Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[TrickyMario7654]

Found a picture of the new signals at Uralla...
http://exposurearts.com.au/wp-content/u ... -8-web.jpg

They don't blend in with the gatekeepers house as well as the old signals did, shame on you Nazi Holland for replacing signals that didn't need replacing.

They certainly ruined the heritage look with those new signals, to have the gatekeepers house and also the original signals which replaced it would be quite rare. The road is very quiet these days so don't know why they were in such a hurry to trash the old signals. The road was actually the original route of the New England Hwy, it was later moved to the current alignment which stayed west of the railway line, that probably would have added to the heritage value of the crossing.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-30.629 ... 185469,15z

The new signals could of gone to better use upgrading a passive crossing along the line, rather than replacing already working signals. The new signals at High Street, Shepparton could of also been better used at a passive crossing, rather than replacing the old signals with McK&H gate mechs and two Teardrop bells. Again, at least they used WCH e-bells and not those adjusted Type 1's.

[McK&H.Aust]

Found a picture of the new signals at Uralla...
http://exposurearts.com.au/wp-content/u ... -8-web.jpg

They don't blend in with the gatekeepers house as well as the old signals did, shame on you Nazi Holland for replacing signals that didn't need replacing.

They certainly ruined the heritage look with those new signals, to have the gatekeepers house and also the original signals which replaced it would be quite rare. The road is very quiet these days so don't know why they were in such a hurry to trash the old signals. The road was actually the original route of the New England Hwy, it was later moved to the current alignment which stayed west of the railway line, that probably would have added to the heritage value of the crossing.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-30.629 ... 185469,15z

The new signals could of gone to better use upgrading a passive crossing along the line, rather than replacing already working signals. The new signals at High Street, Shepparton could of also been better used at a passive crossing, rather than replacing the old signals with McK&H gate mechs and two Teardrop bells. Again, at least they used WCH e-bells and not those adjusted Type 1's.

I totally agree, there are actually some passive crossings on the line which seem just as busy (or busier). Both Uralla and High St, Shepparton seem like blatant acts of vandalism, along with all the other nice crossings which were trashed at Shepparton. I expect that soon enough they will trash the nice crossings at Tamworth, it's rare these days to see such a big and busy town with a whole bunch of gateless crossings right in the middle of it, plus they all have m-bells (including two WRRS). Then there are the pedestrian crossings with GRS semaphore mechs, interesting how only the stand-alone pedestrian crossings got gates! I'm sure the upgrade Nazis would be planning their attack on Tamworth

[StuartHunt101]

[/YouTube]

Uralla also had a cast iron teardrop bell which would make it quite old, you can tell because the mounting bolt for the mast is at the front (same side as gong), the aluminium ones were at the back. Wish I had filmed the crossing before the upgrade
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-30.622 ... 312!8i6656

So THAT's how you tell a cast iron teardrop bell from an aluminium one. Lol, makes it a whole lot more obvious

I totally agree, there are actually some passive crossings on the line which seem just as busy (or busier). Both Uralla and High St, Shepparton seem like blatant acts of vandalism, along with all the other nice crossings which were trashed at Shepparton. I expect that soon enough they will trash the nice crossings at Tamworth, it's rare these days to see such a big and busy town with a whole bunch of gateless crossings right in the middle of it, plus they all have m-bells (including two WRRS). Then there are the pedestrian crossings with GRS semaphore mechs, interesting how only the stand-alone pedestrian crossings got gates! I'm sure the upgrade Nazis would be planning their attack on Tamworth

All the crossings in Tamworth are pretty awesome. It's a bit like St Arnaud, with its hundreds of gateless crossings strewn across town. Thanks for finding the time to film them all before they're downgraded

The new signals could of gone to better use upgrading a passive crossing along the line, rather than replacing already working signals. The new signals at High Street, Shepparton could of also been better used at a passive crossing, rather than replacing the old signals with McK&H gate mechs and two Teardrop bells. Again, at least they used WCH e-bells and not those adjusted Type 1's.

Same goes for Hayes St in Shepparton. I found some footage of it when it had a teardrop bell and no boom gates (although I'm sure everyone's already found it). The crossing's at 0:50 in the video.

[McK&H.Aust]

Uralla also had a cast iron teardrop bell which would make it quite old, you can tell because the mounting bolt for the mast is at the front (same side as gong), the aluminium ones were at the back. Wish I had filmed the crossing before the upgrade
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-30.622 ... 312!8i6656

So THAT's how you tell a cast iron teardrop bell from an aluminium one. Lol, makes it a whole lot more obvious

With cast iron teardrop bells, the main body of the bell and the mounting base are actually two separate pieces, so the mounting bolt for the mast can be in any position. If you are looking from the back of the bell there is a second bolt directly underneath the housing on the right hand side which secures the bell onto it's base. For some reason when they switched to making aluminium bells the whole thing was cast in one piece.

