Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[chris96]

Unfortunately I don’t think there are any buttons that can activate the signals. I think the 3 position semaphore there can be activated from the signal cabin, but I don’t know who owns the signal cabin or their contacts.

It's a shame the signals aren't active. It makes it even more of a mystery as to why the bells were replaced twice. All it needs now is a WRRS Mini Bell and it'll have an almost complete set of very rare bells. As far as I know, there's only one WRRS Mini Bell in the country at the moment so the chances of that are pretty slim!

[chris96]

Sorry for the double post, but I just found this video from 1997 showing the Port Melbourne light rail line when its crossings still had Westinghouse Hybrid Bells. All the crossings (except for Bridge St which seemed to already have Barker Technics bells at the time) have the Hybrids mounted on the traffic light posts behind or near the lights themselves. You can see/hear the bells after 35:47:

[McK&H.Aust]

It’s odd seeing the bell in the median strip. I’ve seen it at the old wodonga crossing on google maps and the Shanley street Wangaratta had a safetran bell in the median strip in the 70s ( I saw a picture of it ) before it was upgraded with gates in 1984. The bell at that crossing in Spotswood looks like it possibly could be a Us&s teardrop. I’ve never seen a US&S teardrop in Victoria. I saw a picture on Flickr of a old crossing signal at Belair station in SA which had A black US&S teardrop plus some really old McKenzie and Holland lights ( the first type used in the 1930s - 40s - 50s and 60s ) the ones with the back lights conected to the front ones. The picture was taken in like 1985 and some newer pictures show that it was replaced with a safetran bell and then replaced with a WCH bell




https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+69282/387
https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+69282/388
https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2321872296182025870

Nice find with those pictures, we've suspected that US&S Teardrop bells were used here, now we know

I also know that many early installations of motorized points in New South Wales used US&S switch machines, who knows what other equipment made it to our shores.

On a possibly sad note, I visited the crossing at Shepherds Siding today and managed to film a train. The Harmon gate mechs are still there but since going past two weeks ago there has been a delivery of new cable pits near the crossing. I suspect these will be used for a future signal upgrade, so anyone thinking of making a visit probably shouldn't put it off for too long. Here are the new cable pits https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FL_Vgk ... sp=sharing

Overview of the crossing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJ5ZYn ... sp=sharing

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

It’s odd seeing the bell in the median strip. I’ve seen it at the old wodonga crossing on google maps and the Shanley street Wangaratta had a safetran bell in the median strip in the 70s ( I saw a picture of it ) before it was upgraded with gates in 1984. The bell at that crossing in Spotswood looks like it possibly could be a Us&s teardrop. I’ve never seen a US&S teardrop in Victoria. I saw a picture on Flickr of a old crossing signal at Belair station in SA which had A black US&S teardrop plus some really old McKenzie and Holland lights ( the first type used in the 1930s - 40s - 50s and 60s ) the ones with the back lights conected to the front ones. The picture was taken in like 1985 and some newer pictures show that it was replaced with a safetran bell and then replaced with a WCH bell




https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+69282/387
https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+69282/388
https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2321872296182025870

Nice find with those pictures, we've suspected that US&S Teardrop bells were used here, now we know

I also know that many early installations of motorized points in New South Wales used US&S switch machines, who knows what other equipment made it to our shores.

On a possibly sad note, I visited the crossing at Shepherds Siding today and managed to film a train. The Harmon gate mechs are still there but since going past two weeks ago there has been a delivery of new cable pits near the crossing. I suspect these will be used for a future signal upgrade, so anyone thinking of making a visit probably shouldn't put it off for too long. Here are the new cable pits https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FL_Vgk ... sp=sharing

Overview of the crossing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJ5ZYn ... sp=sharing

The Wabco bells that made it here are technically also US&S. I think one of the versions had a US&S label.
Also here are the crossings I am visiting at Steamranger. 1 of them recently got upgraded to an active crossing so it will be interesting to see what equipment is on it (probably WCH E Bell, Westinghouse LEDS and WCH Base as with recent upgrades).
This one at Wellington Rd Mt Barker has possibly Harmon bases with GE logo, mixture of Westinghouse and Lex c lights, and it used to have an m bell but it’s been replaced with a WCH e bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/39 ... n-au&gl=au
This crossing at Long Valley Rd, Gemmells has 12 inch lights, and an m bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/69 ... n-au&gl=au
East Terrace in Strathalbyn is a bit vintage, it has Mck&h lights and a nice sounding M bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/B3 ... 8af122caab
This Alexandrina Rd Crossing recently got upgraded with new signals replacing passive protection. I will be visiting this crossing to see what equipment it has. I will be visiting a different crossing on this road on the way back that has vintage equipment https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Al ... d?hl=en-au
Hutchinson St in Goolwa has an all WCH setup. It used to have an m bell until it got replaced by a WCH e bell. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/22 ... n-au&gl=au
The strand at Port Elliot has had its lights replaced, but it still has a nice m bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/18 ... n-au&gl=au
Coral St in Victor Harbor is the last ever crossing in SA to have its old manual wooden gates, and Steamranger retains the practice of manually shutting the gates. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/1+ ... n-au&gl=au
On the way back I will be visiting the same crossings, but I will be making a few changes.
I will be visiting a different crossing on Alexandrina Rd that has older signals https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Al ... n-au&gl=au
I will be visiting a different crossing at Strathalbyn instead of East Terrace. It’s high st, and it’s rather unique as the crossing is activated from the Strathalbyn railway station and it has a Searchlight Signal that lets the train pass the crossing. I will make sure to film the Searchlight too. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Al ... n-au&gl=au
Those are the crossings I will be visiting. The first crossing video will be up on my YouTube channel on Sunday around dinner time.

