Level crossing timewarp

[bigstraight6]

Found this old manual gated level crossing just off the A352 between Wareham and Weymouth today, which crosses the mainline between Wareham and Dorchester. I was quite surprised, thinking that all these would have been replaced a long time ago. The 'gate keeper' informed me that it is due for replacement in the near future, and he is one of four chaps that man it 24/7, there is a newish 'portacabin' type building adjacent to the crossing, the original keepers hut is now preserved on the nearby Swanage railway.....

 

 

[MrRegieRitmo]

Must be a bit of a ball ache of a job, unless you're an enthusiast!

[pogweasel]

Quals!I think there's still a couple of the old 'hand pump' unmanned level crossings on some of the 'don't go anywhere' tiny lanes in these parts. Bloody terrifying to use, tbh - given that the line speed is 75 on the locals and 125 on the up & down mains (ECML). I'll have to go and have a look see if they are still there.

[Jon]

There's one still very much operational in a village in York called Poppleton, just off the A59. I think it must change to a single line some way between York and Harrogate, as the signal man hands over some sort of 'key' type thing to the driver, that looks like a handbag with a rigid handle.And I say very much operational, as my 97 year old grandma lives in the village and it seems that I get stopped by the gates (sometimes both ways) every time I go wheel her out on day release...

[MrRegieRitmo]

Quals!I think there's still a couple of the old 'hand pump' unmanned level crossings on some of the 'don't go anywhere' tiny lanes in these parts. Bloody terrifying to use, tbh - given that the line speed is 75 on the locals and 125 on the up & down mains (ECML). I'll have to go and have a look see if they are still there.

I do miss living in your neck of the woods

[pogweasel]

Why? IT'S RUBBARSH!

[MrRegieRitmo]

It's 'home' and the railway lines are so much more interesting! It's dull dull dull around here along the south coast with our 2 track wonder of a 'mainline'. Bit more interesting once you get to Brighton in the East & Southampton in the West though :DEdit: I'd prob miss the sea if I went back to Derbys or Herts though

[Spottedlaurel]

Several manned crossings here, a couple on the line which runs from Thetford up to Norwich - I get caught at the Attleborough one very regularly, as the up and down platforms for each line are staggered either side of the road and they keep the gates shut for ages due to the slow speed of the trains.

[AXrescuer]

Blimey is that still there! I used to cycle along that road when I was at boarding school in Dorchester back in the early 70s.

[Pillock]

Several manned crossings here, a couple on the line which runs from Thetford up to Norwich - I get caught at the Attleborough one very regularly, as the up and down platforms for each line are staggered either side of the road and they keep the gates shut for ages due to the slow speed of the trains.

For the record, it's no more enjoyable from the train side of things, wobbling along at 3.5mph through the manned crossings

[ChinaTom]

What's the deal with the Spink's Lane crossing (Hethersett Rd to Wymondham)? Unmanned with a leccy cabinet with red and green lights. Any of you Norfolk dwellers know where I mean?Donning my anorak for a moment, I know it is a disused station on the Breckland line, and was only open for a month or so in the 1840's; but my current knowledge of railway crossings and how to use them is obviously limited. As I understand it, unmanned crossings open and close automatically depending on whether a train is coming or not. The barrier on Spink's Lane is permanently down regardless of whether a train is coming or not. I waited here for about 15 minutes (as did a local constabulary vehicle on the opposite side) - in the end he reversed, turned round and took off. I decided to wait an extra minute or so, but nothing happened. As it was raining hard I didn't bother to inspect the leccy box for buttons to press (and I would have thought the coppers would have done that too) and decided to find an alternative route across the line.Can anyone enlighten me as to what was happening here?

[Pillock]

It does sound weird.... red and green lights especially.Unmanned crossings have an amber warning, and then a pair of red flashing lights start as the barriers are coming down and continue until the barriers are fully upright again.I think there are some which are remotely manned via CCTV to the local signal box- they see you approach, check the board for approaching trains, and open the gates. Maybe it was one of those, and the CCTV-watching-man had gone for a poo?

[Pillock]

Additional - is it this one?

 

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/45375

 

I've just noticed the credit on that photo is my sister, a Norwich resident and general camera-waver If it's still puzzling you I could ask her if she knows any more details of it?

[wuvvum]

I get caught at the Attleborough one very regularly, as the up and down platforms for each line are staggered either side of the road and they keep the gates shut for ages due to the slow speed of the trains.

