Surprise Level crossings

[DLT]

On 28/06/2019 at 09:38, Furness Wagon said:

Not sure drinking outside in this pub would have been to safe. Its the entrance to White Swan yard in Great Yarmouth. I believe it was an interchange between the M&GNR and the GER. The pub still stands but the house has gone. 

 

Marc  

 

Looks a bit isolated now:  https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.6127796,1.7241865,3a,47.7y,337.09h,93.94t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdy1aPJu51AhhxrCTXY0A2g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[MarcD]

1M+ or the other buildings have gone? this days it sometimes better to ask.

Marc

[DLT]

Several "surprise" level crossings on the Wenfordbridge line; in particular Dunmere and Hellandbridge. 

Check out the Cornwall Railway Society's page on the line here:  http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/boscarne-jct-to-bodmin-northalso-the-wenford--ruthernbridge-branches.html

[LBRJ]

Several of the crossings on the Newquay branch can come as a bit of a surprise (to the motorist not the train driver, one hopes) particularly Coswarth, when one is driving a tractor.

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=6485

[Nearholmer]

One, or rather two, that I’d love to find photos of were where the street railway that went to Deptford Foreign Cattle Market left the LBSCR Deptford Wharf Branch. There are plenty of photos of trains in the street, but none that I can find of the “hole in the terrace” where a house was demolished to let it through.

 

The line was initially very sharply curved and was worked I think by horses, then definitely by a very early petrol loco, but then, I think during WW1, a new set of holes were punched through other terraces to allow a better curve, after which it was worked by D1 tank engines. As you can see in the photo below, it was heavily blitzed during WW2, and it looks as if the poor bnggers who lived there were given Nissen huts as temporary houses. The second photo is looking the other way in 1960, when demolition had progressed a bit further.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by Nearholmer

[RJS1977]

Does this one on the LBNGR count? https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9129852,-0.640665,3a,75y,251.06h,71.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQGtVPvmoSewCCocKsWeHgg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[LBRJ]

I think the LBNGR should not just count, it should get a bonus for genuinely appearing outta nowhere!!

[009 micro modeller]

Several on the LBNGR. Although of course in this case the railway was there first.

[TheQ]

 

I go past the Swan in GY,  the next time is in a couple of weeks...

 

The modern equivalent of the previous places in the thread,  East Dereham,  the ungated level crossing,  is beneath the A47 dual carriageway. The track leads to the mid Norfolk Railway to the right ahead.  

The road ahead goes to the centre of town,  behind is a round about leading to a Tesco's extra,  the A47, and several big businesses open to the public.  It's a very busy road. I use that several times a year but have yet to see a train. 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by TheQ

[5050]

I have - from a train, a 'heritage' DMU.  A quite busy road I seem to remember and, in some ways, rather embarrassing seeing the staff having/trying to stop traffic.  It was the first train on the day (possibly the week) and there were several branches across the line in places due to bad weather over the weekend.

[Oldddudders]

https://www.dampflokomotivarchiv.de/index.php?nav=1401007&lang=1&file=hartm_3214_53&action=image

[RJS1977]

This thread reminds me somewhat of something that happened when 6203 was being extricated from Butlin's at Pwhelli. The method of extraction was to lay a temporary track to Pen-y-chain, along which the loco could be 'inched', and then finally towed by diesel loco along the Cambrian Coast line.

 

6203 was thus 'inched' along the  temporary line until a road was reached, which required a road closure. There it waited, shielded by trees until the closure could be arranged.

 

In the meantime, a fire engine passed along the road on an emergency call.

 

"That was a close one," said one of the firemen on spotting the loco. "I didn't even know there was a level crossing here...."

[LBRJ]

While not in the popping out between the houses class, Par crossing on the old Fowey Main down to Par Harbour from St Blazey yard is a bit of a minor surprise - or a bigger surprise on the rare occasions it is actually closed!

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.3499724,-4.707707,3a,75y,51.34h,85.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3TqfE4fCcHrf24g5cjMIaQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by LBRJ

[009 micro modeller]

43 minutes ago, RJS1977 said:

This thread reminds me somewhat of something that happened when 6203 was being extricated from Butlin's at Pwhelli. The method of extraction was to lay a temporary track to Pen-y-chain, along which the loco could be 'inched', and then finally towed by diesel loco along the Cambrian Coast line.