I hadn't seen the video from Shepparton so thanks for posting, looks nice with the semaphore signals and the teardrop bell

[TrickyMario7654]

Uralla also had a cast iron teardrop bell which would make it quite old, you can tell because the mounting bolt for the mast is at the front (same side as gong), the aluminium ones were at the back. Wish I had filmed the crossing before the upgrade
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-30.622 ... 312!8i6656

So THAT's how you tell a cast iron teardrop bell from an aluminium one. Lol, makes it a whole lot more obvious

With cast iron teardrop bells, the main body of the bell and the mounting base are actually two separate pieces, so the mounting bolt for the mast can be in any position. If you are looking from the back of the bell there is a second bolt directly underneath the housing on the right hand side which secures the bell onto it's base. For some reason when they switched to making aluminium bells the whole thing was cast in one piece.

I hadn't seen the video from Shepparton so thanks for posting, looks nice with the semaphore signals and the teardrop bell

Speaking of cast iron Teardrops and crossings upgrades, this crossing in Wallan also had one.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

But sadly, the crossing was "upgraded" not long after that image was taken.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

The other signal also had a black hybrid bell, interestingly enough this actually replaced a Safetran m-bell between 2005-2006.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

This video from 2005 shows the crossing with the Safetran m-bell.


But by 2006, the crossing had the hybrid bell (as shown in this Vicsig picture).


On the subject of Vicsig, there's a lot of crossing pictures on the site. If you look up "Level Crossing", you'll find a number of pictures of crossings across Victoria taken mostly between 2005-2010.
https://vicsig.net/photos/search

Some highlights include many of the crossings along the North East line (such as the gateless crossings along the lost in recent years, and several Wodonga crossings), many suburban crossings back when most of them had m-bells, and numerous other crossings across Victoria. It's quite surreal looking at some of them as they've had their vintage equipment and m-bells removed (i.e. Mundy Street, Bendigo & Parwan Road, Bacchus Marsh), completely upgraded (i.e Baddaginnie & Locksley), or removed altogether (i.e. Centre Road, Bentleigh, Heatherdale Road, Mitcham, and from tomorrow Camp Road, Campbellfield).

[McK&H.Aust]

Speaking of cast iron Teardrops and crossings upgrades, this crossing in Wallan also had one.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

But sadly, the crossing was "upgraded" not long after that image was taken.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

The other signal also had a black hybrid bell, interestingly enough this actually replaced a Safetran m-bell between 2005-2006.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

This video from 2005 shows the crossing with the Safetran m-bell.


But by 2006, the crossing had the hybrid bell (as shown in this Vicsig picture).


On the subject of Vicsig, there's a lot of crossing pictures on the site. If you look up "Level Crossing", you'll find a number of pictures of crossings across Victoria taken mostly between 2005-2010.
https://vicsig.net/photos/search

Some highlights include many of the crossings along the North East line (such as the gateless crossings along the lost in recent years, and several Wodonga crossings), many suburban crossings back when most of them had m-bells, and numerous other crossings across Victoria. It's quite surreal looking at some of them as they've had their vintage equipment and m-bells removed (i.e. Mundy Street, Bendigo & Parwan Road, Bacchus Marsh), completely upgraded (i.e Baddaginnie & Locksley), or removed altogether (i.e. Centre Road, Bentleigh, Heatherdale Road, Mitcham, and from tomorrow Camp Road, Campbellfield).

Wallan was a nice crossing, shame it was trashed. Then to rub salt into the wound they installed the crossbucks with the red backgrounds on the new signals

Some very nice pics on the Vicsig site. Whoever James Hansen is, we owe him a debt of grattitude for photographing so many nice crossings before they were trashed.

[chris96]

Wallan was a nice crossing, shame it was trashed. Then to rub salt into the wound they installed the crossbucks with the red backgrounds on the new signals

I can't believe how quickly the new crossbucks have faded:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

At least they kept all of the original relay boxes:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

[McK&H.Aust]

Wallan was a nice crossing, shame it was trashed. Then to rub salt into the wound they installed the crossbucks with the red backgrounds on the new signals

I can't believe how quickly the new crossbucks have faded:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

Wonder if there was a faulty batch of new crossbucks? Either way it doesn't seem very good to not bother replacing them, been that way for at least a year (since 2014) when google last came by. Time to revert back to the normal crossbucks, at least they last longer!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

[TrickyMario7654]

Wallan was a nice crossing, shame it was trashed. Then to rub salt into the wound they installed the crossbucks with the red backgrounds on the new signals

I can't believe how quickly the new crossbucks have faded:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

Wonder if there was a faulty batch of new crossbucks? Either way it doesn't seem very good to not bother replacing them, been that way for at least a year (since 2014) when google last came by. Time to revert back to the normal crossbucks, at least they last longer!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.419 ... 312!8i6656

Looks like they've been replaced now...


Also found a news report of an accident at this same crossing from around the early 1980's, it even still had the old lantern gate lights at the time!

[TrickyMario7654]

I just noticed that the Racecourse Road level crossing in Albury, NSW was still intact in 2009, even though it was replaced with an overpass two years earlier.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.048 ... 6656?hl=en

There's even an advanced warning sign intact as well!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.048 ... 6656?hl=en

Both have since been removed, sadly (the relay hut remains though).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.048 ... 6656?hl=en
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.048 ... 6656?hl=en

Another view of them from the nearby Hume Freeway.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.050 ... 6656?hl=en

Additionally, this signalized private crossing in Wodonga was still intact in 2015, wonder if it's still there today?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.114 ... 6656?hl=en