Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[NathanFromEngland]

As for the newest installation of a Safetran bell, this crossing in Northcote actually had one installed between 2007-2009, replacing a hybrid bell!
2007: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.768 ... 328!8i1664
2009: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.768 ... 312!8i6656

I don't think that's a Safetran...
Looks more like a RACO or Griswold bell!

It's gone now.

[TrickyMario7654]

As for the newest installation of a Safetran bell, this crossing in Northcote actually had one installed between 2007-2009, replacing a hybrid bell!
2007: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.768 ... 328!8i1664
2009: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.768 ... 312!8i6656

I don't think that's a Safetran...
Looks more like a RACO or Griswold bell!

It's gone now.

I already mentioned that in my orginal post.

[TrickyMario7654]

A similar thing happened at the Olympic Hwy, Illabo which had a WCH m-bell replaced by a hybrid bell. The streetview image was also from 2007 I think, and has only been updated in the past few days and now you can't seem to navigate back to the older image https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.803 ... 312!8i6656 I have filmed this crossing and hope to have it posted in the next week or so, it's very rare now to find crossings that have hybrid bells paired with WCH m-bells.

I noticed the crossing has a mix of WCH and GRS/WRRS gate mechs. I wonder why this is the case?

I also noticed that this gateless signal has one Alstom light and one WCH light. Has this crossing also suffered from vehicle strikes too?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.803 ... 312!8i6656

The signal with the WCH gate mech is a replacement for the previous one which was destroyed by a rather messy accident back in 2006. A truck rolled over on the bend approaching the crossing and came to rest on the tracks, then shortly after it was hit by a southbound train and the gated signal was destroyed in the wreckage. The signal with one Alstom light and one WCH light was also damaged in the accident, originally it had 2 Alstom lights mounted on an Alstom junction box. It now has a McK&H junction box with the WCH and Alstom lights mounted on it! This is a report into the accident http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/24304/aair2006013_001.pdf

The original gated signal also had a GRS/WRRS gate mech and looked pretty much the same as the surviving one. The replacement signal came from another crossing, it has a taller mast and still has a second junction box where an extra pair of lights was mounted https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.803 ... 312!8i6656 Originally it had a WCH m-bell which has been replaced in recent years by an older model Westinghouse hybrid bell.

Actually, I just noticed in the 2007 street view image that the gateless signal that was damaged in the accident had two Alstom lights.
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.803384 ... 328!8i1664

But by 2017, it had the current one Alstom & WCH light mounted on a McK&H junction box arrangement.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.803 ... 312!8i6656

What happened there?

Also, I believe the hybrid bell probably came from one of the Wodonga crossings.

[McK&H.Aust]

Actually, I just noticed in the 2007 street view image that the gateless signal that was damaged in the accident had two Alstom lights.
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.803384 ... 328!8i1664

But by 2017, it had the current one Alstom & WCH light mounted on a McK&H junction box arrangement.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.803 ... 312!8i6656

What happened there?

Also, I believe the hybrid bell probably came from one of the Wodonga crossings.

I guess the gateless signal suffered from another vehicle strike. It would be interesting to know where the McK&H junction box and WCH light came from, but it's nice to see old equipment being re-used. That's one thing I like about ARTC, I know they have copped plenty of bad publicity over the condition of the Melbourne - Sydney line but at least they don't have the severe bell nazi attitude of replacing all of the of older equipment (in NSW anyway!).

While we're on the subject of vehicle strikes, I can confirm that the gated signal with the teardrop bell at Tanyinna has been replaced by a completely new signal with WCH gate mech and WCH e-bell. I don't have any pictures but it looks identical to the other gated signal https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.730 ... 312!8i6656

The Safetran bell at Wodonga has received a stay of execution, seems like the crossing upgrade has been delayed https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?498990072

There are also some crossing upgrades taking place on the Portland line https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?498990072
With the exception of Darts Rd https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.315 ... 328!8i1664 all of the other crossings seem to be passive. My guess would be they are replacing the grades and hopefully no vintage equipment is touched.

[TrickyMario7654]

I guess the gateless signal suffered from another vehicle strike. It would be interesting to know where the McK&H junction box and WCH light came from, but it's nice to see old equipment being re-used. That's one thing I like about ARTC, I know they have copped plenty of bad publicity over the condition of the Melbourne - Sydney line but at least they don't have the severe bell nazi attitude of replacing all of the of older equipment (in NSW anyway!).

While we're on the subject of vehicle strikes, I can confirm that the gated signal with the teardrop bell at Tanyinna has been replaced by a completely new signal with WCH gate mech and WCH e-bell. I don't have any pictures but it looks identical to the other gated signal https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.730 ... 312!8i6656

The Safetran bell at Wodonga has received a stay of execution, seems like the crossing upgrade has been delayed https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?498990072

There are also some crossing upgrades taking place on the Portland line https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?498990072
With the exception of Darts Rd https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.315 ... 328!8i1664 all of the other crossings seem to be passive. My guess would be they are replacing the grades and hopefully no vintage equipment is touched.

