Nice video and an interesting thing to see too. Those lights which don't work are made by Artcraft and are used as a strobe light to let train drivers know the crossing is activating and are used on wishbone gates.
Great video. Brings back a few memories for me - I lived in Seymour for a couple of years in the mid 1980s, back when the railway yard was a bit busier than what it is now (and the boomgates at Seymour Railway Station were still there). I well remember seeing these signals (with the lights working, and slightly less rusty!) in my late primary school years - I could never understand why they were put there (thanks Nolman and McK&H for the clarification). I would often ride to the railway yards on my crappy old pushbike just to see the trains pass through, with that bell ting-tinging away. There was a big mound of dirt which you could stand on top of & see the whole rail yard. I used to love to just sit up there on my bike & watch the trains go past - especially the freight trains, because they just seemed to go on forever. Those were the days... :) Nice to know the bell has survived 35 years of exposure to the elements (even if the lights haven't) - here's hoping it can survive for some time to come...
Guys these were used to warn staff on the ground when a standard gauge train was going through. The standard gauge trains use to run through Seymour at 50mph in my time at wodonga loco (1970's). There of course used to be a lot of staff around the yard in Seymour back then, when there was still a goods shed shed in operation and much shunting going on.
what an unusual signal! Especially the old lights! I'm pretty sure this will be removed by 2020! This is also the first time I've seen those loc-hauled passenger trains in purple!
Pretty Much Dead sadly when I visited earlier this month and went on Carpark side got one hit in the gong out of the 100-300 times it tried to hit the gong, when it hits the gong it is very quiet (was working normally 3h earlier in the day the same day it wasn't working) Except quiet
Great video Stuart! I believe the purpose of these signals is to alert workmen in the yard to the presence of approaching trains. There is also a setup like this in the carriage yards right next to Geelong station consisting of a bell and a red strobe light. Here are a couple of images of it when it had a Hybrid Bell: railgallery.wongm.com/geelong-vline-yards/D775_7583.jpg.html railgallery.wongm.com/geelong-vline-yards/X130_3059.jpg.html Unfortunatly, the Hybrid Bell was replaced with a Genral Signals E-Bell a few years ago, but the system still operates to this day.
Thanks man. Yeah, I think the general consensus is that THAT was what it was installed for. Nice find, I bet the bell would've been activating constantly at Geelong, there would've been so many daily train movements around. It must have only been removed in last 5 or 10 years!
I've not been there since the 80s when it was signs only. Looks like I need to visit again very soon. There's at least one other signalised crossing at Carribean Gardens. Possibly 2. Looks like they've used secondhand equipment - which is good for those of us into such things. :)
Hopefully that's been noticed and rectified since the video was taken. Then again, one bell is probably sufficient at that crossing. Perhaps they're wired it so that one or the other works - to prolong their lives. :)
Cool find, it's an interesting signal. I wonder if it was installed back when the yard was busier to warn workers around the tracks, there were yards in NSW with alarms or bells. It seems to only operate for standard gauge trains?
Thanks. Yeah that makes a bit more sense, I really had no idea what it was used for. Yeah, Robbie Wales confirmed this for us. I still get myself confused over train gauges, but I'm slowly learning lol
I never knew that a safetran bell would look like a Griswold mechanical bell! It feels funny to me
Henry Lu yeah they really look the same
Yup. A good distinguisher between the 2 is that the Safetrans sit a bit further back on their bases than the RACOs and Griswolds.
Nice video and an interesting thing to see too. Those lights which don't work are made by Artcraft and are used as a strobe light to let train drivers know the crossing is activating and are used on wishbone gates.
Lol, love it!
Great video. Brings back a few memories for me - I lived in Seymour for a couple of years in the mid 1980s, back when the railway yard was a bit busier than what it is now (and the boomgates at Seymour Railway Station were still there). I well remember seeing these signals (with the lights working, and slightly less rusty!) in my late primary school years - I could never understand why they were put there (thanks Nolman and McK&H for the clarification). I would often ride to the railway yards on my crappy old pushbike just to see the trains pass through, with that bell ting-tinging away. There was a big mound of dirt which you could stand on top of & see the whole rail yard. I used to love to just sit up there on my bike & watch the trains go past - especially the freight trains, because they just seemed to go on forever. Those were the days... :)
Nice to know the bell has survived 35 years of exposure to the elements (even if the lights haven't) - here's hoping it can survive for some time to come...
Thanks. I'm glad its brought back nice memories for you! Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if the bell has never been maintained
Guys these were used to warn staff on the ground when a standard gauge train was going through. The standard gauge trains use to run through Seymour at 50mph in my time at wodonga loco (1970's). There of course used to be a lot of staff around the yard in Seymour back then, when there was still a goods shed shed in operation and much shunting going on.
I actually too a picture of that crossing bell and great video too.
what an unusual signal! Especially the old lights! I'm pretty sure this will be removed by 2020!
This is also the first time I've seen those loc-hauled passenger trains in purple!
MrBnsftrain they are part of a heritage Centre and I’m pretty sure they’ll stay there
Great video and find!
Thanks :)
I didn't even know this existed...
Lol knowing your level crossing knowledge I'm surprised. Now you do
Pretty Much Dead sadly when I visited earlier this month and went on Carpark side got one hit in the gong out of the 100-300 times it tried to hit the gong, when it hits the gong it is very quiet (was working normally 3h earlier in the day the same day it wasn't working) Except quiet
naw
because this can be a cane train i think those lights can be the old ones
Great video Stuart! I believe the purpose of these signals is to alert workmen in the yard to the presence of approaching trains. There is also a setup like this in the carriage yards right next to Geelong station consisting of a bell and a red strobe light. Here are a couple of images of it when it had a Hybrid Bell:
railgallery.wongm.com/geelong-vline-yards/D775_7583.jpg.html
railgallery.wongm.com/geelong-vline-yards/X130_3059.jpg.html
Unfortunatly, the Hybrid Bell was replaced with a Genral Signals E-Bell a few years ago, but the system still operates to this day.
Thanks man. Yeah, I think the general consensus is that THAT was what it was installed for. Nice find, I bet the bell would've been activating constantly at Geelong, there would've been so many daily train movements around. It must have only been removed in last 5 or 10 years!
Knowing our luck this will probably be the only Safetran mechanical bell that survives in all of Australia
Maybe not....
www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.9057953,145.2274172,3a,75y,308.65h,83.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMhkwmMf6SP6diZFGXYtGlA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Oh yes and I also saw the WABCO/US&S bell too. I wonder what that combo would sound like
I've not been there since the 80s when it was signs only. Looks like I need to visit again very soon. There's at least one other signalised crossing at Carribean Gardens. Possibly 2. Looks like they've used secondhand equipment - which is good for those of us into such things. :)
IIRC, a video shows that the WABCO bell there is dead, though the Safetran works.
Hopefully that's been noticed and rectified since the video was taken. Then again, one bell is probably sufficient at that crossing.
Perhaps they're wired it so that one or the other works - to prolong their lives. :)
Cool find, it's an interesting signal. I wonder if it was installed back when the yard was busier to warn workers around the tracks, there were yards in NSW with alarms or bells. It seems to only operate for standard gauge trains?
Thanks. Yeah that makes a bit more sense, I really had no idea what it was used for. Yeah, Robbie Wales confirmed this for us. I still get myself confused over train gauges, but I'm slowly learning lol
idk is this is from australia it could be
Yep indeed it is!
The 2 old red flashing signals & bell doesn't working maybe out of order who know!! ;)
Yeah probably. I wouldn't be surprised if it never received any maintenance