly the newer LEDs, the lens are darker, plus there is some sort of ring around the lights now, similar looking to United Group Lights in my opinion.

Metro have never made sense with their upgrades. They just seem to pick random crossings out of nowhere with no clear reason why. Speaking of Queensland crossings, I've just been told by someone on Youtube that Reserve St in Pomona (the last QR crossing with bells) actually had US&S Teardrops. However, after looking at street view, the bells seem a lot more like McK&H versions to me. You be the judge:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656

Too bad the bells are no longer at this crossing. All Queensland have left in regards to real crossing bells today is the single Teardrop at Dreamworld (and even its future is now in question with the train currently not operating).

Looks like Mck&h Bells to me, I tell because of where the bolt on the base is, the rain shield/front just looks different, and the base doesn’t look detachable, it looks casted. It’s still sad it’s gone now. hopefully the Teardrop can be saved at dreamworld but I doubt it, none of the companies or governments want to give away their stuff anyways.

[McK&H.Aust]

Yeah I’m not getting my hands on the wig wag haha. Anyways,I think the dead hybrid being left at Murray Rd illustrates how inconsistent Metro is with their “upgrades”, replacing perfectly fine hybrids at Poplar Rd then leaving the dead bell at Murray Rd, creating potential hazards (unless you are a Queenslander of course, you are used to no bells).
Forgive me for my lack of knowledge but is High street closed now since you mention some of the gates have been removed and the remaining ones aren’t coming down? Kind of reminds me what the Oaklands crossing in Adelaide was like before it’s removal, one of the gate Mechs was removed but they left the signal where the gate mech used to be in place.
For some reason I thought Metro would be using different lights since they stopped production of old Westinghouse LEDs, but it looks like they are continuing to use them. Those lights are clearly the newer LEDs, the lens are darker, plus there is some sort of ring around the lights now, similar looking to United Group Lights in my opinion.

Metro have never made sense with their upgrades. They just seem to pick random crossings out of nowhere with no clear reason why. Speaking of Queensland crossings, I've just been told by someone on Youtube that Reserve St in Pomona (the last QR crossing with bells) actually had US&S Teardrops. However, after looking at street view, the bells seem a lot more like McK&H versions to me. You be the judge:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656

Too bad the bells are no longer at this crossing. All Queensland have left in regards to real crossing bells today is the single Teardrop at Dreamworld (and even its future is now in question with the train currently not operating).

Looks like Mck&h Bells to me, I tell because of where the bolt on the base is, the rain shield/front just looks different, and the base doesn’t look detachable, it looks casted. It’s still sad it’s gone now. hopefully the Teardrop can be saved at dreamworld but I doubt it, none of the companies or governments want to give away their stuff anyways.

They are definitely McKenzie & Holland bells, found another view which shows writing on the back of the bell, something that the US&S bells didn't have https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656

[Applehead137]

[quote=RedhenRailcarSAR post_id=40713 time=<a href="tel:1562822260">1562822260</a> user_id=448]
Yeah I’m not getting my hands on the wig wag haha. Anyways,I think the dead hybrid being left at Murray Rd illustrates how inconsistent Metro is with their “upgrades”, replacing perfectly fine hybrids at Poplar Rd then leaving the dead bell at Murray Rd, creating potential hazards (unless you are a Queenslander of course, you are used to no bells).
Forgive me for my lack of knowledge but is High street closed now since you mention some of the gates have been removed and the remaining ones aren’t coming down? Kind of reminds me what the Oaklands crossing in Adelaide was like before it’s removal, one of the gate Mechs was removed but they left the signal where the gate mech used to be in place.
For some reason I thought Metro would be using different lights since they stopped production of old Westinghouse LEDs, but it looks like they are continuing to use them. Those lights are clearly the newer LEDs, the lens are darker, plus there is some sort of ring around the lights now, similar looking to United Group Lights in my opinion.

Metro have never made sense with their upgrades. They just seem to pick random crossings out of nowhere with no clear reason why. Speaking of Queensland crossings, I've just been told by someone on Youtube that Reserve St in Pomona (the last QR crossing with bells) actually had US&S Teardrops. However, after looking at street view, the bells seem a lot more like McK&H versions to me. You be the judge:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-26.364 ... 312!8i6656

Too bad the bells are no longer at this crossing. All Queensland have left in regards to real crossing bells today is the single Teardrop at Dreamworld (and even its future is now in question with the train currently not operating).
[/quote]

I’d say that there Mck&h bells. I saw a video of that crossing somewhere on YouTube . I think it was called something along the lines of Queensland’s last mechanical railway crossing bell or something. That was like a year or so ago and I’ve tried searching up the video but I haven’t found it unfortunately.

