The Rarest Disused Railway Level Crossing In The UK

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This Signal Has Been Lit For 30 Years On A Disused Railway Line
• This Signal Has Been L...

[@WmAHughes]

I used to deliver to the (now gone) Booths at Media city and would pass by the tracks on a weekly basis. I actually appreciate watching the railway infrastructure deteriorate, much of it hasn't been ripped up by developers and it kind of allows me to say goodbye to something that fascinated me as a child as it fades away.

[@hairyairey]

Future tram 🚊 extension maybe?

[@jamesmiller113]

@@hairyairey likely some law requiring the crossing to be kept in the road - just in case the line needs to be reinstated *in a hurry*

[@hairyairey]

@@jamesmiller113 I agree. It is so hard to close a line now that it's probably still legally open. Like Newhaven Marine, wasn't legally closed until well after the station was demolished. The route through here is a ready made tram network.

[@lachlanmain6004]

I miss that branch of Booths....

[@Mike.Howard]

I was a despatch rider in Manchester back in the mid 80s & we all used to dread getting "Trained" when on a job around Trafford Park. The worst part was the crossing at Kelloggs - you could get stuck there for ages! More content like this would be great 👍👍

[@akana_]

train content too!? this channel is going up the ranks on my lists of favourites lol

[@bigwill4423]

Fascinating. Must have been quite a setup in it's day and quite a sight to behold. Shame it's not in operation anymore. Weird seeing those rail lines crossing major roads and disappearing into nowhere. Great vid! 😎👍

[@AutoUnder]

Nice video!! Just to clarify, the signal at 4:18 lights up white, not green; this is standard at all train-man and automatically operated crossings to show the crossing is functioning

[@RingwayManchester]

Ah thanks!

[@simonlowe3766]

It's a flashing white light.

[@southcalder]

I find it interesting that it doesn’t actually have a blue lens (doesn’t even appear to have them as an inner lens). A plain filament, through a clear lens, without a blue inner lens can often appear yellow (especially through a polycarbonate lens, which would be likely in such an area) and a flashing yellow has a different meaning.

[@AutoUnder]

@@southcalder Some of these did have a blue lense but most didn't. It does seem odd especially considering blue lenses were standard on feather signals

[@livetillyoudielovelife2299]

It's strange they never removed the lights, almost as if they hoped the trains would come back. Can you do more videos like this

[@richintalent]

We have a 125 km stretch of railway that has been abandoned since the floods of 2006. I don't understand why they don't just rip the entire track out and make it into a rail trail.

[@EwanMarshall]

Originally, it may have been disused but kept for possible future use. This is actually not all that uncommon. Of course, it becomes lowest priority to maintain or fully decommission and then just falls into deterioation. Weymouth Harbour Tramway had it's last train run in 1999, it wasn't actually dismantled until 2020-2021.

[@hairyairey]

​@@EwanMarshalltram line extension maybe?

[@ChoppingtonOtter]

​@@richintalentI would be very tempted to build myself a little railcar if I lived near that! There is some great video of home made ones.

[@lolzlolz69]

Cost's money to remove and dispose of such equipment, why do it if you don't have to?

[@thes764]

Did I ever mention how much I like your photography/videography? Even if I wasn't a lot of a radio nerd and quite a bit of a railway nerd I'd love to see more of that footage! That line reminds me of a long kinda-closed branch line I cycle along on my daily commute. Rails are mostly still in place, overgrown in a lot of places, paved over in others. Maybe we'll see both of them being used again?

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks so much for that mate!!

[@PaulFisher]

speaking of the photography/videography, the wind farm footage you have running behind the patreon credits is extremely cool.

[@Frida3728]

The choice of music fits so well with the video. Thank you. Please continue to find out of the ordinary subjects, you are creative.

[@Mike-H_UK]

Wow! 'Secrets of the Railways by Ringway Shenanigans.' Get in early to own the trademark before some blighter with a Saab beats you to it.

[@RonKosey]

Train Shenanigans: Plenty of abandoned track, not enough service stations

[@mrcake2525]

Lewis--your curiosity about all sorts of things is one of the things that keeps this channel fascinating. Never stop sticking you nose in things and making videos about it.

[@dubliner1100]

Interesting and informative as usual, should be shared with another KZbinr ‘Jago Hazard’ I’ll bet he would be both interested and equally informative. Thanks Lewis for all the stuff you do

[@RingwayManchester]

I love Jago. He’s kind of a hero on KZbin for me

[@dubliner1100]

@@RingwayManchester as are you!!

