freebrickproductions wrote:(Reposting because this post got eaten by the forum earlier.)
McK&H.Aust wrote:There are some interesting crossings between Echuca and Deniliquin, but as usual the images are quite old so they could have been upgraded by now.
These two crossings have WCH m-bells which are the older kind without the stepped base. They also seem to have WRRS junction boxes for the lights which is rare for Victorian Railways.
Thanks for the updates. It seems that despite the line beyond Echuca seeing few trains these days, money was spent on the usual Safetran type 3 upgrade.
Metro are total idiots in my book, as the old bells were actually pretty healthy there. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I wonder if they've caught onto the fact that the LXRA have been giving away old equipment to railfans and collectors and they're now trying to get rid of the m-bells off crossings up for removal so they can't get hold of them?
Metro are total idiots in my book, as the old bells were actually pretty healthy there. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I wonder if they've caught onto the fact that the LXRA have been giving away old equipment to railfans and collectors and they're now trying to get rid of the m-bells off crossings up for removal so they can't get hold of them?
It's a shame the hybrid bells have been replaced and it does seem wasteful, I hope the replacement e-bells aren't those horrible adjusted GS type 1's.
It's an interesting theory but I doubt Metro would go to so much trouble just to stop collectors from getting the hybrid bells, the signals will most likely be altered during the removal project which would be an easier time to change bells. The real reason is probably a very silly and bureaucratic one.
Re: Australian Railroad Crossing Signals
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:46 pm
by McK&H.Aust
It's difficult to know for sure, but I suspect that this crossing at Glennies Creek may have a dead Safetran type 3 e-bell on the far signal, the possibly dead bell was only installed last year when it replaced the original WCH m-bell.
In this most recent video there doesn't seem to be any variation in the bell volume or sound direction once the gates have lowered, when the bell on the far signal is meant to shut off.
Compare it with this video taken a year earlier before the m-bell was replaced.
McK&H.Aust wrote:It's difficult to know for sure, but I suspect that this crossing at Glennies Creek may have a dead Safetran type 3 e-bell on the far signal, the possibly dead bell was only installed last year when it replaced the original WCH m-bell.
In this most recent video there doesn't seem to be any variation in the bell volume or sound direction once the gates have lowered, when the bell on the far signal is meant to shut off.
Compare it with this video taken a year earlier before the m-bell was replaced.
I saw that video a few days ago and I was wondering the same thing. I might try to get up there soon but it might not be easy at the moment because of time constraints. It’s a shame the m-bell was replaced as it sounded quite healthy...
Another Safetran e-bell that died (only just remembered lol) was on this signal at Darling St, Carrington: https://goo.gl/maps/Hu3ezGEJCRy I took this photo from the side of a tourist train back in April 2016 of the signal showing it had an older model Type 3 that was dead: https://www.flickr.com/photos/139253871 ... ed-public/ It replaced a WCH m-bell around mid 2010. By February 2017 however, it was replaced by a newer model one: https://goo.gl/maps/Z7SgsmxZK8G2 With so many Type 3s dying, it really makes me wonder when they will stop replacing faulty e-bells with faulty e-bells or stop installing them all together.
The first link has a pretty good picture of the whole crossing too, which is great!
Great find with those articles, I've never seen a picture of the crossing from the front before, just a track view picture which I think was in a book (can't remember exactly). I also have a picture looking north from the station which I took in the 1990's and you could still see one of the concrete signal foundations, I think it was probably for the western gated signal, just haven't been able to find it yet.
The first link has a pretty good picture of the whole crossing too, which is great!
Great find with those articles, I've never seen a picture of the crossing from the front before, just a track view picture which I think was in a book (can't remember exactly). I also have a picture looking north from the station which I took in the 1990's and you could still see one of the concrete signal foundations, I think it was probably for the western gated signal, just haven't been able to find it yet.