[McK&H.Aust]

The Wabco bells that made it here are technically also US&S. I think one of the versions had a US&S label.
Also here are the crossings I am visiting at Steamranger. 1 of them recently got upgraded to an active crossing so it will be interesting to see what equipment is on it (probably WCH E Bell, Westinghouse LEDS and WCH Base as with recent upgrades).
This one at Wellington Rd Mt Barker has possibly Harmon bases with GE logo, mixture of Westinghouse and Lex c lights, and it used to have an m bell but it’s been replaced with a WCH e bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/39 ... n-au&gl=au
This crossing at Long Valley Rd, Gemmells has 12 inch lights, and an m bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/69 ... n-au&gl=au
East Terrace in Strathalbyn is a bit vintage, it has Mck&h lights and a nice sounding M bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/B3 ... 8af122caab
This Alexandrina Rd Crossing recently got upgraded with new signals replacing passive protection. I will be visiting this crossing to see what equipment it has. I will be visiting a different crossing on this road on the way back that has vintage equipment https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Al ... d?hl=en-au
Hutchinson St in Goolwa has an all WCH setup. It used to have an m bell until it got replaced by a WCH e bell. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/22 ... n-au&gl=au
The strand at Port Elliot has had its lights replaced, but it still has a nice m bell https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/18 ... n-au&gl=au
Coral St in Victor Harbor is the last ever crossing in SA to have its old manual wooden gates, and Steamranger retains the practice of manually shutting the gates. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/1+ ... n-au&gl=au
On the way back I will be visiting the same crossings, but I will be making a few changes.
I will be visiting a different crossing on Alexandrina Rd that has older signals https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Al ... n-au&gl=au
I will be visiting a different crossing at Strathalbyn instead of East Terrace. It’s high st, and it’s rather unique as the crossing is activated from the Strathalbyn railway station and it has a Searchlight Signal that lets the train pass the crossing. I will make sure to film the Searchlight too. https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Al ... n-au&gl=au
Those are the crossings I will be visiting. The first crossing video will be up on my YouTube channel on Sunday around dinner time.

The signal with the Lex-C lights certainly looks like it could have a Harmon base, South Australia sure has a big variety of brands and equipment

Best of luck filming those crossings, hopefully they're unchanged from the streetview images. I look forward to seeing the videos

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Thanks! SA sure does have a massive variety of equipment. It would be better though if 80% of the bells weren’t Safetran Type 3s.
Also I found a way to see vintage railway crossings in SA easily. Go to SLSA (I think it’s state library website) and type railway crossing in the search bar. You will find lots of cool stuff like old pictures of the south road cross road railway pictures, and even stuff dating back to manual gate and wig wag days. If you look hard enough, you can find some old crossing stuff on Flickr. I found a picture of the south Rd cross Rd crossing before partial grade separation, and it used to have black and white gates with hanging gate lights and a Teardrop bell!

[chris96]

Thanks! SA sure does have a massive variety of equipment. It would be better though if 80% of the bells weren’t Safetran Type 3s.
Also I found a way to see vintage railway crossings in SA easily. Go to SLSA (I think it’s state library website) and type railway crossing in the search bar. You will find lots of cool stuff like old pictures of the south road cross road railway pictures, and even stuff dating back to manual gate and wig wag days. If you look hard enough, you can find some old crossing stuff on Flickr. I found a picture of the south Rd cross Rd crossing before partial grade separation, and it used to have black and white gates with hanging gate lights and a Teardrop bell!

Thanks for suggesting the SLSA site. Defiantly some very interesting photos on there!