[@Rob2]

Interesting! My daily work is on a very similar industrial estate in the Netherlands, which also has such a disused railway network. The estate over the years has changed from heavy industry into logistic and office buildings, we now see only different sizes of lorries instead of trains. Most of the branches look similar to what you show (overgrown, paved-over) but there is one line that is still being maintained. During the years I work there I have twice seen a crew with a maintenance traincar doing some work on the tracks, but I have never seen an actual transport. There is a (much simpler) crossing over the road I use daily at the point where a sideroad crosses the main road to which the tracks are parallel. When waiting for the red light, everyone just stops on the crossing, which has similar light signaling. I'm sure that IF there would be any train on this track, it would be moving at walking speed with a signaling man (with red flag) walking in front of it, and we would have ample time to vacate the crossing...

[@The_Last_Post]

Great stuff Lewis, yes would definitely like to see more disused railway videos 👍

[@TheSynthnut]

Documenting these otherwise ignored features is valuable stuff! The demise of the Trafford Park rail system is shameful.

[@MrFlyboy1972]

Very interesting video indeed. Great use of atmospheric music as well. I have no doubt if those lights were ever torn down, collectors would be queuing up to buy them for restoration

[@rich_rich90]

Deffo want to see more of this railway network. Didn't even know it existed until your video popped up!

[@bielanski2493]

I can't say enough how I appreciate your having an interest in the built environment. Cheers.

[@RevMikeBlack]

Beautiful drone work on this one. We have a similar situation where I live in the USA. The railroad is "officially" open, but I haven't actually seen a train on it for over a decade. The tracks are rusted and covered with weeds. Oddly, there IS a locomotive sitting on a track, but there is no additional track on either end, so it's a train with literally nowhere to go.

[@leveltrains1295]

Nice to see that most wig-wags are still there there are some other crossings in trafford park which have been completly removed but the tracks still remain and some crossings there was a crossing on Europa Gate which had 5 wig-wags and 2 pedestrain lights, all those lights are gone now there is another crossing near the other crosing on John Gilbert way which had 4 wig-wags and 2 pedestrain lights also now gone there is another one which is a foot crossing on Europa Way witch has 2 pedestrain lights crossing still remains and a crossing on Westinghouse road witch had 4 wig-wags but now has 3, crossing still remains and all the tracks have been removed maybe you can add these crossings if you're making another video about abandoned crossings around trafford park :)

[@RingwayManchester]

You know your stuff! Cheers

[@martinharper5112]

With the infrastructure still in place, it could be opened again in the future. Of cause with Peel Holdings of Trafford Park, while open to the public, is all private land. Excellent vid ❤

[@lordtherapeutics]

I love this sort of thing.

[@alanslade2319]

Thanks love all your stuff, thanks for everything, drum and bass 💯🍻👍

[@_hackwell]

Very nice video. I wanna see more for sure! There are loads of disused railways here in France too. I encounter some level crossings while driving which look like they're still in service. So I slow down not realizing the tracks are long gone 😆

[@WECB640]

Very professional use of the drone. 😊

[@mickgatz214]

Yeah, why not. Some railway history is always of interest. :)

[@pinkmouse4863]

In the end, every British KZbinr does a railway signalling episode or two. It's the law...

[@TheWacoKid1963]

I'm very surprised a bunch of toerags haven't had the rails away for scrap, knocking the keys out with a long handled hammer or a blunt axe takes only a few minutes, then you can simply lift the rail off its chairs

[@bdh_555]

I find it really interesting that the red and white chequer pattern has faded, but not the red of the crossing symbols

[@stormchaserpaul]

Good video lewis always good to change it up when things arent great in the world of content. No radios to review or play with besides the CB one. All the best 73 de Paul 2E0IJE

[@markiangooley]

The town in Florida where I now live has one spur to a factory that is still occasionally used! Rail spurs are largely a thing of the past around here, but this one hangs on. The line it’s a spur from has recently acquired an extra track to hold the (somewhat) high-speed Brightline passenger rail, a real oddity here in the USA.

[@f22bmw]

I moved from Manchester to Florida too, Panama city. No passenger trains, just 3 mile long freight trains

[@dieselbushcraft1299]

I would love to know more about this railway, I remember driving around the estate in the late 80s. I was totally side tracked if you pardon the pun, I found it really interesting as I had never seen anything like it before. Never saw a train and that would of been icing on the cake.

[@98jonesd]

Notice a pedestrian crossing light there made by Forest City formerly of Timperley - must've liked using local suppliers back in the day!

[@franktuckwell196]

When the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich was operating at its height there was in excess of 120 miles of trains track.

[@justinrayguitars6024]

You know a crowd like us that watches radio tower videos will love railroads as well.