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

A few days ago I found out about the existence of a fifth Bryant Zinc Bell in Australia! It’s another one in SA and it’s in a private collection. You can see it in this video https://youtu.be/nlAKX1lNFG8 (dunno how to do the Youtube embed thing sorry). This adds to the list of 1 in my collection, 2 at the NRM, 1 at the Railway Infrastructure Property that Level Crossing Fan filmed on YouTube (it’s probably somewhere else now since most of the stuff there got auctioned off) and now 1 in their collection. I first knew about this bell when they asked about it on my Bryant Zinc bell video in a comment and showed photos of the interior and outside of the bell.
I wonder if any RRS (Their bells were the exact same apart from the logo) bells exist in Australia?

[Applehead137]

Nice find with the 5th Bryant zinc co bell in Australia. Recently on Flickr I have discovered a few things . While browsing through the G.Cargeeg / GSWRHS collection. There’s some really great pictures and stuff in it but there’s heaps of pages to go through. Anyway here are my finds. The first thing I have found is a picture of Finn street Ballarat in the 1970s. Looking at the picture it looks like and classic Victorian 1960s gateless setup with a teardrop bell. It also has a semaphore signal pinical like Main street pakenham.


The second one is a picture the Melba Highway Crossing on the Mansfield line. The crossing was a regular Victorian gateless setup with a teardrop bell and Westinghouse lights . It’s a rare find since I haven’t found any other pictures of the crossings on the line since it closed in the late 70s and was ripped up shorty after .


The third find was a picture School road Menzies creek 2 when it was passive and had give way to trains signs like nearly every other crossing on that line then.


The forth one is probably the most interesting at Johnstone street castlemaine before it was a tourist railway . It had hazard triangles and wooden boom gates that were hand operated by the looks of things. Kinda reminds me of that crossing in East Greta Junction.They were also black and white with older style reflectors and a old VR circular red and white crossing sign . I believe this was taken on the last steam trains on the line before it was turned into a tourist railway.


The fifth one is this crossing on portalington road in curlewis from the late 70s . This was before the line was closed. It turns out that for a 4 lane highway it didn’t have active protection with just 4 Give Way To trains signs. Pretty dangerous if you ask me. Although it’s in a pretty flat plane so it could be easier to see a train than other places.

Anyways that’s my finds for now

[Applehead137]

-

[Username1]

Sorry for the double post but bad news. A crash has happened at Brunt road officer. 2 cars were on the tracks when the boom gates lowered . Lucky no one was killed but there’s injuries . Unfortunately one of the cars was thrown into one of the gates signals . From pictures it looks like the signal is bent off it’s base and signs are falling off plus the boom gate is smashed. I don’t know too much about the crash tho. https://apple.news/ArQpyU7PwSmuchjNUfrp27Q
This one shows the signal
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-15/ ... s/11309040

The second car rear-ended the first car and they stopped to exchange details, on the tracks... —According to that ABC news link.
On another note it will be interesting to see what the replacement signal will be. Most likely an e bell and a WCH gate mech. Will be interesting to see if Metro decides to keep the existing signal with the hybrid bell on the opposite side

[McK&H.Aust]

Sorry for the double post but bad news. A crash has happened at Brunt road officer. 2 cars were on the tracks when the boom gates lowered . Lucky no one was killed but there’s injuries . Unfortunately one of the cars was thrown into one of the gates signals . From pictures it looks like the signal is bent off it’s base and signs are falling off plus the boom gate is smashed. I don’t know too much about the crash tho. https://apple.news/ArQpyU7PwSmuchjNUfrp27Q
This one shows the signal
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-15/ ... s/11309040

The second car rear-ended the first car and they stopped to exchange details, on the tracks... —According to that ABC news link.
On another note it will be interesting to see what the replacement signal will be. Most likely an e bell and a WCH gate mech. Will be interesting to see if Metro decides to keep the existing signal with the hybrid bell on the opposite side

Sadly it always seems to be classic equipment which is damaged in a crossing accident, never a new signal with a crappy sounding e-bell

Looking at the pictures it seems that the hybrid bell survived so hopefully it is reused on the replacement signal. One thing which annoys me whenever an accident like this happens is how the crossing is always portrayed as being dangerous when in fact the signals were working correctly and the whole thing was caused by a careless driver.

[trainman7]

Sorry for changing the topic but made a quick trip to Orange today. Only had time time to visit a couple of crossings. First stop was at Bathurst St, Rydal https://goo.gl/maps/69Uq5WXKAsDF94ms5
It remains unchanged thankfully!

Second was Ash St, Orange. https://goo.gl/maps/6rE4eB4gqw6AYo2S6 Unfortunately the original signals with GRS/WRRS type D gate mechs and a teardrop bell have been replaced. The new setup is fairly typical having WCH bases, United Group lights and Invensys gate mechs. I suspect the signals were installed in mid to late 2017 with the gate mechs having probably been the last of the Safetran/Invensys/Siemens stock in storage. However it’s not all boring equipment. For whatever reason, the new signals have two new WCH m-bells Not that I’m complaining, but I wonder why the crossing got m-bells instead of e-bells?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139253871 ... ed-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139253871 ... ed-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139253871 ... ed-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139253871 ... ed-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139253871 ... ed-public/