Level crossing queiry

[colinjamesporter]

Hi all,

I am building a double track level crossing on my br 1950's/1960s layout but have a few quierys.

1. Does anyone know of any prototype shots?2.How wide should the road section crossing the line be?

3. Would the crossing itself be planked for easy maintenance.?

4. Am i rigjt in thinking the riad should be level with the top of the rails and not slope down from the track?

Thanks for help in advance.

Best wishes

Colin

[Fat Controller]

I suspect the road would be a narrow, or wide, as it needed to be- the relevant width would be accounted for in the arrangement of the gates. I'm fairly certain that the crossing would normally be timbered, with the timbering extending to the outside ends of the sleepers on either side. The road did sometimes rise, very slightly, on the approach to the rails, with the rail head being level with the top of the timbering.

I can't think of any specific sites to look at, but you could try trawling through these ones:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/sets/

[bigherb]

As FC says it depends on the location the main thing is the gates would have to be wide enough to be able to block off both the the road width and the permanent way. A narrow country lane might open out at the level crossing if it was crossing a double track. As for ramps anything could happen as mother earth is never as flat as a base board if the track was slightly higher than to surrounding countryside then their would be ramps up to track level, it just fitted into the terrain like this.

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

It gets interesting, and bumpy, when two tracks are canted for a curve.

[bigherb]

It gets interesting, and bumpy, when two tracks are canted for a curve.

That one is, Years ago I had to recover a Ford Cortina towing a caravan from just past that level crossing, He came down the hill so fast when he hit the crossing the caravan pushed the boot down 6" lower than the rest of the car.

[Bruciethefish]

I know that level crossing well, just near Mountfield in Sussex... In my youth, I used to jump my Triumph Bonneville over it without ever touching the rails.....  

[Oldddudders]

I know that level crossing well, just near Mountfield in Sussex... In my youth, I used to jump my Triumph Bonneville over it without ever touching the rails.....  

Yes, Battle Road barriers!

 

Back to the OP - level crossings were, as has been said, pretty much a compromise, so a crossing like Betchworth, where the road was on a distinct downslope from Pebblecombe, was really quite a drop or climb according to direction. Even today, with a modern crossing installation replacing the sleeper baulks, this pic shows the level dipping to meet track needs.

 

http://www.semgonline.com/location/pics/gb_betchworth-3.jpg

 

Don't forget that in almost every case, the railway was there first - the road would have been a much more primitive affair prior to the motor car's needs emerging in the C20.

 

If modelling a crossing, it is generally a good idea to make sure that the infill in the 4' way is fractionally lower than the running rail, so any sagging couplings don't undo your hard work.

[28XX]

Here is a shot of Oakham showing the timber baulks which make up the road surface. 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/loose_grip_99/308740578/

 

Note the guard rails and the counter bores which accommodate the fixing bolts.  There appear to be 4 across each the track, probably of 12" nominal width.

[28XX]

Meanwhile, further oop North, we find stone setts infill, except boarding where the point rods / signal wires run through, and a few setts which have been replaced with tarmac.

 

Go to Post #12

 

 

 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/46416-midland-region/

[stewartingram]

This talk of LC reminds me - does anyone have a good pic of the ould gates at Offord & Buckden sation LC? Still there today of course but just as Offord crossing with full barriers.

In the old days there were gates outside the DS & DF tracks, as expected. These were always used. In addition, inside these were gates between the DS/DF and US/UF. Though normally used as well, sometimes if only atrain was on the slow line, the outer gates would be the only ones used.

Each gate consisted actually of 2 gates, pivoted at the roadside end, so there were a total of8 gates here. All mechanically controlled by a wheel in the signal box between the DS/DF lines.

My grandad stopped here many times with me, trainspotting in the latter days of steam then early diesels, I would love to get a decent pic of the LC preferably from the west road side.

Just west of the crossing was Buckden Mill (now yuppie flats?) which was once served by rail. I remember tracks in the road here from the long abandoned tramway. I believe it closed when the bridge collapsed, killing the motive power! (a horse).

 

Stewart

[colinjamesporter]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Best wishes

Colin