Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

chris96 wrote:Found a North American style crossbuck at this crossing in NSW. Perhaps they are old Canadian imports?
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.469 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.469 ... 312!8i6656

The "STOP ON RED SIGNAL" signs look like the ones used in the U.S instead of the ones typically used in Australia as well. Great find!

Some more odds & ends from South Australia

GRS Lex-C Lights
Angas Rd, Hawthorn
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.973815 ... 6656?hl=en
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.973796 ... 6656?hl=en
Brighton Parade, Blackwood
https://www.google.com/maps/@-35.025140 ... 6656?hl=en

Signal maintainers working on this crossing
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.976247 ... 6656?hl=en
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.976252 ... 6656?hl=en

Active crossing at Stirling North, showing the end of the train
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.526846 ... 6656?hl=en

Abandoned crossing at Stirling North with home made warning signs and an old semaphore signal mast
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.500168 ... 6656?hl=en
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.500041 ... 6656?hl=en
Although very faded, the wording reads "Look out for train". https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.500168 ... 6656?hl=en

Stating the obvious. The signs look new, but this crossing has not seen a train for a very long time!
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.342419 ... 6656?hl=en
https://www.google.com/maps/@-32.342534 ... 6656?hl=en

McK&H.Aust wrote:Signal maintainers working on this crossing
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.976247 ... 6656?hl=en

One frame back from the link above... https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.976239 ... 6656?hl=en

cabman701 wrote:

McK&H.Aust wrote:Signal maintainers working on this crossing
https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.976247 ... 6656?hl=en

One frame back from the link above... https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.976239 ... 6656?hl=en

Nice find. Looks like the signal maintainer was working on the gate lights as the train went through, I wonder how many passing trains it took to finish the job

This crossing at Broken Hill looks to be an older installation still with the original equipment. It has 2 McKenzie & Holland teardrop bells and the lights also seem to be made by McKenzie & Holland (they look similar to the Union Switch & Signal lights from the U.S.)
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954624 ... 6656?hl=en
The font on this "Stop On Red Signal" sign seems to be slightly different from the one normally used
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954842 ... 6656?hl=en
I'm not sure where the relay case is. Surely the box mounted on this signal would be too small? The track looks like it could be out of service, maybe the original relay case was taken away or hit by a car.
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954711 ... 6656?hl=en
And what is sticking out of this bell, an antenna? Could it be a radio controlled crossing?
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954711 ... 6656?hl=en

McK&H.Aust wrote:This crossing at Broken Hill looks to be an older installation still with the original equipment. It has 2 McKenzie & Holland teardrop bells and the lights also seem to be made by McKenzie & Holland (they look similar to the Union Switch & Signal lights from the U.S.)
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954624 ... 6656?hl=en
The font on this "Stop On Red Signal" sign seems to be slightly different from the one normally used
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954842 ... 6656?hl=en
I'm not sure where the relay case is. Surely the box mounted on this signal would be too small? The track looks like it could be out of service, maybe the original relay case was taken away or hit by a car.
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954711 ... 6656?hl=en
And what is sticking out of this bell, an antenna? Could it be a radio controlled crossing?
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.954711 ... 6656?hl=en

I wonder if McKenzie & Holland distributed US&S equipment in Austrailia, like how WABCO distributed US&S equipment in Europe. In both cases then, they'd have their name cast onto the equipment.

Also, I think the box on that one signal may be the relay case. All they'd need for the crossing would be a flasher relay and detection relays.

I don't think the crossing gets any use though; the tracks look rather rusty.

freebrickproductions wrote: I wonder if McKenzie & Holland distributed US&S equipment in Austrailia, like how WABCO distributed US&S equipment in Europe. In both cases then, they'd have their name cast onto the equipment.

Also, I think the box on that one signal may be the relay case. All they'd need for the crossing would be a flasher relay and detection relays.

I don't think the crossing gets any use though; the tracks look rather rusty.

I have found this page on McKenzie & Holland http://www.polunnio.co.uk/research-reso ... e-holland/ and if the information is accurate it would appear that McKenzie & Holland were taken over by Westinghouse many years ago, they just kept the name in Australia until the 1970's then gradually changed over to the Westinghouse name. I have seen videos of Italian crossings with teardrop bells, if you watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEVPvOzT9wU at the 0:59 mark you can see the bell has "Westinghouse Torino" on the rain shield.

I'm not certain but there could even be some Westinghouse teardrop bells in Australia, possibly made after the name change in the late 1970's. These 2 bells seem to have a round logo cast on the door, it could be the Westinghouse logo but I can't make out what is written on the rain shield.
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.308888 ... 6656?hl=en
https://www.google.com/maps/@-30.985791 ... 6656?hl=en
and here is a Westinghouse logo on a hybrid bell https://www.google.com/maps/@-36.360552 ... 6656?hl=en they do look similar.

The normal McKenzie & Holland teardrop bells only have their name cast in writing on the door, so Westinghouse could be the common factor in both Italian and Australian teardrop bells.

I could be wrong about the teardrop bells being made by Westinghouse. I just found this item on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/272172959096?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT It's a relay made by McKenzie & Holland and on the top it also has a round logo. I've never seen that logo on their bells before so it's difficult to say who made them without getting a better look at the 2 bells in question.

I think at $450 is way too much for that relay

McKenzie & Holland were indeed taken over by Westinghouse and later models of their teardrop bell had the Westinghouse logo on them. It was round just like the one in your street view post. A crossing in Talbot, Vic had them until they were replaced by General Signals E-bells a few years back.

chris96 wrote:McKenzie & Holland were indeed taken over by Westinghouse and later models of their teardrop bell had the Westinghouse logo on them. It was round just like the one in your street view post. A crossing in Talbot, Vic had them until they were replaced by General Signals E-bells a few years back.

Thanks chris96 for that information. Those Westinghouse teardrop bells must be very rare now, I will keep my eyes open for more. There seems to be very little information out there about McKenzie & Holland and all the kinds of equipment they made, I guess they were only supplying a small specialist market for the railways so not much printed material would have been kept in the long term.

Looks like the business was officially wound up only last year https://www.insolvencynotices.com.au/no ... nd-pty-ltd

Some information on their factory http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/r ... print=true
It was still there in 2009 https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.831 ... 56!6m1!1e1 https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.831 ... 56!6m1!1e1
but gone by 2013 https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.831 ... 56!6m1!1e1