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Level crossing gates


Jules

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On the extension to my layout ( Mayshill ) I am putting in a small level crossing, which has raised a couple of questions:

 

1. When was the red 'target' first seen on the crossing gates - the layout (GW) is set roughly between 1935 and 1947

 

2. Was there any standard or usual side on which the gates were hinged e.g. the hinges on the side of the oncoming traffic?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jules

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Hi

 

Thanks for the link.

 

It is a single gate I have for each side (from the Ratio occupational crossing - it is only a small road!). I see from the pic in the link that their gates have the red 'target', I wonder if this is a 'modern' requirement?

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I thought I had something on the sizes of targets at different dates but can't lay my hands on it. A couple of points that may help before someone more knowledgeable come along:

1. the Signal Department's 1907 painting instructions (see bottom of this page) specified that targets should be painted red, so they certainly existed much earlier than your period.

2. In Vaughan's Pictorial Record of GW signalling he mentions that a crossing protected by signals did not need targets.

 

Nick

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You could have a look through the accident reports on Railways Archive. There are quite a few crossing accidents and the reports usually describe in detail the arrangements at the crossing concerned. There is a good search facility which allows filtering by type of accident, company and date.

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  • RMweb Gold

The gates would definitely have red targets by the period you are modelling although as already noted they were not considered necessary if there were fixed (semaphore) signals protecting the crossing. You now also face an interesting situation regarding signals as the usual GW practice was to provide worked Distant signals for level crossings - thus your Starting Signal or whatever coming away from the terminus should have a worked lower arm distant, there might also be a a semaphore stop signal protecting the crossing (most likely in your situation I think). In the opposite direction there would be a semaphore stop signal protecting the crossing with a lower arm Distant Fixed At Caution for the terminus, followed of course by the Home Signal at the terminus.

 

I suggest having a good think about how this forest of signal s might look before finalising as we might be able to find some ways round it - but you do have some red levers in your ground frame hut.

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  • RMweb Gold

The gates should have targets for daylight and lamps for darkness facing towards the road. As The SM says there would be no targets facing the railway if fixed signals are provided at the crossing. Depending on traffic levels, gradients, etc, the MOT Requirements 1925 edition did not require fixed signals protecting the crossing if the visibility was such that trains could be brought to a stand short of the crossing on seeing the targets/lamps. Some crossings had fixed or working Distant signals but no Home signals.

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The gates should have targets for daylight and lamps for darkness facing towards the road...

Any idea when this was introduced? Was it new in the 1925 MOT requirements? The reason I ask is that the photos in Vaughan that I mentioned above show no targets or lamps on either side of the gates, but one does have one or more small rectangular plates with four cat's eyes on the road side. One photo is dated 1927, but no dates for the others.

 

Nick

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  • RMweb Gold

Any idea when this was introduced? Was it new in the 1925 MOT requirements? The reason I ask is that the photos in Vaughan that I mentioned above show no targets or lamps on either side of the gates, but one does have one or more small rectangular plates with four cat's eyes on the road side. One photo is dated 1927, but no dates for the others.

 

Nick

 

They came into the Board of Trade Requirements for new lines in 1902.

 

This is a copy of the previous version marked to show the 1902 update.

 

http://www.railwaysa...y.php?docID=166

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_Requirements1902.pdf

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Thank you all for your replies and information.

 

Going slightly OT, but it arises from Mike 'The Stationmaster's comments about signals and signalling.

 

Pictured below is a cobbled together helicopter view of the layout (I was going to sketch it and scan it, but the scanner is refusing to talk to the PC...)

 

The letters A- C are where I thought the main signals should be -

 

A - being the starting signal (would it need an arm for the loop? - all trains normally start from the platform line, they only move from the loop to draw an arrived goods train out to shunt into the sidings. I guess it would need two arms if there was more than one train present?)

 

B - two arms, the main for the platform line and the shorter arm (I really should know the terms) for the loop

 

C- a stop signal protecting the level crossing, and also the limit of shunt ( I have assumed the corresponding one on the other side of the crossing is off scene)

 

If the above is vaguely correct (and I know I should have planned the layout with correct signalling from the start, so apologies for any compromises that result), I think I do not need the targets on the gates, but if they are present, it is not incorrect?

 

post-148-0-18807100-1354826526_thumb.jpg

 

edited to make the picture bigger!

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  • RMweb Gold

Right Jules - in terms of running signals you are more or less on the money -

 

A straight (single) post semaphore with one arm = Starter for the platform line. You might care to give it a lower arm distant for the level crossing but as the crossing is fairly close I would think it unlikely.

 

B.Exact form depends on era as GWR ideas changed a bit over the years. Safest bet is a splitting signal with a normal size arm on the right hand doll (as viewed from an approaching train) reading to the platform) and a short arm on the left hand doll, at a lower elevation than the other arm, reading into the loop & yard.

 

You also need to add ground discs - 1 in the platform road for the runround facing point and one to come out of the runround loop and another to come out of the yard.

 

c. Will just be an ordinary stop signal - like A, like the one Dapol make. No need for a Limit of Shunt as the signal serves as that as well and in any case you can't have a Limit of Shunt board which is facing trains running in the normal direction.

 

Job done.

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Excellent!

 

That's pretty much what I thought (and hoped!) was required, so thank you Mike (and others) for spending the time to look at this, and provide the information.

 

Jules

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