We can now officially take another Teardrop off the list of remaining ones in NSW, the second one this year (the other being at Cunningar). This also brings the total amount of crossings with GRS/WRRS Type B mechs down to three.

I don't know why, but it seems that several of the crossings on the Olympic Highway along the Melbourne-Sydney line have suffered from strikes which have wiped out whole signals (Tanyinna & Illabo). The one at Bethungra also had it's original signals wiped out in a train derailment in 1970 (which BTW, where did you find the info on it?).

I wonder why so many of the crossing upgrades have been delayed on the North East line? I also hope that they're not replacing any of the vintage equipment at Darts Road, would be peeved if the bell nazis got their hands on the crossings along the line.

[McK&H.Aust]

I guess the gateless signal suffered from another vehicle strike. It would be interesting to know where the McK&H junction box and WCH light came from, but it's nice to see old equipment being re-used. That's one thing I like about ARTC, I know they have copped plenty of bad publicity over the condition of the Melbourne - Sydney line but at least they don't have the severe bell nazi attitude of replacing all of the of older equipment (in NSW anyway!).

While we're on the subject of vehicle strikes, I can confirm that the gated signal with the teardrop bell at Tanyinna has been replaced by a completely new signal with WCH gate mech and WCH e-bell. I don't have any pictures but it looks identical to the other gated signal https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.730 ... 312!8i6656

The Safetran bell at Wodonga has received a stay of execution, seems like the crossing upgrade has been delayed https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?498990072

There are also some crossing upgrades taking place on the Portland line https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/Doc ... ?498990072
With the exception of Darts Rd https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.315 ... 328!8i1664 all of the other crossings seem to be passive. My guess would be they are replacing the grades and hopefully no vintage equipment is touched.

We can now officially take another Teardrop off the list of remaining ones in NSW, the second one this year (the other being at Cunningar). This also brings the total amount of crossings with GRS/WRRS Type B mechs down to three.

I don't know why, but it seems that several of the crossings on the Olympic Highway along the Melbourne-Sydney line have suffered from strikes which have wiped out whole signals (Tanyinna & Illabo). The one at Bethungra also had it's original signals wiped out in a train derailment in 1970 (which BTW, where did you find the info on it?).

I wonder why so many of the crossing upgrades have been delayed on the North East line? I also hope that they're not replacing any of the vintage equipment at Darts Road, would be peeved if the bell nazis got their hands on the crossings along the line.

Yes it's sad to lose 2 teardrop bells this year, I guess it's actually 3 if you count Ivanhoe

It's shocking how quickly the GRS/WRRS Type B gate mechs have disappeared, even right up into the early/mid 2000's they were still quite common and now we're down to 3 crossings. They would probably be my favourite gate mech as they were the first ones I ever saw when very young.

I guess the crossings at Illabo and Tanyinna have suffered from numerous vehicle strikes due to the combination of sharp bends in the road and careless drivers. I found about the Bethungra crossing being destroyed in 1970 from reading some old Railway Digest magazines which belong to my dad.

Got one day off work tomorrow and I don't feel like driving too far to film a crossing. Found out that there are very few trains running on the line through Robertson tomorrow, so thought I may try filming this crossing at Kembla Grange https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.470 ... 312!8i6656 It has no rare equipment but is quite an oddball installation. It only has one bell which is unusual for a gated crossing (a WCH e-bell replaced the m-bell in the last year or so). The crossing has been upgraded with the red background crossbucks, but interestingly they left the inverted SORS signs in place. The relay bungalow is also quite interesting, being raised up on a platform due to the area being flood prone https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.470 ... 312!8i6656
The track also crosses the road at a 45 degree angle which looks quite interesting.

Not sure why the crossing upgrades on the North East line are being delayed. My guesses would be a shortage of equipment, technical problems on the electrical side of things or maybe even a shortage of manpower, maybe they've been diverted to more urgent jobs.

[TrickyMario7654]

Yes it's sad to lose 2 teardrop bells this year, I guess it's actually 3 if you count Ivanhoe

It's shocking how quickly the GRS/WRRS Type B gate mechs have disappeared, even right up into the early/mid 2000's they were still quite common and now we're down to 3 crossings. They would probably be my favourite gate mech as they were the first ones I ever saw when very young.

I guess the crossings at Illabo and Tanyinna have suffered from numerous vehicle strikes due to the combination of sharp bends in the road and careless drivers. I found about the Bethungra crossing being destroyed in 1970 from reading some old Railway Digest magazines which belong to my dad.

Got one day off work tomorrow and I don't feel like driving too far to film a crossing. Found out that there are very few trains running on the line through Robertson tomorrow, so thought I may try filming this crossing at Kembla Grange https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.470 ... 312!8i6656 It has no rare equipment but is quite an oddball installation. It only has one bell which is unusual for a gated crossing (a WCH e-bell replaced the m-bell in the last year or so). The crossing has been upgraded with the red background crossbucks, but interestingly they left the inverted SORS signs in place. The relay bungalow is also quite interesting, being raised up on a platform due to the area being flood prone https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.470 ... 312!8i6656
The track also crosses the road at a 45 degree angle which looks quite interesting.