[@petershillito]

I've driven or walked through there a bunch of times and always hoped I'd see a train. It is surprising that the track is still there as network rail tend to want to pull up all rail it can to reuse it elsewhere, but I guess Trafford Park is privately owned and the rails probably owned by...Peel is it? I certainly wish there was more freight train use than trucks, so I hope some of it could become in use once again.

[@mikeclifton7778]

Good video Lewis, more rail stuff would be welcome.

[@dom1310df]

I thought level crossings had white lights to indicate the train can proceed (when they're not otherwise protected by a standard signalling block) rather than green? Nevertheless a fascinating video.

[@mattcy6591]

Train Otaku reveal vid

[@mattcy6591]

This isn't meant as an insult, I found this video really interesting.

[@iana6713]

What a curiosity this is. Fascinating stuff!

[@MiddayDolomite]

What a rare treat to have disused railway lines still intact, never mind the signals. In most cases, they're either removed or concreted over to discourage looters and avoid a trip hazard. It's unlikely I'll have a chance to visit the area featured in this video, but if I do, I'll be sure to take a look.

[@onesandzeros]

Thanks Lewis, great video. Nice musical choice as well.

[@michaelmiller641]

They'll come to regret tearing up that rail link when the roads becone increasingly gridlocked! great video by the way! Makesva change from rf stuff!

[@newage3]

Gridlocked = More vehicle tax

[@Jwnorton]

Change of pace, but very enjoyable - more please!

[@NikEastwood161]

great video, I remember it operating in its latter era, the traffic got held for a while as it was usually container traffic and the trains would only go about walking speed, there was a shunting yard next to Kelloggs. I am surprised they didnt use most of the line to create Metrolink to serve the Trafford Estate as a whole. The railway was also connected the Manchester Ship Canal Co. railway system, it ran alongside the ship canal past Irlam to just after Latchford Locks where it merged onto the main lane/low level lines. There are also traces of railway with the same level crossings around Ellesmere Port, and a bit left near Eastham Oil Refinery.

[@wollyxl]

Very interesting love the music used. Just a note the signal given to the train driver is white. I'm not sure why, but it indercates to the diver the crossing is protected, proceed with caution.

[@nicksayajirao1730]

I remember going to CPC in Trafford park to see the Barclay steamer. Would have been around 1975/6. We also ran into Alnwick Castle, a bis MSC railway 0-6-0. . After that we went to Agecroft power station. They were i think the last places in greater Manchester where you could see working steam.

[@Dutchrailfann]

7:49 that crossing looks quite angry.

[@timballam3675]

Think you aught to do a link up with @pwhitewick...

[@HappyJigg]

It would be cool to hear more about this railway.

[@W4TRI]

We have crossings here in Central FL where the Amtrak is mostly through the cross before the lights go and the bar lowers. Very dangerous

[@andyleatherbarrow7322]

I cycle round there most days and I always "clench" as I go over them especially if they are not at a right angle to me.

[@nigozeroichi2501]

Cool 😎 variety makes things interesting, infrastructure oddities are pretty neat to me, so yeah I'd like to see more👍👍

[@stevenrobinson1256]

Thanks . Really enjoyed this . Photography , the editing , music , all of it .

[@philevans4021]

I remember well getting stuck waiting at the lights at the Kelloggs factory for the massive train to go past very slowly....

[@jamesbeckwith3639]

Very enjoyable video... Thankyou... I wish I'd been able to see it in it's heyday... Yes I would like to see a video on Trafford Park.. preferably when it was busy

[@pacificostudios]

When rails are laid in a road, the crossing is rarely disturbed when the tracks are abandoned, as is seen repeatedly here. I suspect that some of the track was left behind when it was deemed that the segment is too short to justify detailing a work team to lift the rails. Minnesota is one state where a crossing of either abandoned or live tracks can be labeled "EXEMPT." This exempts buses, both school buses and public transit buses, from having to stop for trains that never/rarely come. If a train does come, a crew member waves a red flag or lantern to alert motorists as the train slowly crosses the road. On the Beltline Highway in Madison, Wisconsin, there used to be an EXEMPT crossing over a multi-lane freeway (motorway). Apparently, trains ran so infrequently that police cars were called out to stop all traffic whenever a train had to cross the tracks. The trains were probably also run at night, to minimize disruption to highway traffic.

[@AutoShenanigans]

engagarithm comment. WSA, JPH x

[@MartinZero]

Brilliant to see these still here. A unique reminder of the past

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

This is interesting as I went wandering around this area back in 1993 and at one place it looked like the network was actually being expanded with new extra tracks, but maybe I was wrong, perhaps what I saw was actually tracks being lifted.

