Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Google finally visited some of the crossings between Orange and Broken Hill after nearly 15-20 years since their last visit. Figured I might share some of the finds I've noticed in the time since they last updated their images or McK&H Aust. checked out the crossings. Do note that I'm not always using the most up to date images for each crossing, but the most recent images show the crossings to be in the same state regardless.

One that Google first documented back in 2020, but the Escort Way in Borenore was upgraded with gates sometime in the 2010s:
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.247044 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2020: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.247016 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Here's the new signals at Molong which replaced the older signals with Westinghouse EB gate mechs:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.092067 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Thankfully, there's two other gateless crossings at Molong which still have WCH m-bells :
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.083879 ... FQAw%3D%3D
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.099343 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Other than the newer crossing signage, the equipment remains the same at Orange Road, Manildra:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.187175 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Kiewa Street, Manildra has had its bell-less signal replaced entirely, due to an accident involving a truck and a train at this crossing in 2018 which most likely wiped out the signal completely. The signal with the bell was unaffected thankfully and is unchanged apart from the updated signage:
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.185457 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2023: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.185457 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Sadly, I can't say the same for the crossing on Henry Parkes Way just outside of the town. The signal with the bell was replaced sometime after 2010 and it meant the WCH m-bell was no more :
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.190791 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2023: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.190788 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Thankfully the other crossing on Henry Parkes Way just down the line has remained unchanged:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.180603 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Eugowra Road outside of Parkes sadly had its WCH m-bell replaced with a Safetran e-bell, which itself was then replaced with a WCH e-bell!
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.187513 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2022: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.187565 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2023: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.187537 ... FQAw%3D%3D

East Street in Parkes has had a brand new WCH m-bell installed at it:
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.143586 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2023: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.143618 ... FQAw%3D%3D

No changes to the Newell Highway crossing in Forbes, again I don't why they bothered wasting money on replacing the original signals when they weren't even that old. At least the old gateless signal is still intact:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.142030 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Blaxland Street, Parkes is unchanged from when McK&H Aust. filmed it:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.144502 ... FQAw%3D%3D

The WCH m-bell being replaced by a hybrid bell at The Bogan Way, Gunningbland is now shown in the most recent images:
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.121983 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2022: https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.121968 ... FQAw%3D%3D

The crossing at Bogan Gate appears to be unchanged:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.107913 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Fifield Road outside of Condobolin has remained unchanged, other than getting new signage:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.076815 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Melrose Street, Condobolin has also remained unchanged, other than getting the red background crossbucks:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.072246 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Similar case for Tipping Way, Euabalong West. Unchanged other than new signage:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.055339 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Other than the gate lights and signage being replaced, Kidman Way at Mount Hope is unchanged. I quite like the outback scenery surrounding this crossing:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.989963 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Sadly, the WCH m-bell at Cobb Highway, Ivanhoe (which had replaced the hybrid bell the crossing had sometime after 2010) was replaced by a Siemens e-bell.
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.914770 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2024: https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.914754 ... FQAw%3D%3D

The other crossing in Ivanhoe is on street view at last, though its set up is nothing special:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.912007 ... FQAw%3D%3D

This crossing on Menindee Road, Menindee (just outside the town) is thankfully unchanged, other than updated signage:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.372173 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Though sadly, the crossing down the road had its WCH m-bell replaced with a Safetran Type 3 e-bell:
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.267256 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2024: https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.267264 ... FQAw%3D%3D

As did the crossing on the same road in Broken Hill, but it still retains its regular crossbucks:
2008: https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.971110 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2024: https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.971105 ... FQAw%3D%3D

The hybrid bell on Holten Drive, Broken Hill has been replaced with a Safetran Type 3 e-bell, something already documented before on the website:
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.957981 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2024: https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.957606 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Finally, the signals at Iodide Street, Broken Hill are unchanged as of December 2022 and retain their GRS/WRRS Mechs:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.957396 ... FQAw%3D%3D
A more recent view from August 2024 of the signals from a distance, showing no changes to the equipment: https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.955752 ... FQAw%3D%3D

On a sad note, this disused crossing had its signals ripped out.
2010: https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954588 ... FQAw%3D%3D
2024: https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954621 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Hope you enjoyed my findings. It was a real mixed bag in the end.

Good finds!
I was lucky enough to get coverage of both Menindee Road with old crossbucks and photos of the abandoned McK&H crossing, so I am hoping Iodide Street will still have the GRS mechs on my next visit, whenever it is.
Here's TheRailRanger's video on the abandoned crossing, credits to him

And here's my video on the crossing just out of town with the old crossbucks

Other news out of South Australia:
The Heysen Boulevard crossing is now open, interestingly being the first install of Aldridge LEDs in SA

They also opted for WCH e-bells on this install instead of the Siemens bells which appeared at a few new installs in the past.

More new updates on Adelaide Metro:
At Fussell Place, Alberton, the last GEC lights on the network were removed, with UGL/Alstom lights replacing the old lights on the gated signals. However, the gateless signals have retained their lights, including the very old McK&H XB/XD lights on the north eastern side.

At Wills Street, the second ever Aldridge light installation in South Australia and the first on Adelaide Metro has occurred (visible at 14:33)

https://www.google.com/maps/@-27.611329 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Does anybody know what that type of warning device is called? I was browsing random heritage lines in Australia and found this?

mee4101disk wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 5:12 am https://www.google.com/maps/@-27.611329 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Does anybody know what that type of warning device is called? I was browsing random heritage lines in Australia and found this?

It's called a Pearson's signal I believe, the one in the video has been removed though although I think they might just be fixing it up?

I know this forum is kinda dead, but does anyone here know where more Westinghouse Teardrops are in Australia. Are there only 2 left or am I missing some?

Sorta late to post this stuff on a forum that no one really talks on but...

Found a crossing with US&S E-bells! Although sadly the crossing has been removed now. This is probably the only evidence of a crossing with US&S e-bells in Australia.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-20.488490 ... FQAw%3D%3D

It has some strange looking lights too...

Also found a crossing with an open light and had a teardrop:

https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.777760 ... FQAw%3D%3D

The other signal had some unknown bell. Looks like WABCO?

https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.778004 ... FQAw%3D%3D


If this forum becomes active again then hi.

mee4101disk wrote: Thu Apr 10, 2025 5:59 pm I know this forum is kinda dead, but does anyone here know where more Westinghouse Teardrops are in Australia. Are there only 2 left or am I missing some?

Off the top of my head, I think I know of 3 in Victoria:
- Station Access Crossing @ Lakeside Station, on the Puffing Billy Railway
- Telford Street, Yarrawonga (Albeit a hybrid Westinghouse/McKenzie & Holland Teardrop)
- Bungower Road, Mornington (Although this one will most likely be removed soon as the crossing will receive boom barriers later this year.)

There's probably a few more around Victoria, but they are outnumbered by the amount of McKenzie & Holland Teardrops around.

Here's some Google Streetview of the one at Puffing Billy: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZHSi1dFrpK7zfah37
And some streetview of the one at Yarrawonga: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gSzG4fQpe32QszyQ6

I'm not too sure if any other states still have any Westinghouse Teardrops though.

There's one at Coralville, in Coralville, and one in Pemberton in Western Australia

I found a crossing on Gaffney street in Pascoe vale, Victoria with a safetran type 1 and a hybrid bell. I’m wondering if there’s any footage of it this crossing at the time of having the safetran bell. https://maps.app.goo.gl/1iLMe1GEy7HPZxNT6