Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[freebrickproductions]

I have to wonder, is Victoria the last Australian state that has crossings with incandescent lights in use?

[TrickyMario7654]

I have to wonder, is Victoria the last Australian state that has crossings with incandescent lights in use?

Most country crossings in Victoria (particularly one's owned by V/line) seem to use LED lights, but Metro don't seem to be in a huge hurry to upgrade their crossings with LED's. As I've observed before, some crossings use both incandescent and LED lights. The overhead lights at cantilever crossings in Melbourne are always LED from what I have seen (even if the mast lights are incandescent).

In fact, the only cantilever crossing I know of in Melbourne which had incandescent overhead lights is the now removed Scoresby Road crossing in Bayswater.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.843 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.843 ... 312!8i6656

Here's some more examples of crossings using both LED & incandesnt lights I've found. For some reason, a few crossings along the Frankston line do this.

Skye/Overton Road, Frankston (My guess is that the signal in the second image was hit by a vehicle and had to be replaced):
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.130 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.130 ... 312!8i6656

Seaford Road, Seaford:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.110 ... 312!8i6656

Station Street, Seaford:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.103 ... 312!8i6656

Eel Race Road, Carrum:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.082 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.082 ... 312!8i6656

Wickham & Worthing Road, Highett:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.944 ... 312!8i6656

McGregor Road, Pakenham (I've mentioned this example before):
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.078 ... 312!8i6656

Macaulay Road, Kensington (Again, I feel like the signal in the second image was hit and had to be replaced):
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.794 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.794 ... 312!8i6656

[chris96]

I have to wonder, is Victoria the last Australian state that has crossings with incandescent lights in use?

Most country crossings in Victoria (particularly one's owned by V/line) seem to use LED lights, but Metro don't seem to be in a huge hurry to upgrade their crossings with LED's. As I've observed before, some crossings use both incandescent and LED lights. The overhead lights at cantilever crossings in Melbourne are always LED from what I have seen (even if the mast lights are incandescent).

I don't think there are any V/Line owned crossings that still have incandescent lights. In fact, pretty much all of V/Line's current crossing equipment is new, with all existing vintage equipment removed (trashed). The only exception to the rule are the vintage signal masts and bases on the Geelong line and the last remaining wishbone gates in rural Victoria at Yarra St in South Geelong. Apart from that, I am yet to find a single V/Line crossing that hasn't been trashed with E-Bells, boom gates and LED lights.

Now here's something else I found. Check out this video, I've never seen crossing lights flash this fast!:

[TrickyMario7654]

Found an incorrectly installed crossbuck & a really strange cantilever in Beckenham, WA.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656

[freebrickproductions]

Found an incorrectly installed crossbuck & a really strange cantilever in Beckenham, WA.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656

They look like traffic light mast arms. Neat how they use Safetran 12x20s on them though! Wonder who made those 8 inch lights and mechanical bells, though the gate mechs are WCH for sure. Is it just me, or are the 8 inch lights there incandescent as well?

[ToledoRailfan]

Found an incorrectly installed crossbuck & a really strange cantilever in Beckenham, WA.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656

That is just freaky looking!

[ToledoRailfan]

Found an incorrectly installed crossbuck & a really strange cantilever in Beckenham, WA.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.022 ... 312!8i6656

That is just freaky looking!

Drifting a bit of topic, looks like there was a fire going on while streetview was there!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.023 ... 312!8i6656

Edit: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.020 ... 312!8i6656

[TrickyMario7654]

They look like traffic light mast arms. Neat how they use Safetran 12x20s on them though! Wonder who made those 8 inch lights and mechanical bells, though the gate mechs are WCH for sure. Is it just me, or are the 8 inch lights there incandescent as well?

Good spotting!

I'm pretty sure that those 8 inch lights are incandescent. I've also noticed a lot of them in Adelaide too.

[TrickyMario7654]

It's also just hit me how the teardrop bell at McClure St must have been re-used from another installation somewhere else or was originally part of an older setup at that crossing because the rest of the setup is pure 1980's but the bell is from the mid to late 60's or early 70's:

Apparently, the McClure Street crossing didn't even exist until 1989!
http://www.vrhistory.com/Locations/T1997B.PDF

According to the signalling diagram (also note how it incorrectly calls it Gillies Street), the crossing opened on May 31st, 1989 with flashing lights. So the Teardrop bell was definitely reused from another crossing.

Another thing, I believe that all of the WABCO bells in Victoria were installed around 1979/80. As the diagram notes that flashing lights were provided at Derby Road on October 31st, 1979. This one notes that flashing lights were installed at Shanley Street on February 26th, 1980 (which until a few years ago, also had a WABCO bell). The Maryborough diagram also notes that flashing lights were installed at Lean Street & Tullaroop Road on October 25th, 1979 and September 25th, 1979 respectively. So I theorize that Tullaroop Road might have had a WABCO bell originally.

[chris96]

Found a somewhat interesting bell replacement in Maryborough, Victoria.

In 2008, this crossing had a WABCO bell!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.061 ... 328!8i1664

But by 2010, it had been replaced with a hybrid bell!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.061 ... 312!8i6656

I wonder what happened? I'm guessing that the WABCO bell died & they had a spare hybrid bell lying around and they used it as a quick replacement. However, the image was taken before V/line restored passenger services to Maryborough, so there's no doubt that it's been replaced by an E-Bell.

That crossing was completely trashed when V/line came through. As you suspected, it now has E-Bells and boom gates. Nice find with that WABCO! Despite the many times I've been in Maryborough over the years, I didn't realize that crossing had a WABCO (I can only remember seeing the Hybrid)! However, I didn't know much about the different types of bells and equipment back then.

It's also possible that that's the same WABCO bell I now own! I say this because the man who sold me the bell told me it came from Central Victoria. When I received the bell, it didn't produce any sound because the hammer had broken off from the mechanism (apparently this was a common fault with WABCO bells, hence why they're so rare). I have since added a new hammer and the bell rings, but it doesn't have a steady beat and often misses the gong. It seems very temperamental and difficult to maintain. This would explain why the bell at Maryborough was replaced.

Also, the hybrids at Thompson Rd, North Geelong have been replaced with E-Bells and those Teardrops at Stawell have also been replaced (as I saw a video that showed they now have E-Bells).

Sorry to bump an old post, but I just found this video showing the WABCO bell at this crossing in action before it was replaced:


Also, here's the McClure St crossing before it was abandoned. The Teardrop Bell sounds really healthy in this video: