Australian Railway Crossings Compilation

This is a compilation video of various crossing signals in operation here in Australia. As you can see, they're pretty much the same as those in the U.S! Railway signalling has always been an interest of mine (don't ask me why) and I find Crossing Signals and the different types of equipment used on different installations to be particularly interesting. However, while there are many other "Signal Fans" in the U.S and UK, there is currently very little material covering Australian crossings on the internet. That's why I have decided to make this video, to show how rail crossings in Australia look and operate!

[@georgettedebuhr2660]

I live in Easton, Pa and it nice to see wishbone gates again. They don't have them here anymore, and most of the crossings have ebells. Very nice video. Have a nice day 😊🌈

[@vincentking3514]

Great video. Love the MK&H Bell on the 2nd crossing. I'm over in WA and the only teardrop bells I know of (a side from the ones on tourist lines) over here are on Disused lines. All the equipment (signals, Crossing's ect) is still there and would properly still work if operated but trains haven't run there for years.

[@TCJ_YT]

This was the video that teached me all about Railway Crossings

[@Chris-xk3bp]

Really? Wow, that's great to hear and I'm so glad you got so much out of it!

[@TrickyMario7654]

Crossing locations... 0:00 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea 1:43 Marshall Street, Ivanhoe 6:02 South Road, Brighton 7:56 Cherry Street, Werribee 9:37 Anderson Street, Yarraville 14:03 Cherry Swamp Road, Little River 17:45 Edgars Road, Little River 20:38 Poplar Road, Parkville 21:54 Giffard Street, Williamstown 26:30 Werribee Street, Werribee 29:03 Greville Street, Prahran 32:43 Maidstone Street, Altona (near Westona station)

[@Chris-xk3bp]

I forgot to mention, Greville Street, Prahran has McKenzie & Holland gate mechs!

[@VictorianRailHeritage]

TrickyMario7654 17:45 is actually You yangs rd not Edgar’s

[@b_stay0325]

Yessssssss

[@b_stay0325]

29:03

[@freebrickproductions]

Love how Ivanhoe crossing has a separate mast for the gate mechanisms! Very reminiscent of the L&N set-ups here in the US! Also, I've noticed that the McKenzie & Holland Teardrops (and later, the Westinghouse ones) have some slight differences from the US ones, such as a slightly different rain shield. Love the incandescent lights on that crossing as well! One of the LEDs on the crossing after it had some trouble I noticed.

[@McKHAust]

I enjoyed what you did with this video, you certainly covered a lot of different equipment. My favourite crossing would be the one at Ivanhoe, I hope they don't "upgrade" it any time soon.

[@TrickyMario7654]

Same. I find it surprising that he didn't film at one of the tramsquare crossings in Melbourne.

[@erincummins2695]

From some of these clips, it looks like both bells are ringing, but when the barriers are down, only one of them will ring and they’re both off before the barriers are up

[@ethansNZtrains]

Well done! My favourite is the crossing at Ripponlea. The crossing’s Safetran mechanical bell sounds very clean! Shame it was upgraded.

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

Wow! I didn't know Australia used the same types of crossings as America. That's cool! Also, I enjoyed hearing the old bells. I live in Easton, PA and neither of the crossings here, or in Bethlehem or Allentown have them. They only have those new bells.

[@Chris-xk3bp]

Australian crossings are basically the same as the U.S! The old mechanical bells are disappearing fast here as well, as the new Electronic Bells or "E-Bells" are taking over. The E-Bells are really just a speaker and a circuit board and don't have any moving parts. Not long ago, most rural crossings had mechanical bells, but today there are barely any. Most of them now have E-Bells.

[@TrickyMario7654]

Not to mention, the one with the Safetran Mechanical bell at Ripponlea has been replaced with a BS (GS) E-Bell. There is still two crossings in my town with Westinghouse Hybrid bells. Two others use to have them, but they now have E-Bells.

[@jovetj]

Only one U.S. state mandates the use of the STOP ON RED SIGNAL sign that you commonly see in Australia. That would be Michigan.

[@miauwgabriel3547]

Not evermore now in Australia.

[@Conkerscrib]

It's interesting to see that each pair of railway signals crossings are different here in Austrailia

[@stringy872]

The teardrop bell and the westernhouse bell both got replaced by general signals e bells

[@critchley3819]

I once lived close to the Woy Woy crossing I liked the sound and hearing the trains going at speed, I miss this, I can remember when there was a little house nearby & the woman would open and shut the gates, Bayer Garrets hauling coal? Australia day 1960, the official start of electric trains to Woy Woy ..

[@willvaszocz2469]

Those wrrs mechanisms are becoming quite rare

[@pawfan]

Thanks for sharing! Are there any Griswold rail products where you're at?

[@JamesJimmaHarding]

A crossing i recommend checking out is McMahons Road Frankston. It's on the Stony Point Line so it isn't part of the suburban network (not yet anyway), and it has some very healthy sounding Westinghouse bells on it. Only problem is, there are proposals to electricify the line down to Baxter, which means the bells will almost certainly be replaced with E-bells (It happened on all the crossings between Sydenham and Sunbury when that section was electrified) , either that or the crossing will be removed completely given it's on such a busy road that used to be main road down to the Mornington Peninsula until Peninsula Link was built

[@TrickyMario7654]

I would suggest checking out the Main Street crossing in Pakenham. Last time I checked, there were still Westinghouse Hybrid bells on them (and they still sound healthy). The nearby Racecourse Road crossing has some neat sounding ones too.

[@MrBnsftrain]

Nice video! I'm always on the lookout for crossing with mechanical bells, now that i know what they look like, and where they are mounted! 3:22 There are still some wigwag crossings in Arizona, also on a section which is mostly semaphores! the Southwest chief runs through there! 6:38 what's making that non-clanging sound? is that for pedestrians? 9:47 we don't see those in the USA! 9:59 almost sounds like a Japanese crossing! But what's with the old british-style gates that don't move? 15:07 you can easily hear the difference! mechanical bells make a more ticking-like sound!

[@TrickyMario7654]

I can answer a few of the questions for you... 6:38 The non-clanging sound you're likely referring to is probably from a nearby pedestrian crossing. 9:59 The old wooden gates have been statically persevered at this location. A lot of Melbourne crossings used to have these. These gates were still being used at the crossing until 1995, which at that point they were fixed away from the road and replaced with the current signals.

[@Chris-xk3bp]

We used to have wigwag signals in Australia too, but sadly the only place you can see them today are in museums or on tourist railways. The same can be said about our old semaphore signals as well. 6:38 That is a yodalarm (the same type that British crossings often use) built into the pedestrian gate. 9:47 Those are Barker Technics electronic bells. They were made here in Australia! 9:59 As TrickyMario7654 said, these were the original gates that were used all over Australia before the modern barriers were introduced. They were indeed based on a British design. 15:07 Yeah, electronic bells really lack the character of mechanical bells!

[@elilovestrainsplanesmore1101]

Very similar to railroad crossings in the USA, have you ever seen trains in the U.S?

[@miauwgabriel3547]

No. I don’t think so that Australian Level crossing sounds the same as usa.

[@robbiewales3007]

Massive fan of the Westinghouse hybrid bells. Unfortunately there's not many left due to getting replaced by electronic e bells.

[@xaviertherailfannerold]

R.I,P. No more teardrop bells in Ivano

[@vladutcotarlan2396]

I like the railway crossing.

[@robertgift]

Interesting! 6:31 What is wrong with the left mee-mool light *(o)T(o)*?

[@TrickyMario7654]

Might be a malfunction with the lights. I think I saw a similar thing at a crossing in Clayton once...

[@robertgift]

+TrickyMario7654 Is the problem related to the gate activation? I own several GRS (General Railway Supply) and US&S (Union Switch and Signal) glass-bottomed flasherelays which flash the mee-mool lights alternately. Their "seesaw" armatures cannot flash left and right lamps simultaneously. Interesting seeing the old "A" gates.

[@Chris-xk3bp]

I think it has something to do with gate activation. I've seen it happen at other crossings too, but it always clears up after the gates begin lowering. It sometimes happens when the gates rise as well.

[@robertgift]

Nolman0001 Would be interesting to see the circuit diagram to discern why this insignificant event happens.

[@Kirito-sh8xi]

Robert Gift а

[@TrainsinToronto]

16:07 that reminds me of a bunch of crossings in the states with the e bell and mechanical bell mix!!

[@amberlywhite9462]

Nice one

[@zhifengluo5563]

the bell is soft for the different e bell

[@northwesternohiorailfan5622]

I ment to say are changing them into electronic bells in Marion Ohio I found the last us&s mechanical bell on the csx main line track 1

[@sullysboy]

check out our Railway Crossings in Canada they are like the USA one but the Crossing X is red white striped

[@zhifengluo5563]

i filmed one at hoppers crossing. its where i live hoppers crossing

[@leslietucker5878]

nice the US&S teardrop bells here in the US are just as good as the MK&H bells

[@sarahmiletic6864]

I Like It

[@VictorianRailHeritage]

Also the hybrids At You yangs rd for Replaced along with the others after then regional rail link Was built

[@JamesJimmaHarding]