[@uzaiyaro]

I wonder if there are any of those rare wig wag lights still in operation somewhere.

[@20chocsaday]

I remember a set of 4 gates in my home town. Two on each side of the track. Surprising to find something so elaborate on a single track seldom used at a road going nowhere, most commonly used by children curious where it went. Seldom used. When I did one day see a locomotive on the track my father didn't believe me.

[@mickgatz214]

It's a shame how past history seems to just be coverered up. :(

[@kenstevens5065]

When I was a kid almost every railway station in the country large and small had a goods yard with facilities for off loading to enable road deliveries the final few miles to the customers door. All gone now to the great God of containerisation, huge distribution centres and white vans along with the branch line railways. We are carbon friendly only in the imagination.

[@stalker9fdx]

Lewis I have been on that estate many times in the 30 years I been driving trucks 🚚. Of ten thought why isn't anyone trying to preserve the lights and what's left of the lines. Maybe put a board up showing how the rail used to look. Thank you. Keith. 2e1 xdj....

[@erikmutthersbough6508]

What would it take to get an old railroad crossing signal from England 🤔

[@billyhatcher643]

i hate how they dont keep these historical places in good condition

[@beerancher3225]

Absolutely riveting , edge of the seat excitement! Never thought I would be so entranced by a story about traffic lights and abandoned rail lines !

[@elvinhaak]

I really hope they will re-enable some of those lines someday soon!

[@Mike-H_UK]

Yes please - more footage on the Trafford Park Railway.

[@railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf]

From what I've been told, trains may start running again in parts of the estate after it's relaid. We shall see what develops.

[@simondavids9438]

Hope you do the disused Timperley to partington,cadishead line one day,and also the shell branchline which is accessible into the place now

[@joeblow8593]

I usually watch the 'Distant Signal' channel

[@madenaraputra6887]

How the many of railway lines in NI still operated???

[@chrisharris7893]

Wow. I didn't expect a video on old railway signalling on THIS channel, but it is history on one level or another. RE: railways: Could you maybe do a video on Automatic Train Control in all its forms and if you get bored, something on train defect detectors? I find these subjects fascinating and relevant due to all the derailments hitting the news here in the states.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

A real shame its falling apart 🙁 i wonder if theres any old film of all this working somewhere

[@ap_red]

It'd be interesting to know if any of the old railway or its alignment was reused for the recent Metrolink extension.

[@robertfletcher3421]

This was a fantastic video. Photography and drone footage was first class, along with the historical narration.

[@Sam_Green____4114]

If you wanted to get it back in use now it would be next to impossible ! So much for getting freight back onto the railways !

[@johnbristow5665]

Hugely enjoyable. Line is nearly complete and hence we can see the excellent gradual curves....so unusual for frieght lines. The Telford Steam Railway has a display of at least 32 level crossing Lights and maybe a good suggestion as much concreted track remains. The TSR are very lucky to have it for their stock.

[@RikAindow]

First Hubnut reviews an Ebike and now Lewis is giving us a historical talk on railways of Trafford Park. What a strange day! 😂 Just kidding, great video. I used to work in Bowlers every weekend every weekend around 2004 so it's nostalgic for me to revisit this area. Very informative. :)

[@sw6188]

Love the addition of any rail videos. That last one on the signal that's been lit for 30 years on a disused line was fascinating. I'm a Kiwi from NZ and we don't have too many disused lines now. Most have been ripped up. A few remain in a "mothballed" state - closed and unmaintained, or used by business ventures who run golf cart tours on them. Always interesting to see disused lines in other countries. I don't know if it's possible, but a video showing a long disused line being cleaned up and readied for re-opening would be amazing.

[@TheVleckChannel]

I love Trafford Park. The last time I saw a train anywhere on its network was one of those snub locos on the stretch running alongside Barton Dock Road back in 2004.

[@sarkybugger5009]

Strange! I clicked on a Ringway Manchester thumbnail, and was shown a Geoff Marshall video. 🤭

[@simongleaden2864]

Is it not worthwhile recovering the disused rails (at least where they're not embedded in concrete or tarmac) and the various redundant metal signs at the warning lights for their scrap value?

[@MePeterNicholls]

It’s a shame the tram doesn’t take trip around the site of the old loop

[@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe]

There were many stories of Foreign truck drivers getting lost around Trafford Park ,No Sat Nav, or Mobile phones with maps on On a few occasions, drivers, especially at night with no pedestrians to ask Or they spoke no English, just left their trucks at the side of the roads. A few parked actually on train lines, unaware they were in use 24 hrs a day.

