Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

chris96 wrote:A super rare Westinghouse-branded teardrop bell in Portland, Victoria! (I know the logo is hard the see, unfortunately this is the best image Google has of it):
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.355 ... 56!6m1!1e1

You did well to find that. The tracks look rusted, do you know if the line still gets used? I know what you mean about the logo being hard to see, specially if the door of the bell is facing away from the road. I managed to film a crossing at Orange, NSW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncwTRmYnm5Y and the interesting thing I noticed is the rain shield on the bell still says McKenzie & Holland even though there is a Westinghouse logo on the door. I guess they never changed the castings for the rain shield.

I'm fairly sure that this is another Westinghouse teardrop bell at Old Junee, NSW. There looks to be a round logo on the door https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.840 ... 56!6m1!1e1

McK&H.Aust wrote:

You did well to find that. The tracks look rusted, do you know if the line still gets used?

Those tracks lead to the wharf. I believe they are still used, just not very often.

This crossing is on an abandoned line (hasn't see a train since the mid 80's) but has a brand new installation! WTF?! :
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.660 ... 56!6m1!1e1
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.660 ... 56!6m1!1e1
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.660 ... 56!6m1!1e1

The tracks leading up to the crossing have been ripped out:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.660 ... 56!6m1!1e1
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.659 ... 56!6m1!1e1

Here's what the crossing used to look like back in 2008 with the original signals:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.660 ... 64!6m1!1e1
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.660 ... 64!6m1!1e1

Further down the line:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Me ... 12!6m1!1e1
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.690 ... 64!6m1!1e1

This crossing in Marong, Victoria has had its front lights missing (on the left side with the gate) for about four years now. I pass over this crossing about once a year when I visit Swan Hill. I think the line is out of service, but it looks like a new installation and the tracks are still in pretty good shape. Also, notice how the gates seem to droop over more than they should. If you look at this view from 2010, you can see the lights are intact and the gates are all the way up:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.735 ... 56!6m1!1e1

chris96 wrote:This crossing in Marong, Victoria has had its front lights missing (on the left side with the gate) for about four years now. I pass over this crossing about once a year when I visit Swan Hill. I think the line is out of service, but it looks like a new installation and the tracks are still in pretty good shape. Also, notice how the gates seem to droop over more than they should. If you look at this view from 2010, you can see the lights are intact and the gates are all the way up:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.735 ... 56!6m1!1e1

That's an interesting find. I noticed another crossing nearby that is the same, I think maybe the power has been switched off and it looks like some sort of bracket is holding the gates in that position. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.736 ... 312!8i6656

Following a recent visit I can report that sadly the Westinghouse teardrop bell on the Carroll St crossing at Gunnedah has been replaced by a Safetran type 3 e-bell. Street view has not been updated since 2010 so I'm not sure when it happened. https://www.google.com/maps/@-30.985791 ... 6656?hl=en https://www.google.com/maps/@-30.985946 ... 312!8i6656

In NSW this leaves only 2 Westinghouse teardrops that I know of (Orange and Old Junee).

This crossing in QLD has some new kind of solar powered signals.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-27.654 ... 312!8i6656

McK&H.Aust wrote:This crossing in QLD has some new kind of solar powered signals.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-27.654 ... 312!8i6656

Wow, those a weird looking! Not sure if I'm a big fan of the design. I could see it looking great in a very modern town or city, but on a rural road like this, not some much.
There's also the issue with gates...

freebrickproductions wrote:

McK&H.Aust wrote:This crossing in QLD has some new kind of solar powered signals.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-27.654 ... 312!8i6656

Wow, those a weird looking! Not sure if I'm a big fan of the design. I could see it looking great in a very modern town or city, but on a rural road like this, not some much.
There's also the issue with gates...

They certainly are weird looking. It does not look like a very practical design, quite a large contraption just for 2 pairs of lights. Surely it would have been easier to use the normal equipment and have it hooked up to the solar panels.

McK&H.Aust wrote:

freebrickproductions wrote:

McK&H.Aust wrote:This crossing in QLD has some new kind of solar powered signals.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-27.654 ... 312!8i6656

Wow, those a weird looking! Not sure if I'm a big fan of the design. I could see it looking great in a very modern town or city, but on a rural road like this, not some much.
There's also the issue with gates...

They certainly are weird looking. It does not look like a very practical design, quite a large contraption just for 2 pairs of lights. Surely it would have been easier to use the normal equipment and have it hooked up to the solar panels.

Wouldn't be surprised if they have batteries in the gates for storing power to use at night/on cloudy days. In fact, the relays might be in there as well, as I don't see a case at the crossing!