Here's a 1937 shot of a Wig Wag at the Port Road Crossing on the Henley Beach Line:


Another Wig Wag in action at Glenalta in 1953:


The crossing looks very different today:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-35.010 ... 312!8i6656

Yet another Wig Wag shot taken in 1947 at Clarence Park:


Again, this crossing has changed a lot:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.961 ... 312!8i6656

This crossing appeared to have hand gates and flashing lights at the same time!:


The Victorian State Library website has some good photos as well (I can't embed images from this site so I'll link them instead). Here's Aviation Rd, Laverton in 1929
https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=I ... ode=browse

Here's Porter St, Prahran in 1989 (when it had a Safetran bell, black and white wishbone gates and incandescent lights):
http://search.slv.vic.gov.au/primo-expl ... ortby=rank

The New South Wales archives also have this image of interlocking boom gates at Granville in 1939:
http://digital.sl.nsw.gov.au/delivery/D ... 1557992433

[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Nice pictures you dug up! I read somewhere the wig wag at Port Road was the first in SA, and the second was Pym St Dudley Park. Not sure if it’s true but the source I got it from is credible. I reckon SA has the most amount of Wig Wags preserved, but unfortunately a lot of them aren’t working. Did you know that there is still a wig wag in its original spot at Mt Barker on the Steamranger Railway? Unfortunately it’s not on the operating part of the line so it doesn’t work unfortunately. One day that part may get reactivated. Here it is on street view https://www.google.com/maps/place/60-50 ... 54490fa210
Also I would like to point out some interesting crossing equipment at the rail museum in Port Adelaide.
There is a crossing with unmarked bases likely made by Mck&h, it has very old Mck&h lights with extra small lights at the back, and a nice WRRS 222 Bell near the book shop. Here is a video I found of it in operation https://youtu.be/NFh_3Yz3WPM
There is a point at the museum where the mini train activates a Wig Wag and across the tracks, a Teardrop bell! There is another wig wag inside the main pavilion at ground level for manual swinging. There is also a Crossing signal activated by a button that has Westinghouse lights on Mck&h Brackets, and a Safetran Mechanical Bell! Here is a video I shot of both of them in action. It’s not the greatest video (I will go back and refilm some bits one day) but you should get the gist of it. https://youtu.be/86tgZx1uOkY
Also for those who don’t currently follow my YouTube channel, did you know that the rare Bryant Zinc Bell worked in SA for a period of time? Something even better is that I don’t know it exists from analysing a photo, I know it worked in SA because I bought one from a person who knows the heritage of this bell! I may have the last existing SAR Bryant Zinc Co Bell, but maybe someone else has one and we don’t know yet. Here is a video just after I purchased it ringing it by hand https://youtu.be/Tzmk5278C-k and here is a video of it working under its own power! https://youtu.be/8Tc-MWZ1Ytc
It’s great knowing bells like US&S teardrops and Bryant Zinc Bells worked in Australia. Hopefully we can uncover more types of bells used in Australia soon!

[Applehead137]

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[RedhenRailcarSAR]

Cool finds. Be nice to the the footage of the steam ranger crossings when uploaded on Sunday . There are some good things on that SLSA site but I couldn’t find much on the Victorian site . The best thing that I could find was that picture of grevile street prarhan . That crossing has had 4 different types of bells since the 60s. In the 60s and 70s it had teardrops. In the 80s and 90s it had safetrans and the in the 2000s it had hybrids and now ebells . There are pictures of the crossing with the different equipment around . I will post them later. Those lights on the signal with the bell at the NRM are GRS XB/XDs . They have an different ( more square ) mounting style . The lights are a slightly different shape as well . Plus the cross arm is a different shape. The lights on the bell less signal are old Mck&h ones. I also have a YouTube channel. I’ve uploaded a couple crossings so far such as Wooralla drive and Station St Carrum which is to get removed at 10 o clock tonight. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCdC7zv8Mxno58MdoKyjpwJg

I just had a look at the photos I took of that crossing at the NRM and I noticed a difference between the two sets of lights on this signals, so you are right. That makes the crossing even better, a large variety of rare equipment! Those signals at Station St look a bit old, apart from the gate mech and bells. Unfortunately, that crossing getting removed means 2 more Adjusted Type 1s for the spare pile
Also, you know that crossing on the Mallee Hwy that Mck&h Aust mentioned was removed? This one https://www.google.com/maps/place/14533 ... 7d2a1e95f6
The crossing used to have a WCH bell https://www.ozroads.com.au/SA/New/12/26.jpg then for some reason it was replaced with the hybrid bell! This is an interesting case since this part of the line has not been used since 1995. Also the bell-less Signal got knocked down in 2017. It was a typical Westinghouse Signal with the base part of the pole. I found a Holden badge at the site, and I also took what was left of the signal, which was the bottom part of the signal, the base. So yeah I technically saved something for once you can see it at 0:15 in this video https://youtu.be/egofYMyn_1s the top of the signal got sheared off and it was bent, so I cut off the bent part. The base now serves to support a pole for my SAR Bryant Zinc Co bell.