[@FAMUCHOLLY]

Potential horizontally polarized long-wave antennas. Now; how to cut them to specific wavelengths...

[@jkleylein]

It looks like someone is going to some trouble to maintain at least the crossbucks on those crossing lights as if there were any possibility of a train running on that line. I'm sure it's some technicality at play because the line wasn't officially abandoned or something. I don't know what's 'wigwag' about those lights though, as they have no moving parts. There used to be real wigwag signals in North America which had a lit target swinging back and forth off a pole. I actually saw some of those still in use a few decades back.

[@andymckenna1262]

11.04. The signal would not be green. It would be a flashing white light to indicate to the driver that the crossing was working normally. It was then safe to proceed after a check around.

[@dougmorris2134]

Hello Lewis, just watched this interesting video and it reminded me of another video. I have just checked and it too, is one of yours, “ This Signal Has Been Lit For 30 Years On A Disused Railway Line “ I’m both a radio and railway fan, passing my RAE in 1983 but remaining just a SWL on the broadcast bands and an owner of five (little) steam locomotives. Ok, they are live steam models that run on 32mm and 45mm gauge tracks, and yes one is radio controlled. The others are manual control so yes occasionally, burned fingers. Best wishes from Oxfordshire, 73s & good DX.

[@MM0IMC]

4:20 Are you sure it wasn't a white light? For past 30'ish years such level crossings in my area use a white light.

[@RingwayManchester]

You’re right

[@whereinsussex]

​@RingwayManchester yes, a flashing white light indicates that the level crossing equipment is operating correctly on "locally monitored" ie monitored by the train crew, with no indication in signal box, level crossings. Usually there will be a speed board too, to show the reduced speed over the crossing, eith a black and white St George's cross. However I suspect the line speed here was so slow they didn't have one

[@davidgates4450]

Interesting that the Continentals put in freight links whilst we close them down, largely to benefit the RHA....Surely one Freight Train supplying hubs for outward distribution makes more sense..?? Here in the SE(.Kent..) we had the Intercontinental Transfesa System that fed into a massive facility at Paddock Wood....All swept away in the interests of 'Privitisation'... The Manchester System must have been awesome in it's day...

[@robinwells8879]

Very forlorn even with the ubiquitous railway budlia going its best to brighten the mood. Excellent choice of background music.

[@DrFod]

It's sad how much freight goes by road nowadays. You'd think with companies trying to be 'green' that more of them would be wanting to use rail transport. But it costs more money so they won't.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

The decline of rail angers me GREATLY. With all the talk of reducing carbon and such - rail is SIGNIFICANTLY more energy efficient than trucks / lorries. And that's with existing technology. Yet we see all this abandoned track not in use. Reducing trucking and increasing the use of rail would be wonderful for the environment. Even with existing technology. Now imagine if every rail car had it's roof covered in solar panels, all working together to power the locomotive. You might have a self powered train in good weather. Zero impact. Yet thousands of miles of rail sit abandoned around the globe...

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks so much Paul!

[@simontay4851]

Yes, its fkn stupid. rail transport is VASTLY more efficient. You can move a lot more stuff at once with just one engine, especially bulk cargo and raw materials.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

@@simontay4851 YUP. And I worked with many factories that previously had rail cargo but shut it down for various reasons. Example - Gatorade in Kissimmee. When the plant was built in the 1950s they used to ship finished goods out by rail all over the country. But they shut down their rail terminal in the 1990s. Meanwhile, Frito-Lay in Orlando still received raw materials via rail, but would only ship finished goods via truck because rail took too long. An increase in optimization might have reduced truck shipping significantly by allowing certain items to go by rail. But it wasn't even considered.

[@debsmith5520]

What's the background music? Almost an early Krautrock ambient vibe.

[@joebadger]

I really enjoyed this one Lewis. The chill music over the drone shots of the track was great. I subbed to your channel originally for the radio content but I enjoy the non-radio stuff too. This is probably because I'm a big fucking nerd. Do keep varying the content please.

[@MattiAntsuK]

Call me weird or whatever. Seeing very old non-functioning crossing lights is like an odd "fettish" for me. Bonus if they still work.

[@MichaelCampin]

You should look at Marton Gypsy Lane level crossing a total superfluous crossing as it has bollards blocking any vehicular access

[@simondavids9438]

Brilliant video on youtube ,bridge to nowhere ,he walks the whole line from where the container base use to be up towards old trafford where it joined the mainline .

[@stephenpowell5912]

Lousy cutbacks ,Such a shame it's no longer in use ,Transport me back to those days when the rail was still in use .