Australian Railroad Crossing Signals

[McK&H.Aust]

Here is another industrial crossing in Sydney which has since been removed. It was situated on a spur line which served the Delec locomotive maintenance facility near Enfield Yard. The whole area has since been converted into a container terminal with the track and the crossing being torn up, the locomotive facility was also demolished.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.899 ... 328!8i1664
The crossing had a teardrop bell and incandescent lights!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.899 ... 328!8i1664
By 2008 the track was already out of service.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.899 ... 328!8i1664

Here is another long removed industrial crossing on the now defunct Sandown branch line (near Rosehill Racecourse). The crossing had only one signal with three lights (all pointing in different directions). Interestingly the signal was painted yellow and had an odd sounding teardrop bell.

The signal can be seen in this video at 8:21 and 9:10

[TrickyMario7654]

Here is another industrial crossing in Sydney which has since been removed. It was situated on a spur line which served the Delec locomotive maintenance facility near Enfield Yard. The whole area has since been converted into a container terminal with the track and the crossing being torn up, the locomotive facility was also demolished.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.899 ... 328!8i1664
The crossing had a teardrop bell and incandescent lights!
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.899 ... 328!8i1664
By 2008 the track was already out of service.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.899 ... 328!8i1664

Here is another long removed industrial crossing on the now defunct Sandown branch line (near Rosehill Racecourse). The crossing had only one signal with three lights (all pointing in different directions). Interestingly the signal was painted yellow and had an odd sounding teardrop bell.

The signal can be seen in this video at 8:21 and 9:10

It's funny you mention that first crossing, as I was looking at it yesterday.

I found another out of service crossing which has a Teardrop bell in Rosehill.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.821 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656

You can see it in action in this news story from 2007 (at 0:29).


Also, I just laugh at the stupidity of the drivers ignoring the signals throughout the report.

[McK&H.Aust]

I found another out of service crossing which has a Teardrop bell in Rosehill.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.821 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.820 ... 312!8i6656

You can see it in action in this news story from 2007 (at 0:29).


Also, I just laugh at the stupidity of the drivers ignoring the signals throughout the report.

Found another video of the same crossing, plenty of idiots in this one too!


Also found a video from 1993 showing the crossings at Dungog and Wallarobba which you posted recently. The crossing at Dungog was originally gateless and had a teardrop bell (sounds a bit weak) and can be seen at 2:00. Today the original relay bungalow still survives https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.397 ... 312!8i6656

The crossing at Wallarobba also had a teardrop bell and is seen at 3:55. Apart from the teardrop bell being replaced by a WCH m-bell and the crossing receiving an LED upgrade, not much has changed, although the nearby passing loop has been removed and relocated further to the north https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-32.496 ... 312!8i6656



It's amazing how many teardrop bells there used to be, they were everywhere.

[TrickyMario7654]

It's amazing how many teardrop bells there used to be, they were everywhere.

The same could be said for hybrid bells in Victoria, they were pretty much the only bell used in Victoria from the early 1980's all the way to the early 2000's!

Despite their widespread usage many years ago, both Teardrop and hybrid bells are rapidly disappearing in favor of e-bells. It's a real shame too as they're probably my favorite crossing bells. I grew up with the hybrid bell as all the crossings in the area I was in had them.

While I'm on the topic of hybrid bells, I think they may have actually been around since 1981!

All these installs along the Werribee & Geelong lines are from the mentioned year (all these crossings expect the first one had hybrid bells until early 2016).
Maddox Road, Williamstown North
Edgars Road, Little River
McIntyre Road, Lara
McClelland Avenue, Lara
Canterbury Road East, Lara
School Road, Corio

Also from around the same time are these two installs (both crossings have since had these signals replaced).
Mt Derrimut Road, Deer Park
Robinsons Road, Deer Park

1982 marked the year where Victoria switched from painted masts to galvanized ones. Here's some installs from that year...

Painted masts:
Shorts Road, Coburg North
Scoresby Road, Bayswater

Galvanized masts:
Old Calder Highway, Diggers Rest
Bedford Road, Ringwood

I'm pretty sure that Scoresby Road was the last gated install to use painted masts (installed Sept 11, 1982), while Old Calder Highway was the first gated install to use galvanized masts (installed Sept 21, 1982).

Gravel Pit Road near Wangaratta is the earliest known installation in Victoria to use galvanized masts (installed Aug 5, 1982).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.383 ... 312!8i6656

[McK&H.Aust]

It's amazing how many teardrop bells there used to be, they were everywhere.

The same could be said for hybrid bells in Victoria, they were pretty much the only bell used in Victoria from the early 1980's all the way to the early 2000's!

Despite their widespread usage many years ago, both Teardrop and hybrid bells are rapidly disappearing in favor of e-bells. It's a real shame too as they're probably my favorite crossing bells. I grew up with the hybrid bell as all the crossings in the area I was in had them.

While I'm on the topic of hybrid bells, I think they may have actually been around since 1981!

All these installs along the Werribee & Geelong lines are from the mentioned year (all these crossings expect the first one had hybrid bells until early 2016).
Maddox Road, Williamstown North
Edgars Road, Little River
McIntyre Road, Lara
McClelland Avenue, Lara
Canterbury Road East, Lara
School Road, Corio

Also from around the same time are these two installs (both crossings have since had these signals replaced).
Mt Derrimut Road, Deer Park
Robinsons Road, Deer Park

1982 marked the year where Victoria switched from painted masts to galvanized ones. Here's some installs from that year...

Painted masts:
Shorts Road, Coburg North
Scoresby Road, Bayswater

Galvanized masts:
Old Calder Highway, Diggers Rest
Bedford Road, Ringwood

I'm pretty sure that Scoresby Road was the last gated install to use painted masts (installed Sept 11, 1982), while Old Calder Highway was the first gated install to use galvanized masts (installed Sept 21, 1982).

Gravel Pit Road near Wangaratta is the earliest known installation in Victoria to use galvanized masts (installed Aug 5, 1982).
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-36.383 ... 312!8i6656

Certainly is a lot of hybrid bells gone in a short space of time, I bet the bell Nazis were popping champagne corks over that effort

Also found an active shot of McIntyre Rd, Lara, apologies if it's already been posted https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.011 ... 312!8i6656

It's very possible that hybrid bells were around in 1981, there would have been trial installations plus I'm sure that Westinghouse wouldn't have stopped making teardrop bells until they had the hybrid bells to offer in their place. Judging by the new installations in NSW from around 1981 there were no Westinghouse teardrop bells used then, all of the crossings I can think of had either WCH or WRRS bells. NSW was a big user of teardrop bells on their gateless crossings (gated installations more commonly had WRRS) so for gateless installs from 1981 to NOT be using teardrops probably meant production had ceased by that time, and hybrid bells would have been on the market in their place. Sorry about the long explanation

[freebrickproductions]

If the bells were installed in 1981, then they would've been WCH without a doubt.

[McK&H.Aust]

If the bells were installed in 1981, then they would've been WCH without a doubt.

The crossing at Coolamon was installed in December 1980 and has a WRRS bell. The crossing at West Tamworth also has a WRRS bell and I suspect it was installed around the same time. Not sure if those bells were new "old" stock or came from other crossings.

On a different subject, does anyone know when Westinghouse stopped producing gate mechs? I have only seen the EB mechs used in NSW and the last ones were installed in the late 1990's.

[TrickyMario7654]

On a different subject, does anyone know when Westinghouse stopped producing gate mechs? I have only seen the EB mechs used in NSW and the last ones were installed in the late 1990's.

I believe the EB mechs stopped production in 1998. This crossing in Cragieburn was the last new installation to use them and was installed in the same year. Sadly, the hybrid bells at this crossing were replaced last year.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.571 ... 312!8i6656

As for the other type, I think they started production in 1980. This crossing in Highett was one of the first crossings to use them.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.944 ... 312!8i6656

This crossing in Yarraville was probably one of the last new installs to use them. It received boom gates in 1995 when the interlocking gates were abolished.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.816 ... 312!8i6656

[McK&H.Aust]

On a different subject, does anyone know when Westinghouse stopped producing gate mechs? I have only seen the EB mechs used in NSW and the last ones were installed in the late 1990's.

