Trivia: busiest British street divided by an operational level crossing?

[robert thomas]

At least there is an overbridge at Paignton. At many other stations, there is neither a lift/subway/underpass or overbridge, so, once the LC barriers have come down, you're going to be waiting, and if you're on the "wrong" side for your train, you're likely to have missed it.

For some reason the station overbridge is shut with metal mesh barriers at 16.30

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For some reason the overbridge is shut with metal mesh barriers at 16.30

So, around the time of the last departure of the afternoon (from Paignton) on the Dartmouth Steam Railway?

 

[apk55]

Navigation Road deserves a mention. While the road is not too busy it is a well used residential feeder road with schools in the vicinity so there is a steady stream of traffic throughout the day.
However the railway and Tramway crossing it are very busy. It is actually two independent single track railways one for the trams and one for the railway.
Trams run every 6 minuets during the day and the railway has an hourly train service plus a lot of heavy freight trains (probably more numerous than the passenger trains.)
On several occasions I have seen two trains and 4 trams go past before the barriers are lifted

 

[Belperpete]

I have seen ambulances with 'blues and twos' going held at the crossing while a train has approached, stopped for passengers and left again!

What makes all this so much worse is that the crossing is controlled by the signal box on site, not remotely where less observation of the on-site situation is possible!

Once the signaller has cleared the signal, it is not a quick job to reopen the crossing for a waiting ambulance. He would have to replace the signal, wait several minutes for the interlocking to time out, and check that the driver was aware that the signal had been replaced. Probably quicker to just let the train leave.

 

[BayPaul]

For some reason the station overbridge is shut with metal mesh barriers at 16.30

I suspect there are no more trains using platform 1 after this time. Almost everything uses platform 2 in any case. And this doesn't impact the level crossing, as the public (non station) footbridge does not close.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Once the signaller has cleared the signal, it is not a quick job to reopen the crossing for a waiting ambulance. He would have to replace the signal, wait several minutes for the interlocking to time out, and check that the driver was aware that the signal had been replaced. Probably quicker to just let the train leave.

I've seen this at North Sheen, twice (except they were police rather than ambulance). Police car went down the wrong side of the road (empty of course as when the barriers are closed nothing will be coming that way) and waited at the crossing, still on the wrong side of the road, to be first over when tghe barriers eventually raised. It would seem the signallers were aware they were there as the barriers were raised after only one train had passed (usually you get two or even three) and I noticed the yellow light came on again very promptly after the police car had passed over.

 

[Belperpete]

I've seen this at North Sheen, twice (except they were police rather than ambulance). Police car went down the wrong side of the road (empty of course as when the barriers are closed nothing will be coming that way) and waited at the crossing, still on the wrong side of the road, to be first over when tghe barriers eventually raised. It would seem the signallers were aware they were there as the barriers were raised after only one train had passed (usually you get two or even three) and I noticed the yellow light came on again very promptly after the police car had passed over.

I wonder how the signaller was aware. With CCTV crossings of that era, the CCTV normally turns off once the barriers are down and Crossing Clear has been pressed, and then automatically raise after the train. The crossings between Barnes and Richmond used to be controlled from a separate crossing keepers desk in Barnes box, not sure where now.

 

[Eskimo]

Not a well-trodden route by pedestrians, but a street nonetheless - the infamous Tallington Crossing?

With the timing/distance that the barriers are triggered, and presumably an extended overlap time for a second or third train, the amount of tailbacks and queues of vehicles is immense.

I was at the near by lakes a few years back, and traversed the crossing seamlessly on the way there, but I was stopped for over 10 minutes on the return. 4 trains passed before the barriers rose again, only for them to lower within a minute for a 5th train.

Never has a ‘Queues Likely’ road sign been so modest.

 

[godfreycomplex]

I wonder how the signaller was aware. With CCTV crossings of that era, the CCTV normally turns off once the barriers are down and Crossing Clear has been pressed, and then automatically raise after the train. The crossings between Barnes and Richmond used to be controlled from a separate crossing keepers desk in Barnes box, not sure where now.

Wimbledon ASC, panel 5

All cameras on CCTV crossings in the UK can be manually turned on if needed

Also back when it existed, Feltham West crossing could certainly go toe to toe with Lincoln for volumes (and was even worse in terms of misuse!)

 

[norbitonflyer]

Wimbledon ASC, panel 5

All cameras on CCTV crossings in the UK can be manually turned on if needed

But how would they know if it was needed in this case (ambulance arriving at gates)? Perhaps the emergency services have a hotline to Network Rail? Or the signaller has to check the crossing before deciding whether to clear the signals for a second train?

 

[godfreycomplex]

But how would they know if it was needed in this case (ambulance arriving at gates)? Perhaps the emergency services have a hotline to Network Rail? Or the signaller has to check the crossing before deciding whether to clear the signals for a second train?

The emergency services can certainly contact Network Rail, but, for various reasons, the cameras are often on more than they're off so it's quite easy for the signaller to spot. Blue lights can be seen on camera even when the vehicle emitting them is some distance away, so it's easily noticeable.

 

[norbitonflyer]

The emergency services can certainly contact Network Rail, but, for various reasons, the cameras are often on more than they're off so it's quite easy for the signaller to spot.

But a poster higher up said the cameras (or at least the monitors screens in the signalbox) are usually off once the barriers are down.

 

[godfreycomplex]

But a poster higher up said the cameras (or at least the monitors screens in the signalbox) are usually off once the barriers are down.

I don’t think a ten thousand word essay from me around crossing camera strike in points, and assorted ancillary topics, would be a good use of the forum’s bandwidth, but suffice to say both of those things can be true in parallel on busy panels