I'm starting to miss the traditional mechanical bells now, and it's sad to see them rapidly disappearing in favour of the American E-bells. in Victoria, mechanical bells are rarely found outside of Melbourne now, and the northeast (Sydney-Melbourne) line is pretty much the only line in Victoria that still has lots of crossings with mechanical bells (I live near the Tocumwal line, which is all e-bells now, and the last crossing to have mechanical bells on the Tocumwal line was High St, Shepparton, which used to have two lovely sounding M&H m-bells, but were replaced in 2012) Even in WA, (I was there for 2 weeks in 2008, not a single e-bell in sight) they're finally starting to fit their controlled crossings with Safetran e-bells. By the way, have you seen Pier St in Altona? That's possibly the only crossing left in Australia that still has black and white boom gates (Street view images from 2013 show the crossing still has the old black and white gates, but also has e-bells and LED lights. Not sure if the gates have since been replaced though)

[@Chris-xk3bp]

+James Michael Harding I completely agree. The traditional mechanical bells sound so much better and have a real "character" to them, over the new synthetic E-Bells. Even in Melbourne, mechanical bells are disappearing fast with some lines only having one or two crossings still with M-Bells. The thing that is often overlooked is that these bells are just as much a part of railway history as vintage locomotives. They should be preserved, especially as mechanical bells are quickly becoming a thing of the past. The Teardrop in particular is a very historic bell, but today there is only one Teardrop bell still operating on a commercial line in Melbourne (as shown in this video). Nothing is being done to save it! The transition to solid-state E-Bells has also been really sudden. About five years ago you would be lucky to see even a single crossing with an E-Bell installed. Now it's the exact opposite! By the way, I actually live near the Pier St crossing, but unfortunately the black and white gates are now gone. Another interesting thing about this crossing is that it was one of the first to receive E-Bells in Melbourne (they were installed in 2004). At least they didn't replace the gates way back then!

[@JamesJimmaHarding]

It's really annoying that they're just replacing all mechanical bells with electronic ones just for the sake of 'keeping up with technology'

[@the_alex_ellis_channel6923]

+James Michael Harding It's the same sad story in New Zealand now too....the traditional Griswold and Western-Cullen Hayes Mechanical bells are being replaced with E-Bells (Western-Cullen Hayes, though there are a few Safetran's, which are extremely rare, and there's also one crossing with EBA's). The lights are being done up here now too, with most crossing now have LED's (quite often it is the original frame with LED's retrofitted). I only know of one crossing in wellington that still has one set of lamp-style lights (Plimmerton), the rest are few and far between, usually in more rural areas, where very few trains and cars come.

[@TrickyMario7654]

+James Michael Harding There's another crossing in Preston, Victoria with black and white boom gates. (I saw it in 2014).

[@valf1733]

Well, E bells have an easier upkeep so I kind of see the logic.

[@thebrantfordrailfan]

It looks like australian crossing signals are the result of british and north american signals mating

[@stampycatfan01lol]

Also Japanese signals because some have one bell stop when the gates are down while the other keeps ringing.

[@dallas-dee]

TheBrantfordRailfan I it up utterly flu is it I I I ki in I I I 7th 7 7 7iiiiii4😆

[@TrainsinToronto]

TheBrantfordRailfan Ha agreed

[@bryanschlippjr4894]

at6:54 it sounds like a E2S ALAM FROM ENGLAND

[@VictorianRailHeritage]

Bryan Schlipp Jr it is It’s a yoda alarm

[@ThunderboltFan2000]

Why is it that Westinghouse only makes hybrid bells and Safetran quit making their hybrid bells

[@TrickyMario7654]

They've stopped making them now...

[@willvaszocz2469]

Nice!

[@quentinratliff6782]

At 24:30 what type of bell is that?

[@Chris-xk3bp]

That's a Barker Technics Electronic Bell. They were made locally here in Melbourne.

[@zhifengluo5563]

ivenhoe is not the only teardrop bell puffin billy also has one

[@Chris-xk3bp]

True, but Ivanhoe's teardrop is the only one left on Melbourne's suburban rail network.

[@timdaugherty5921]

man these old gates are mostly all gone here in the USA

[@TrickyMario7654]

In Melbourne, they're everywhere! Even on new installs!

[@amberlywhite9462]

Ya everywhere in Melbourne you'll see wishbone gates

[@kansasstatealerting2874]

That crossing at 15:05 is cool

[@drishthind3531]

It sounds like a westing housing hybrid bell

[@robertgift]

6:33 What is wrong withe left mee-mool light *(o)T(o)* ?

[@martinithaib7676]

maybe malfunction

[@robertgift]

@@martinithaib7676 Appears there may be a short allowing electricity to go into the left *(o)* . So Australia copies American mee-mool lights *(o)T(o)* ! American-madequipment? Some believe the *(o)T(o)* representhe flagman's red lantern swinging to and fro!