I would have thought that having the platforms staggered the way they are would reduce the amount of time they keep the gates closed for - whichever direction the train is travelling the platform is after the crossing, so once the train's stopped the gates can safely be opened and there's no need to wait for the passengers to get on and the train to grind out of the station.Worst crossing I've seen is probably Ely - there's so much traffic on the line there that the gates often stay closed for 15 minutes at a time. There's an underpass, but it has very low clearance, so if you're in an HGV or a large van (or an ambulance or fire engine ) you just have to sit and wait.

[Spottedlaurel]

I would have thought that having the platforms staggered the way they are would reduce the amount of time they keep the gates closed for - whichever direction the train is travelling the platform is after the crossing, so once the train's stopped the gates can safely be opened and there's no need to wait for the passengers to get on and the train to grind out of the station.

Trouble is when trains come in at roughly the same time on the different platforms then they don't open them up between trains.I got stuck for yonks at Stowmarket the other night - the automatic gates went up, let four cars through then came down again. One train passed, then we all waited for 10 minutes until another went through. I was on an important (though eventually abortive) car-viewing mission too. In my mirrors I could see a nice Bluebird parked up and something interesting in the car showroom next to me (Gammer's) but didn't dare get out to investigate either in case the gates went up again.

[ChinaTom]

Additional - is it this one?

 

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/45375

 

I've just noticed the credit on that photo is my sister, a Norwich resident and general camera-waver If it's still puzzling you I could ask her if she knows any more details of it?

That's the one! However, I would challange the fact that it's a dead end ahead - I am 99% sure it connects to the B1135 (the little roundabout off the southbound A11 slip-road that takes you to Wymondham / Dereham). This assumption lead me to be there to start with. It was a proposed short-cut to Waitrose petrol station.

 

When I get back to UK I'll check.

 

Edit: No need - Google Earth proves my point

 

[M'coli]

There's one still very much operational in a village in York called Poppleton, just off the A59. I think it must change to a single line some way between York and Harrogate, as the signal man hands over some sort of 'key' type thing to the driver, that looks like a handbag with a rigid handle.

 

And I say very much operational, as my 97 year old grandma lives in the village and it seems that I get stopped by the gates (sometimes both ways) every time I go wheel her out on day release...

Then there's this one just south of Whixley on the same line:

http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/get ... g=SE435565

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/417075

 

Use it occasionally when I'm out on me bike.

[Richard]

There are two unmanned manual crossings near me. One has warning lights and a hand pump to open the gates but the other just has normal hinged gates as far as I can recall.

[Pillock]

That's the one! However, I would challange the fact that it's a dead end ahead - I am 99% sure it connects to the B1135 (the little roundabout off the southbound A11 slip-road that takes you to Wymondham / Dereham). This assumption lead me to be there to start with. It was a proposed short-cut to Waitrose petrol station.When I get back to UK I'll check.Edit: No need - Google Earth proves my point

I shall tell her she's been proven wrong by a fella from t'other side of the world ;)I'm no longer from around those parts, I was only a Norfolkian whilst at unit there so a lot of it is over my head. She stuck around those parts though, does a lot of running and cycling out in the sticks so is generally good for information about villages.

[Mash]

There's one still very much operational in a village in York called Poppleton, just off the A59. I think it must change to a single line some way between York and Harrogate, as the signal man hands over some sort of 'key' type thing to the driver, that looks like a handbag with a rigid handle.

 

And I say very much operational, as my 97 year old grandma lives in the village and it seems that I get stopped by the gates (sometimes both ways) every time I go wheel her out on day release...

Here's the Poppleton one from a few years ago - knew I had a pic somewhere. I only noticed it as I was waiting in a queue to get into York one day and was stopped at the end of the street.

 

[Station]

There's a few of them by me. Honestly, a load of people have been killed because they didn't look.

 

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... -20782417/

 

[ChinaTom]

I don't know why I have this photo.

I have another one of him going back in.

must have been a slow day

[Spottedlaurel]

I shall be crossing that in, quite literally, a few minutes time. And hopefully not getting held up there.

[mouseflakes]

There was a manned crossing near my folks' house when I was a kid. My mum used to call the chap there 'Mr. ComfyFeet' because he always came out the little house wearing his slippers.

[Richard]

There are two unmanned manual crossings near me. One has warning lights and a hand pump to open the gates but the other just has normal hinged gates as far as I can recall.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/tayside/114816-child-killed-by-train-in-fife/