Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[TrickyMario7654]

I just noticed something weird about the 2008 image of the Mountain Highway, Bayswater crossing. When the crossing was removed last year, both bells were Westinghouse hybrids.

But yet in 2008, one side of the crossing looked to have had a different m-bell. (Maybe Safetran?)
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 328!8i1664

By 2009, a hybrid had taken the 'mystery' m-bell's place.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 312!8i6656

Also, Street view caught some of the major works undertaken in November 2016 to remove this crossing.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.841 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.839 ... 312!8i6656

[Username1]

I just uploaded a video of the new e bell at Seaford: https://youtu.be/akJ062MPhB8

I actually think that the combination of the adjusted type 1 and the type 3 sounds really interesting!
Also I think Seaford has the most different types of bells as it has 4 adjusted type 1s, 1 type 2, 1 type 3 and 2 Westinghouse hybrid bells (Eel Race).

[McK&H.Aust]

I just uploaded a video of the new e bell at Seaford: https://youtu.be/akJ062MPhB8

I actually think that the combination of the adjusted type 1 and the type 3 sounds really interesting!
Also I think Seaford has the most different types of bells as it has 4 adjusted type 1s, 1 type 2, 1 type 3 and 2 Westinghouse hybrid bells (Eel Race).

I can't understand the logic behind adjusting a GS type 1 to sound more like a type 2, it's a very fiddly job for no real benefit. In my opinion the adjusted type 1's are the worst sounding, it's a shame because I like the normal type 1 sound.

[McK&H.Aust]

I just noticed something weird about the 2008 image of the Mountain Highway, Bayswater crossing. When the crossing was removed last year, both bells were Westinghouse hybrids.

But yet in 2008, one side of the crossing looked to have had a different m-bell. (Maybe Safetran?)
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 328!8i1664

By 2009, a hybrid had taken the 'mystery' m-bell's place.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.840 ... 312!8i6656

Also, Street view caught some of the major works undertaken in November 2016 to remove this crossing.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.841 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.839 ... 312!8i6656

Certainly looks like a Safetran bell to me, it was a nice crossing so of course it had to go

With the recent demise of the Safetran bell at Taree and the impending upgrades of the crossings at Wodonga and Barnawartha, there can't be many more Safetran m-bells surviving in Australia. Maybe there is one left on the Portland line, or some other remote crossings that have escaped the bell Nazis.

[TrickyMario7654]

I just uploaded a video of the new e bell at Seaford: https://youtu.be/akJ062MPhB8

I actually think that the combination of the adjusted type 1 and the type 3 sounds really interesting!
Also I think Seaford has the most different types of bells as it has 4 adjusted type 1s, 1 type 2, 1 type 3 and 2 Westinghouse hybrid bells (Eel Race).

I can't understand the logic behind adjusting a GS type 1 to sound more like a type 2, it's a very fiddly job for no real benefit. In my opinion the adjusted type 1's are the worst sounding, it's a shame because I like the normal type 1 sound.

I agree, the adjusted type 1's are irritating (Murrumbeena comes to mind).

Also, Eel Race Road is in Carrum, not Seaford.

Certainly looks like a Safetran bell to me, it was a nice crossing so of course it had to go

With the recent demise of the Safetran bell at Taree and the impending upgrades of the crossings at Wodonga and Barnawartha, there can't be many more Safetran m-bells surviving in Australia. Maybe there is one left on the Portland line, or some other remote crossings that have escaped the bell Nazis.

It's a shame that the Level Crossing Removal is spelling the end of many nice crossings. While a couple of them may need to be removed badly, can't they at least give us the chance to document them before removing it?

Clear examples are both level crossings on Centre Road...