I believe the EB mechs stopped production in 1998. This crossing in Cragieburn was the last new installation to use them and was installed in the same year. Sadly, the hybrid bells at this crossing were replaced last year.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.571 ... 312!8i6656

As for the other type, I think they started production in 1980. This crossing in Highett was one of the first crossings to use them.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.944 ... 312!8i6656

This crossing in Yarraville was probably one of the last new installs to use them. It received boom gates in 1995 when the interlocking gates were abolished.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.816 ... 312!8i6656

Thanks for the information, it a shame the Cragieburn crossing has e-bells, otherwise it would still be an original "all Westinghouse" installation. It would be interesting to know why Westinghouse stopped making gate mechs, maybe the cost of producing them wasn't really worth the bother, specially with so many other gate mechs on the market.

The EB mechs were the only Westinghouse ones used in NSW and there were only ever about 7 crossings which used them. I think the first installation was at Molong in 1993, it is now one of the last two surviving installations.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.091 ... 312!8i6656

The other surviving installation is at Greenacre. Apart from one of the hybrid bells being replaced by a WCH m-bell, this is a pure Westinghouse installation https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.903 ... 312!8i6656

Other now removed EB mechs were on these crossings:
Douglas Rd, Quakers Hill. The crossing was closed in the late 1990's although a pedestrian crossing survived here until about 2010. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.726 ... 312!8i6656

Mulgrave Rd, Mulgrave. Since replaced by WCH mechs, notice odd mounting of SORS signs.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.626 ... 328!8i1664

Oakey Forest Rd, Marrangaroo. Replaced by Siemens mechs in early 2016.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.451 ... 312!8i6656

Creamery Rd, Albion Park Rail. Replaced by WCH mechs.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.560 ... 328!8i1664

Fern St, Gerringong. Replaced by WCH mechs, crossing has since been replaced by an overpass.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.728 ... 328!8i1664

[NathanFromEngland]

On a different subject, does anyone know when Westinghouse stopped producing gate mechs? I have only seen the EB mechs used in NSW and the last ones were installed in the late 1990's.

I believe the EB mechs stopped production in 1998. This crossing in Cragieburn was the last new installation to use them and was installed in the same year. Sadly, the hybrid bells at this crossing were replaced last year.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.571 ... 312!8i6656

As for the other type, I think they started production in 1980. This crossing in Highett was one of the first crossings to use them.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.944 ... 312!8i6656

This crossing in Yarraville was probably one of the last new installs to use them. It received boom gates in 1995 when the interlocking gates were abolished.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.816 ... 312!8i6656

Thanks for the information, it a shame the Cragieburn crossing has e-bells, otherwise it would still be an original "all Westinghouse" installation. It would be interesting to know why Westinghouse stopped making gate mechs, maybe the cost of producing them wasn't really worth the bother, specially with so many other gate mechs on the market.

The EB mechs were the only Westinghouse ones used in NSW and there were only ever about 7 crossings which used them. I think the first installation was at Molong in 1993, it is now one of the last two surviving installations.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.091 ... 312!8i6656

The other surviving installation is at Greenacre. Apart from one of the hybrid bells being replaced by a WCH m-bell, this is a pure Westinghouse installation https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.903 ... 312!8i6656

Other now removed EB mechs were on these crossings:
Douglas Rd, Quakers Hill. The crossing was closed in the late 1990's although a pedestrian crossing survived here until about 2010. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.726 ... 312!8i6656

Mulgrave Rd, Mulgrave. Since replaced by WCH mechs, notice odd mounting of SORS signs.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.626 ... 328!8i1664

Oakey Forest Rd, Marrangaroo. Replaced by Siemens mechs in early 2016.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.451 ... 312!8i6656

Creamery Rd, Albion Park Rail. Replaced by WCH mechs.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.560 ... 328!8i1664

Fern St, Gerringong. Replaced by WCH mechs, crossing has since been replaced by an overpass.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-34.728 ... 328!8i1664

One of the crossings were active in this shot.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.626 ... 312!8i6656