[@aydoyt]

20:58 the comeng crying out to its non existent mummy the hitachi

[@478mrp_thjr]

Yay

[@urielhernandezT150]

0:23 you meant hybrid bell

[@JakeOzO]

Its funny that crossing bells in America stop when the gates are completely down

[@jovetj]

It varies widely. In the area of the country I live in, they are never wired that way... they always sound as long as the lights flash. But some railroads or divisions did things differently, and you can find differences crossing to crossing. The bells may: - Sound the whole time the lights are flashing. - Sound as the gates descend, silence, and start when the gates ascend. - Sound as the gates descend and while the gates are down, but silence when the gates start to ascend. - Sound only as the gates descend.

[@miauwgabriel3547]

Some of Australian railway crossings are completely silenced when the gates are down. Trust me, I am a Australian.

[@jovetj]

I've always thought Australian cantilever (over-the-roadway) level crossing signals are.... weird. 9:53

[@jovetj]

Nah. They always just look like a poorly-bent light pole or something! :D

[@asherjackson4504]

In Perth the lights are mounted onto a back plate which looks much better.

[@zhifengluo5563]

WERRRIBEE AND YARRIVILLE IS MY TRAIN LINE TO HOPPERS CROSSSING

[@Daboyz772]

20:38 is my favourite

[@nashtrainsyt5932]

so many countrys use use crossings

[@zhifengluo5563]

if u go before werribee its hoppers crossing so thats where i live the crossing at where i live is a lil loud

[@Daboyz772]

32:43 also nice

[@ThunderboltFan2000]

most of the crossings in both Australia and New Zealand are made frome american crossing parts

[@jovetj]

Not true. Most of the parts are manufactured in Australia following principally-American designs.

[@miauwgabriel3547]

Not true. Kingdom of Commonwealth of Australia or Australiagal and Kingdom of New Zealand or Aotearoa has independent manufacturers for level crossing.

[@bryanschlippjr4894]

6:41 who also hear a e2s alarm

[@passeficknayshenallflaiugh9411]

Filmed in 16k resolution

[@zhifengluo5563]

there is a teadrop bell at hoppers crossing that doesnt stopwhen gates lowered

[@Chris-xk3bp]

The bells at Hoppers Crossing are actually Westinghouse Hybrid Bells. The only Teardrop Bell left in Melbourne is at Ivanhoe.

[@zhifengluo5563]

oops

[@MumsyBuckson]

Nolman0001 what about the one attached to the mast at corrigan road?

[@BellaCutey-e8g]

Why my contery

[@Mrsgabrysol]

How did you know that the last Teardrop bell was in Ivanhoe

[@Chris-xk3bp]

Because most of the Teardrop Bells in Melbourne were replaced with Hybrid Bells in the 90's. Only a handful survived into the 2000's. However, by 2014, all of the remaining bells had been scrapped for E-Bells. Ivanhoe was the only exception.

[@Mrsgabrysol]

so you went to all Railway Crossings in Melbourne

[@Chris-xk3bp]

No, it was easy to keep track of the remaining few (as most of them were on the Hurstbridge line).

[@Mrsgabrysol]

ok

[@TrickyMario7654]

Grange Road in Carnegie still had a Teardrop bell in 2013. But by 2015, it was replaced with a Hybrid bell...

[@zhifengluo5563]

dont know is it the only yarriville e bell

[@478mrp_thjr]

Railway crossing nolman

[@skyscraperstudios9554]

3:34

[@raikouisawesome4074]

Sounds like the American crossing

[@miauwgabriel3547]

It does not.

[@Daboyz772]

20:38

[@lucasricklefs5311]

that Bell sounds like the one in united states

[@miauwgabriel3547]

I don’t think so.

[@p4ttyo]

0:32

[@Daboyz772]

0:00

[@the_alex_ellis_channel6923]

That Barker-Technics E-Bells sound crap!

[@Chris-xk3bp]

+The_ALEX_ELLIS_Channel I kind of like the Barker Technics Bells as I think they have a nicer tone than the American E-Bells. But everyone has their own opinion.

[@the_alex_ellis_channel6923]

Nolman0001 Too high pitched.....but more concerning is that they don't appear to be loud enough....a problem NZ has been having on some of it's WC Hayes E-Bells.

[@Daboyz772]

00:0

[@478mrp_thjr]

14:03 oldgate is still there is cherry swamp road no new gate is cannot no enter because is still there life of oldgate is here good Old stole gate who next 26:47 is railway crossing so far way is new gate is old Years

[@Daboyz772]

7:56

[@Daboyz772]

29:03

[@Daboyz772]

26:30

[@Daboyz772]

1:43

[@Daboyz772]

6:02

[@Daboyz772]

32:43