 

6203 was thus 'inched' along the  temporary line until a road was reached, which required a road closure. There it waited, shielded by trees until the closure could be arranged.

 

In the meantime, a fire engine passed along the road on an emergency call.

 

"That was a close one," said one of the firemen on spotting the loco. "I didn't even know there was a level crossing here...."

 

This sounds interesting. Is there any indication of the route taken?

[Ramblin Rich]

19 hours ago, LBRJ said:

Several of the crossings on the Newquay branch can come as a bit of a surprise (to the motorist not the train driver, one hopes) particularly Coswarth, when one is driving a tractor.

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=6485

This is Chapel on the Newquay branch.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.4056808,-5.0397107,3a,81.6y,180.35h,91.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_nsSidkoHutEz04dQiYklw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&authuser=0

Only the modern lights give away the fact that there's a railway behind the house & hedges. A nice option for a scenic break...

[Nearholmer]

Drove down there while on hols c1990, the lights showed, and an HST appeared from behind the house - Utterly incongruous and rather sci-fi.

[eastworld]

The crossing at Pendre station in Tywyn is quite well hidden:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.587375,-4.0815581,3a,75y,116.44h,85.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbToXp6mvcrza6_KpXga1AQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Stu

[Ian Morgan]

Not hidden by buildings, but when blasting along a newish by-pass you maybe not expect to be stopped by a steam train.

 

Wallingford & Cholsey railway

 

[009 micro modeller]

1 hour ago, Ian Morgan said:

Not hidden by buildings, but when blasting along a newish by-pass you maybe not expect to be stopped by a steam train.

 

Wallingford & Cholsey railway

 

 

Some interesting information on this here: https://www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com/signalling

 

I’m not sure why it says the council have a contract with Network Rail - does the preserved line technically lease its trackbed from NR rather than own it?

Edited July 27, 2020 by 009 micro modeller

[Ian Morgan]

I did visit the line a while back and found a visiting loco being used (I think it was City of Truro) which was too long for the run round at Cholsey. The special arrangements were, indeed, complex, involving both the ex-Guinness 08s. One came out from a siding and dragged the carriages from the platform back into the siding, allowing the steam loco to retreat up the line towards Wallingford. The second 08, which had been waiting on the run round, then picked up the carriages and dragged them back into the platform for the steam loco to pick up again. All quite a spectacle to watch.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by Ian Morgan

[RJS1977]

2 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

Some interesting information on this here: https://www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com/signalling

 

I’m not sure why it says the council have a contract with Network Rail - does the preserved line technically lease its trackbed from NR rather than own it?

 

If memory serves, we lease the trackbed from South Oxfordshire Council, apart from the stretch alongside the GW main line and into Platform 5 at Cholsey, which is leased from NR (and a small piece of land at Wallingford which we lease from Lidl).

 

NR maintain the crossing as they have the technicians to be able to do it (and access to spare parts). In practice, I think we tend to deal with them directly when it comes to failures etc.

[009 micro modeller]

11 minutes ago, RJS1977 said:

 

If memory serves, we lease the trackbed from South Oxfordshire Council, apart from the stretch alongside the GW main line and into Platform 5 at Cholsey, which is leased from NR (and a small piece of land at Wallingford which we lease from Lidl).

 

NR maintain the crossing as they have the technicians to be able to do it (and access to spare parts). In practice, I think we tend to deal with them directly when it comes to failures etc.

 

Ah, so I might have initially misunderstood what it says on the website - presumably it actually means that the council, who are responsible for the by-pass, also take responsibility for the crossing (rather than the C&WR maintaining it) but then contract the actual work to NR (who have the expertise). For some reason I originally thought it was NR contracting maintenance to the council rather than the other way round...

[Regularity]

The website is quite clear:

Quote

 

The railway is one of only a few heritage lines in the country to cross a main road.

The CWR in preservation form pre-dates the road, and as part of the agreement to build the Wallingford By-Pass, it was agreed that Oxfordshire Highways would be responsible for all maintenance of the crossing through Oxfordshire county council (OCC).  OCC have a contract with Network Rail for all maintenance of the crossing.