Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

So while browsing through some Flickr photos (there is some gold there, for example black and white gates and Teardrop bells) I found a photo of a crossing in Adelaide, then I went to this crossing on street view. Why? It has old style stop on red signal signs but the background has changed to white and the writing to black. Here it is, it’s quite bizarre if you ask me https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Nu ... n-au&gl=au
Also here are some of the pictures I was browsing on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/baytram36 ... otostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34520752@N07/5282650208/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/baytram366/6486768967
https://www.flickr.com/photos/baytram366/6486769335
https://www.flickr.com/photos/markcarter/24446847055
https://www.flickr.com/photos/baytram366/6486767879

Nice pictures! Those stop on red signal signs are actually U.S versions! I wonder why and how they ended up at that crossing?

I also have a few updates I'd like to share. Today I traveled to Inverleigh and am pleased to report that the Mahers Rd crossing still has its Westinghouse Hybrid Bell!







The crossing also has a new Safetran Type 3 (it previously had a GS E-Bell on this signal)


Of course, Railway St and Inverleigh-Winchelsea Rd still have their Hybrid bells too!


Inverleigh clearly must be stuck in some sort of time loop from the late 90's/early 2000's to have so much untouched equipment!

Unfortunately, I do have some sad news to report. The dead Hybrid at Peak School Rd in Little River has been replaced with a new Safetran Type 3:




But guess what....it's already dying!


The bell isn't even a week old (the Hybrid was still there when I drove past on Tuesday). Clearly something is actively killing the bells.

Awww man it’s sad to hear the Peak School Rd Hybrid is gone but it’s great to hear the other hybrids in the area are still there. The paint on that particular Peak School Rd newer bell looks like paint on an NEG bell.....

[freebrickproductions]

I almost wonder if something is drawing too much power from the bells causing them not to work right. I know when I recorded the 1st Avenue crossing in Birmingham when the gate arm got stuck between the lights, the Safetran Type 3 started sounding scratchy before cutting out entirely prior to the gate arm freeing itself. However, I don't see anything with that crossing that'd cause that bell to do that, maybe the wiring somewhere between the bell and the relay case has a short in it, or is otherwise messed-up?

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

So back in May, Mck&h Aust mentioned the removal of abandoned crossings on the Mallee Highway between Pinnaroo and Murrayville. One of those crossings (the one on the edge of the border, I think that area is called Panitya) had a newer unmarked base (which I saved when the top of the signal got sheared off in a car accident, the base now supports my Bryant Zinc Bell), Marked Westinghouse lights on each signal, and a signal with a VR style unmarked base (the kind where the signal is stuck in the foundation) and a hybrid bell. One interesting thing is that the hybrid bell wasn’t actually there when the line was operating (I believe it may had a Teardrop judging from the signal base) but there was a different bell when a picture was taken of the crossing in 2005. At first I thought it was a WCH, FS or WRRS bell but now I’m not so sure because the base on the bell is really odd, it looks like an upside down WCH base, could anyone identify it? https://www.ozroads.com.au/SA/New/12/26.jpg

[freebrickproductions]

To me, it looks like it was meant to be mounted atop a cantilever signal with a base of that style.

EDIT: Looking at it again, it appears to be a 5 inch base.

[Applehead137]

-

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Today I went on a crossing trip visiting the 2 signalled crossings on the disused portion of the Victor Harbor Line (between Mt Barker and Mt Barker Junction) and I found out a few things.
First of all, the wig wag at Cameron Rd is not in good condition, paint is peeling off (crusty) and someone has smashed the lens on the front, exposing the lightbulb
Better news, the bell at Old Princes Hwy isn’t a WCH bell, it’s actually a WRRS Bell!
So I peeked through the fence of the NRM equipment pile, and the Griswold Stop Sign https://mobile.twitter.com/RedhenSar/st ... 9844656133 and the (either Mck&h or WRRS) Gate Mech with the black and white boom gates and lantern lights https://mobile.twitter.com/RedhenSar/st ... 1361481728 are still there! I also took another look at the bells and the 1st gen Teardrop has been moved from where I saw it last time, it was out of sight so either someone has just moved it elsewhere in the yard, or God knows.
I also visited the Rosewater loop crossings, 3 1st gen WCH bells, 1 WRRS Bell, and 2 second gen WCH bells. They all seem to be in reasonable condition, but someone has stolen a Stop on red signal sign off one of the signals
I also shot videos at Charles Sturt Ave and Frederick Rd. Some people drove by at Charles Sturt Ave calling us “F**king losers” (to be honest they are the losers ).

[McK&H.Aust]

Today I went on a crossing trip visiting the 2 signalled crossings on the disused portion of the Victor Harbor Line (between Mt Barker and Mt Barker Junction) and I found out a few things.
First of all, the wig wag at Cameron Rd is not in good condition, paint is peeling off (crusty) and someone has smashed the lens on the front, exposing the lightbulb
Better news, the bell at Old Princes Hwy isn’t a WCH bell, it’s actually a WRRS Bell!
So I peeked through the fence of the NRM equipment pile, and the Griswold Stop Sign https://mobile.twitter.com/RedhenSar/st ... 9844656133 and the (either Mck&h or WRRS) Gate Mech with the black and white boom gates and lantern lights https://mobile.twitter.com/RedhenSar/st ... 1361481728 are still there! I also took another look at the bells and the 1st gen Teardrop has been moved from where I saw it last time, it was out of sight so either someone has just moved it elsewhere in the yard, or God knows.
I also visited the Rosewater loop crossings, 3 1st gen WCH bells, 1 WRRS Bell, and 2 second gen WCH bells. They all seem to be in reasonable condition, but someone has stolen a Stop on red signal sign off one of the signals
I also shot videos at Charles Sturt Ave and Frederick Rd. Some people drove by at Charles Sturt Ave calling us “F**king losers” (to be honest they are the losers ).

