Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[Username1]

Sorry, I’m not trying to be an arse but I think they were removed first because those crossings are some of the busiest in terms of trains and traffic. I don’t even live in the area, but in the times that I’ve passed through (this wasn’t even in peak hour, or anywhere near it) a single train could back the traffic up for a couple hundred meters, let alone when 7 trains pass though (Stuart Hunts video of Corrigan Road shows this). There’s a time when I think that some crossings just have to go. Seriously those crossing along the entire Caulfield-Dandenong corridor are all horrible and all need to be removed, but imo those 3 are the worst (I should know because I had family that lived in the area a few years back and the traffic was horrendous).
I will be sad when Eel Race, Station Street and Bondi Road all go, but I’m not really fussed about the Dandy stretch. Wayyyy to much traffic there.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't of been removed (as much as I don't want them to), I'm just saying that there seems to be something political about that decision.

Also, isn't Clayton considered worse?

Most likely, but all of those crossings on that stretch of line are horrendous.

[TrickyMario7654]

Sorry, I’m not trying to be an arse but I think they were removed first because those crossings are some of the busiest in terms of trains and traffic. I don’t even live in the area, but in the times that I’ve passed through (this wasn’t even in peak hour, or anywhere near it) a single train could back the traffic up for a couple hundred meters, let alone when 7 trains pass though (Stuart Hunts video of Corrigan Road shows this). There’s a time when I think that some crossings just have to go. Seriously those crossing along the entire Caulfield-Dandenong corridor are all horrible and all need to be removed, but imo those 3 are the worst (I should know because I had family that lived in the area a few years back and the traffic was horrendous).
I will be sad when Eel Race, Station Street and Bondi Road all go, but I’m not really fussed about the Dandy stretch. Wayyyy to much traffic there.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't of been removed (as much as I don't want them to), I'm just saying that there seems to be something political about that decision.

Also, isn't Clayton considered worse?

Most likely, but all of those crossings on that stretch of line are horrendous.

Everyone has their own opinions.

On a different note, it's been discovered that two gateless crossings along the Victorian section of the Melbourne-Sydney line have strobe lights. I guess they were a trial?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.265 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.208 ... 312!8i6656

Here's the proof...
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.264 ... 328!8i1664

[McK&H.Aust]

On a different note, it's been discovered that two gateless crossings along the Victorian section of the Melbourne-Sydney line have strobe lights. I guess they were a trial?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.265 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.208 ... 312!8i6656

Here's the proof...
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.264 ... 328!8i1664

Maybe the trial didn't go very well, because the stobes haven't appeared at other crossings?

Some good news for a change, found a news article about the work taking place to reopen the Kandos - Rylstone line. In the picture you can see the crossing at Kandos and it seems the only changes made have been new SORS signs and red background crossbucks fitted to the existing signals, the WCH m-bell has been retained
http://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/story/ ... k/?cs=1485

The crossing was passive until these signals were installed in January 2002, since then the line only ever saw the occasional heritage train. The were so few trains that this crossing and those at Mudgee and Rylstone had their signals placed out of service in September 2005, it probably wasn't worth maintaining them and there were potential problems with rusty rails. The crossings were then flagged for the small number of trains which ran until the track closed in July 2007. Given it's low usage, the m-bell at Kandos is probably in near new condition.

The crossing on GSV https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.858 ... 312!8i6656

[NathanFromEngland]

On a different note, it's been discovered that two gateless crossings along the Victorian section of the Melbourne-Sydney line have strobe lights. I guess they were a trial?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.265 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.208 ... 312!8i6656

Here's the proof...
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.264 ... 328!8i1664

Maybe the trial didn't go very well, because the stobes haven't appeared at other crossings?

Some good news for a change, found a news article about the work taking place to reopen the Kandos - Rylstone line. In the picture you can see the crossing at Kandos and it seems the only changes made have been new SORS signs and red background crossbucks fitted to the existing signals, the WCH m-bell has been retained
http://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/story/ ... k/?cs=1485

The crossing was passive until these signals were installed in January 2002, since then the line only ever saw the occasional heritage train. The were so few trains that this crossing and those at Mudgee and Rylstone had their signals placed out of service in September 2005, it probably wasn't worth maintaining them and there were potential problems with rusty rails. The crossings were then flagged for the small number of trains which ran until the track closed in July 2007. Given it's low usage, the m-bell at Kandos is probably in near new condition.

The crossing on GSV https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.858 ... 312!8i6656

What heritage train?