The one in Clayton has a really unusual setup, with the median signals having the lights above the crossbucks.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.929 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.929 ... 312!8i6656

Where as the Bentleigh one had CRB cantilevers on the wrong side of the road and trial pedestrian warning devices (although they were removed in early 2015).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.918 ... 312!8i6656

As for surviving Safetran m-bells, there's one at Heywood (on the Portland line). The image is from 2008 though.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.133 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.133 ... 328!8i1664

Also, there was another one at Red Cliffs (on the Yelta line).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 328!8i1664

It was still there in 2015...
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 312!8i6656

But by 2017, it was replaced by a Safetran Type 3.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.312 ... 312!8i6656

Further down the line, a crossing in St Arnaud has two of them. But the image is from 2010 and they've probably been replaced now.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.622 ... 312!8i6656

While we're on the topic of Safetran m-bells, this one near Elmhurst on the Ararat-Maryborough line will likely be gone soon as they're reopening the line as part of the "Murray Basin Rail Project". The other crossings with active protection along the line have Teardrop bells and one also has a WABCO bell (Chris96 has posted pictures of that crossing he took earlier this year on page 47 of this thread).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.166 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.166 ... 312!8i6656

I really want to know why the DOI hate mechanical bells so much?

[Username1]

Eel race road is in Seaford as Frankston council around 6 months ago asked if they could keep the crossing and channel the money into other improvements in the area or even the removal of Station Street. But Labor said no to their request...
I reckon they should just install Traffic lights at Eel Race road if it's so bad. Sure it does get 'a little' backed up in peak hours, but it's not enough to warrant the removal of the crossing.

Also a map of the town border shows that the crossing is in Seaford, it's only under Carrum Sky rail because Eel Race road is much closer to Carrum shops than it is to Seaford shops.

[Username1]

I just uploaded a video of the new e bell at Seaford: https://youtu.be/akJ062MPhB8

I actually think that the combination of the adjusted type 1 and the type 3 sounds really interesting!
Also I think Seaford has the most different types of bells as it has 4 adjusted type 1s, 1 type 2, 1 type 3 and 2 Westinghouse hybrid bells (Eel Race).

I can't understand the logic behind adjusting a GS type 1 to sound more like a type 2, it's a very fiddly job for no real benefit. In my opinion the adjusted type 1's are the worst sounding, it's a shame because I like the normal type 1 sound.

I think it may be the supplier that Metro gets their bells from that adjusts the bells, as I've seen some videos of crossings in the Northern Territory with adjusted type 1s.

[chris96]

For some reason, one of the e-bells at Grieve Parade in Altona has a sponge in it. I assume this was done to reduce the noise from the bell, but then why didn't they just lower the volume?


These bells were installed in 2014, replacing the original Westinghouse Hybrids seen here:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.865 ... 312!8i6656

This is the signal where the "sponge bell" now sits:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.866 ... 312!8i6656

[McK&H.Aust]

For some reason, one of the e-bells at Grieve Parade in Altona has a sponge in it. I assume this was done to reduce the noise from the bell, but then why didn't they just lower the volume?

Interesting pictures there, must be one of the strangest modifications done to an e-bell. You are right, they would have needed to dismantle the bell to insert the sponge, so why not just adjust the volume while you're up there!

Metro have invented a new children's TV character, SpongeBob E-Bell

[McK&H.Aust]

I just uploaded a video of the new e bell at Seaford: https://youtu.be/akJ062MPhB8

I actually think that the combination of the adjusted type 1 and the type 3 sounds really interesting!
Also I think Seaford has the most different types of bells as it has 4 adjusted type 1s, 1 type 2, 1 type 3 and 2 Westinghouse hybrid bells (Eel Race).

I can't understand the logic behind adjusting a GS type 1 to sound more like a type 2, it's a very fiddly job for no real benefit. In my opinion the adjusted type 1's are the worst sounding, it's a shame because I like the normal type 1 sound.

I think it may be the supplier that Metro gets their bells from that adjusts the bells, as I've seen some videos of crossings in the Northern Territory with adjusted type 1s.

Interesting, maybe the supplier wanted to pass the bells off as being equivalent to Type 2's. I wonder who Metro buy their bells from? I only learned last year that ARTC purchase their WCH equipment through Bradken.