I really hope something can be done to protect the wig wag at Cameron Rd, it must be that last one remaining in Australia that's actually on a public road. It's possible that it could gradually be vandalized to a point of being too far gone, perhaps it would be safer if relocated away from the vandals?

People who call others a loser usually don't have the brain capacity to come up with any original insults of their own, they have to put others down to feel better about themselves. Sometimes I get people yelling things from their cars as they go past but mostly can't make out what they're saying, can't even get any proper insults these days

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Today I went on a crossing trip visiting the 2 signalled crossings on the disused portion of the Victor Harbor Line (between Mt Barker and Mt Barker Junction) and I found out a few things.
First of all, the wig wag at Cameron Rd is not in good condition, paint is peeling off (crusty) and someone has smashed the lens on the front, exposing the lightbulb
Better news, the bell at Old Princes Hwy isn’t a WCH bell, it’s actually a WRRS Bell!
So I peeked through the fence of the NRM equipment pile, and the Griswold Stop Sign https://mobile.twitter.com/RedhenSar/st ... 9844656133 and the (either Mck&h or WRRS) Gate Mech with the black and white boom gates and lantern lights https://mobile.twitter.com/RedhenSar/st ... 1361481728 are still there! I also took another look at the bells and the 1st gen Teardrop has been moved from where I saw it last time, it was out of sight so either someone has just moved it elsewhere in the yard, or God knows.
I also visited the Rosewater loop crossings, 3 1st gen WCH bells, 1 WRRS Bell, and 2 second gen WCH bells. They all seem to be in reasonable condition, but someone has stolen a Stop on red signal sign off one of the signals
I also shot videos at Charles Sturt Ave and Frederick Rd. Some people drove by at Charles Sturt Ave calling us “F**king losers” (to be honest they are the losers ).

I really hope something can be done to protect the wig wag at Cameron Rd, it must be that last one remaining in Australia that's actually on a public road. It's possible that it could gradually be vandalized to a point of being too far gone, perhaps it would be safer if relocated away from the vandals?

People who call others a loser usually don't have the brain capacity to come up with any original insults of their own, they have to put others down to feel better about themselves. Sometimes I get people yelling things from their cars as they go past but mostly can't make out what they're saying, can't even get any proper insults these days

Yes, there is sadly a big probability of the wig wag getting vandalised to an irrecoverable point (or it could get stolen, I heard about a failed attempt where someone tried to do exactly that in the USA, and they fell off their ladder and broke their back ) but there is also the chance that it can be saved. If you take a look at this document from some time ago http://www.steamranger.org.au/enthusias ... 0facts.pdf there appears to be a mention of relocating the wig wag to Goolwa (unfortunately that would mean there would be no more wig wags on public roads, but it’s probably best for the wig wag) but I would say Steamranger has bigger priorities than this at the moment (I’m not saying that saving the wig wag isn’t important, it’s just that they have other things to do like restoring 520, etc). Speaking of wig wags, the wig wag (and the old wooden handgates there too, and the train order signal) at the former Railway Signal, Aviation and Telegraph Museum in the West Torrens area in Adelaide is owned by the NRM. You can see all three in street view https://www.google.com/maps/place/A14,+ ... b1e6361f6c
I emailed the council who owns the building, hoping I could get my hands on the wig wag, and apparently if the wig wag was to be moved, the electricity would have to be turned off and that would cost a lot, so for now the wig wag will sit there and it’s future is uncertain, due to the costs of transporting it also the NRM wouldn’t let me have it anyways (I already emailed them asking about that equipment pile last year, and also looking at historical street view it wasn’t a equipment pile before, it was a rail corridor to the wharf! The tracks have been lifted now.)

[Applehead137]

-

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Sad that the wig wag is falling apart and is a victim to vandalism. Unfortunately a lot of crossings on abandoned lines are like that . With no maintenance ,bits fall apart and get taken away or stolen. I think the South Gippsland line is one of those lines that had or has that . Hopefully you eventually get your hands on the wigwag but I don’t know if it will happen. Hopefully the wig wag at Cameron road gets relocated to Goowla.

Anyway today I went along the Mernda line up to resovoir for filming. Oakover road , Hutton street , bell street are unchanged. Murray road still has the dead hybrid bell. There’s also a lot of work happening at high street resovoir. There’s cranes and construction every where. Also 2 of the 6 boom gates were removed a couple of weeks ago. They didn’t remove the signals where they were and they still activate when a train comes but the gate mechs don’t go down.

Here are some photos




I also went past toorak road Kooyong which has been announced for sky rail . The dying hybrids are still there and there’s a upgrade on the crossing. The pair of lights on the cantilever have been replaced with what look like the newer style Westinghouse LED lights. The old cross arm is still there with the junction box cover looking to be held on with some cable ties. It’s had to see in these photos ,sorry about the bad quality.

Here’s some photos :

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.