[McK&H.Aust]

On a different note, it's been discovered that two gateless crossings along the Victorian section of the Melbourne-Sydney line have strobe lights. I guess they were a trial?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.265 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.208 ... 312!8i6656

Here's the proof...
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.264 ... 328!8i1664

Maybe the trial didn't go very well, because the stobes haven't appeared at other crossings?

Some good news for a change, found a news article about the work taking place to reopen the Kandos - Rylstone line. In the picture you can see the crossing at Kandos and it seems the only changes made have been new SORS signs and red background crossbucks fitted to the existing signals, the WCH m-bell has been retained
http://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/story/ ... k/?cs=1485

The crossing was passive until these signals were installed in January 2002, since then the line only ever saw the occasional heritage train. The were so few trains that this crossing and those at Mudgee and Rylstone had their signals placed out of service in September 2005, it probably wasn't worth maintaining them and there were potential problems with rusty rails. The crossings were then flagged for the small number of trains which ran until the track closed in July 2007. Given it's low usage, the m-bell at Kandos is probably in near new condition.

The crossing on GSV https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.858 ... 312!8i6656

What heritage train?

There were various heritage passenger trains owned by several different heritage operators, when averaged out it would come to around one train every 5 or 6 weeks. Despite the usual promises by politicians, there were no regular passenger (commuter) trains, just a bus service to Lithgow. No freight to speak of.

[TrickyMario7654]

I was finally able to confirm the type of the other e-bell at Main Street, Pakenham today. It's a type 3 and it rings until the gates have lowered.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.080 ... 312!8i6656

[freebrickproductions]

Some slightly-off topic meta discussion, but this thread is almost as long as the Tracks Out of Service thread!

[StuartHunt101]

Sorry, I’m not trying to be an arse but I think they were removed first because those crossings are some of the busiest in terms of trains and traffic. I don’t even live in the area, but in the times that I’ve passed through (this wasn’t even in peak hour, or anywhere near it) a single train could back the traffic up for a couple hundred meters, let alone when 7 trains pass though (Stuart Hunts video of Corrigan Road shows this). There’s a time when I think that some crossings just have to go. Seriously those crossing along the entire Caulfield-Dandenong corridor are all horrible and all need to be removed, but imo those 3 are the worst (I should know because I had family that lived in the area a few years back and the traffic was horrendous).
I will be sad when Eel Race, Station Street and Bondi Road all go, but I’m not really fussed about the Dandy stretch. Wayyyy to much traffic there.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't of been removed (as much as I don't want them to), I'm just saying that there seems to be something political about that decision.

Also, isn't Clayton considered worse?

Most likely, but all of those crossings on that stretch of line are horrendous.

Everyone has their own opinions.

On a different note, it's been discovered that two gateless crossings along the Victorian section of the Melbourne-Sydney line have strobe lights. I guess they were a trial?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.265 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.208 ... 312!8i6656

Here's the proof...
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.264 ... 328!8i1664

Unfortunately, Boralma-Rutherglen Rd was upgraded to boom gates when I visisted it in October 2017. Ugh, it's really annoying, I was only a couple months late. So McMahons Rd is the only one with strobe lights now, which is a bummer

I was finally able to confirm the type of the other e-bell at Main Street, Pakenham today. It's a type 3 and it rings until the gates have lowered.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.080 ... 312!8i6656

Well it's not an adjusted type 1, so that's one saving grace from this. I assume that the pedestrian boom gate mechanisms are still in place?

There were various heritage passenger trains owned by several different heritage operators, when averaged out it would come to around one train every 5 or 6 weeks. Despite the usual promises by politicians, there were no regular passenger (commuter) trains, just a bus service to Lithgow. No freight to speak of.

It's great news they're bringing back heritage trains, without too many upgrades to the crossings. I guess only a handful of heritage trains will run each day (or week), which probably deems the crossings ''less dangerous'', and less in need of boom gates

[TrickyMario7654]

I was finally able to confirm the type of the other e-bell at Main Street, Pakenham today. It's a type 3 and it rings until the gates have lowered.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.080 ... 312!8i6656

Well it's not an adjusted type 1, so that's one saving grace from this. I assume that the pedestrian boom gate mechanisms are still in place?

Yeah the pedestrian booms are still in place, but it's only a matter of time until they replace them too.

On the topic of the crossing, I noticed that the gate on this signal keep bouncing up and down slightly long after it had lowered, I smell a potential replacement of the Westinghouse gate mechs in the long term future.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.079 ... 312!8i6656

[Username1]

There’s a really good video of one of the crossings on the Ararat-Maryborough line at the very bottom of this article:
http://www.araratadvertiser.com.au/stor ... e/#slide=4