Not sure why the crossing upgrades on the North East line are being delayed. My guesses would be a shortage of equipment, technical problems on the electrical side of things or maybe even a shortage of manpower, maybe they've been diverted to more urgent jobs.

Those Railway Digest magazines sometime contain the installation dates for level crossing signals, very helpful indeed.

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the gated signals at Kembla Grange originally had a hybrid bell. You can see it at Page 17 of this LCSC Report.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160616113 ... 004-05.pdf

By 2008, it had been replaced with a WCH m-bell.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.470 ... 328!8i1664

Out of interest, the report also shows the old signals at Pine Road, Fairfield (Page 8).

Hybird bells didn't seem to be commonly installed on Sydney's metropolitan rail network (not counting freight only lines). The only other crossing I know of that had one was at Leumeah (which was closed in the mid 90's).

[McK&H.Aust]

Those Railway Digest magazines sometime contain the installation dates for level crossing signals, very helpful indeed.

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the gated signals at Kembla Grange originally had a hybrid bell. You can see it at Page 17 of this LCSC Report.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160616113 ... 004-05.pdf

By 2008, it had been replaced with a WCH m-bell.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.470 ... 328!8i1664

Out of interest, the report also shows the old signals at Pine Road, Fairfield (Page 8).

Hybird bells didn't seem to be commonly installed on Sydney's metropolitan rail network (not counting freight only lines). The only other crossing I know of that had one was at Leumeah (which was closed in the mid 90's).

Wow I didn't realise that Kembla Grange had a hybrid bell, 4 years isn't very long for a bell, wonder what happened. I actually have a couple of old pictures of the crossing which I took in the mid 1990's, back then it was gateless with McK&H lights and a teardrop bell. Might see if I can find the photos, if I am successful in filming the crossing I could get them scanned (or just take pictures of them) and include them in the video.

I have a collection of various Railway Digest magazines and they sure do come in handy for installation dates. Speaking of hybrid bells and Railway Digest, I have the July 1991 edition and on page 245 it has a picture of the crossing at Grand Ave, Rosehill https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656 and back then the crossing had a hybrid bell. Interesting that it was replaced by a teardrop bell

You are correct about hybrid bells being rare in Sydney, I only knew of the same ones that you mentioned.

[TrickyMario7654]

Those Railway Digest magazines sometime contain the installation dates for level crossing signals, very helpful indeed.

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the gated signals at Kembla Grange originally had a hybrid bell. You can see it at Page 17 of this LCSC Report.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160616113 ... 004-05.pdf

By 2008, it had been replaced with a WCH m-bell.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.470 ... 328!8i1664

Out of interest, the report also shows the old signals at Pine Road, Fairfield (Page 8).

Hybird bells didn't seem to be commonly installed on Sydney's metropolitan rail network (not counting freight only lines). The only other crossing I know of that had one was at Leumeah (which was closed in the mid 90's).

Wow I didn't realise that Kembla Grange had a hybrid bell, 4 years isn't very long for a bell, wonder what happened. I actually have a couple of old pictures of the crossing which I took in the mid 1990's, back then it was gateless with McK&H lights and a teardrop bell. Might see if I can find the photos, if I am successful in filming the crossing I could get them scanned (or just take pictures of them) and include them in the video.

I have a collection of various Railway Digest magazines and they sure do come in handy for installation dates. Speaking of hybrid bells and Railway Digest, I have the July 1991 edition and on page 245 it has a picture of the crossing at Grand Ave, Rosehill https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656 and back then the crossing had a hybrid bell. Interesting that it was replaced by a teardrop bell

You are correct about hybrid bells being rare in Sydney, I only knew of the same ones that you mentioned.

You learn something new everyday.

I'm guessing the hybrid bell died and they replaced it with a WCH m-bell. Strange how it only took a few years, I thought they were pretty durable.

On a different note, I found a picture of a crossing in Katoomba that was taken back in 1985 and was closed later that year.
Level Crossing, Katoomba by Blue Mountains Local Studies, on Flickr

The crossing had McK&H lights, GRS/WRRS Type D gate mechs, and two McK&H Teardrops. From what I've read, the crossing had it's signals installed in 1970. So that means the crossing had all of it's original equipment when it was closed!

[McK&H.Aust]

On a different note, I found a picture of a crossing in Katoomba that was taken back in 1985 and was closed later that year.
Level Crossing, Katoomba by Blue Mountains Local Studies, on Flickr

The crossing had McK&H lights, GRS/WRRS Type D gate mechs, and two McK&H Teardrops. From what I've read, the crossing had it's signals installed in 1970. So that means the crossing had all of it's original equipment when it was closed!

Great find with the picture, sure was a nice classic crossing. I do have one very old memory of driving past this crossing, we were on a family outing to Jenolan Caves and got stuck at the crossing for at least 10 minutes (don't remember what trains came past), my dad was very cranky but I was happy to sit there and look at the crossing lol.

Sure wish we had that time machine