Examples of unique level crossings?

D6130 · 23 May 2025

david l said:
Ramsbottom on the East Lancs Railway has full manual wheel-controlled gates, but also has part time (for when the railway is operating) traffic signals.

Already quoted up thread! (Post #76).

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david l · 23 May 2025

D6130 said:
Already quoted up thread! (Post #76).

Apologies. Didn't see it despite following the thread!!!

JonathanH · 23 May 2025

The level crossing at Garve must have one of the smallest angles between rail and road. A very long gap between barriers for a single track line.

John Webb · 24 May 2025

JonathanH said:
The level crossing at Garve must have one of the smallest angles between rail and road. A very long gap between barriers for a single track line.

At least the train driver easily gets to see the road signals are working!
And are the flangeways filled with something that allows the railway wheel flanges to pass but gives an almost level surface to road traffic?

Dave W · 28 May 2025

John Webb said:
At least the train driver easily gets to see the road signals are working!
And are the flangeways filled with something that allows the railway wheel flanges to pass but gives an almost level surface to road traffic?

Whatever it is mustn't be all that effective as there is a no cycling and "cyclists dismount" sign on the crossing - standard procedure for crossings like this when I was riding regularly was to time it so I could join the primary position in the main line of traffic, use the safety of cars around me to traverse the rails at a near right angle and then regain the secondary position.

Easy on a 30mph road... Less so out in the sticks!

SuspectUsual · 28 May 2025

Dave W said:
Whatever it is mustn't be all that effective as there is a no cycling and "cyclists dismount" sign on the crossing

On the Wensleydale, the (open with lights) crossing on the main road between Bedale and Leeming has warning signs for cyclists, something like “diagonal crossing take care” which I’ve not seen anywhere else

[EDIT] Just went and had a look and the signs say "CYCLISTS BEWARE Diagonal rail tracks ahead"

Boilinthebag · 28 May 2025

Talking of diagonal/angled crossings, there are some strange setups off of the mainline as well. The crossings within Southampton Eastern Docks cross busy roads, albeit within the docks and the one over Central road has 3 strange features; red and white lights for the train driver, a very long, angled road section great for trapping pedestrians and a whistle board ahead of the crossing that is for the open crossing immediately adjacent. Quite a lot going on for one crossing.

Intercity110 · 28 May 2025

Has colraine been mentioned yet? pretty sure there’s a mini roundabout on that one

GRALISTAIR · 28 May 2025

brad465 said:
Strand road LC in Preston is a notable one I think as the railway curves through the road, rather than the classic perpendicular crossing. When I cycled LEJOG in 2021, the organisers sent us over this crossing, and at least one of the group came off (fortunately not seriously harmed), as a result of its unusual shape.

cool110 said:
Go further down the line and you have the opposite at swing bridge, where the road turns onto the railway.

Preston is my home town in the UK. Glad someone mentioned these. I was going to.

Falcon1200 · 28 May 2025

JonathanH said:
The level crossing at Garve must have one of the smallest angles between rail and road. A very long gap between barriers for a single track line.

And in complete contrast to preferred practice, the level crossing at Garve replaced a bridge! Surely an unusual, if not unique, example.

DelW · Friday at 10:15

stadler said:
There are a small handful of level crossings that still have bells instead of alarms. These days 99% use the standard yodalarm alarm sounds but a few with bells still exist.
---
Farncombe (Bourne Road) Surrey
---
These level crossings with bells are certainly getting very rare these days. I would imagine that within five or ten years all of these will be replaced with alarms.

DelW said:
Farncombe signal box is due to be replaced under the current resignalling scheme, (over)due for commissioning later this year. This presumably includes updating the Farncombe level crossings, so the bells may not be in use much longer.

Having waited for a train at Bourne Road level crossing in Farncombe yesterday, I can confirm that it has an electronic warble, not a bell to be heard.

Ian79 · Friday at 11:43

There are a few (so not totally unique) MCB level crossings where there is almost no vehicle traffic, but loads of pedestrians due to a road having been pedestrianised. Both Poole and Lincoln High Street crossings are like this and feel very odd to use as you can walk across the railway in the middle of the road, I'm not sure whether there are others.

Another unusual crossing is at Welton (near Hull). There is a full spec MCB-OD crossing for what's possibly not even a public road, only a bumpy track used to access a fishing lake and a water sports centre. It replaced a manned gate which looked more like a user worked crossing and was normally left closed to road users. It had a "doorbell" type arrangement to ask the signaller to come out and open the gate if you wanted to drive through. I think there are plans for housing on both sides of the railway down there, which would possibly explain spending large amounts on the crossing upgrade as the road would get quite a few more users at that point.

D6130 · Friday at 13:43

Ian79 said:
There are a few (so not totally unique) MCB level crossings where there is almost no vehicle traffic, but loads of pedestrians due to a road having been pedestrianised. Both Poole and Lincoln High Street crossings are like this and feel very odd to use as you can walk across the railway in the middle of the road, I'm not sure whether there are others.

Another unusual crossing is at Welton (near Hull). There is a full spec MCB-OD crossing for what's possibly not even a public road, only a bumpy track used to access a fishing lake and a water sports centre. It replaced a manned gate which looked more like a user worked crossing and was normally left closed to road users. It had a "doorbell" type arrangement to ask the signaller to come out and open the gate if you wanted to drive through. I think there are plans for housing on both sides of the railway down there, which would possibly explain spending large amounts on the crossing upgrade as the road would get quite a few more users at that point.

Is that the crossing that used to lead to the now-demolished Cappagh works?

Ashley Hill · Friday at 14:18

Brittania Crossing on the Kingswear line leads directly to the Dartmouth Higher Ferry ramp.

Photo Google Maps

Sun Chariot · Friday at 15:19

Ashley Hill said:
Brittania Crossing on the Kingswear line leads directly to the Dartmouth Higher Ferry ramp.
View attachment 181881
Photo Google Maps

That takes me back. My father used that for the family car, crossing the Dart, in the mid 1970s

4COR · Friday at 15:42

Ashley Hill said:
Brittania Crossing on the Kingswear line leads directly to the Dartmouth Higher Ferry ramp.
View attachment 181881
Photo Google Maps

Are there any other instances of a train delaying a ferry? (The ferry waits at the slipway for cars to disembark/embark)

unlevel42 · Sunday at 09:42

A sliding level crossing at The Keadby (Vazon) Sliding Railway Bridge also carries a canal towpath that crosses the railway.
The towpath in yellow and slides with the bridge. The bottom towpath across the tracks does not move, but cannot be used when the bridge slides to let canal traffic through. Instead the other level crossing now slides into place and the gates open at each end allowing the towpath to be used again. As with many others, the towpath is not a public right of way but is used by the public.

Network-Rail-Vazon-sliding-bridge-Keadby-Lincolnshire.jpg

The photo is from an article in New Civil Engineer

Network Rail undertakes urgent repairs to unique sliding railway bridge over Lincolnshire canal

05 Aug, 2024

43055 · Sunday at 16:03

4COR said:
Are there any other instances of a train delaying a ferry? (The ferry waits at the slipway for cars to disembark/embark)

Lymington's Wigthlink terminal has a second slipway which leads to the berth adjacent to the Lymington Pier platform so if used cars would have to cross the tracks. I'm not sure how often it has been used since the 'Wight' Class vessels arrived around 15 years ago.

Belperpete · Sunday at 19:13

JonathanH said:
The level crossing at Garve must have one of the smallest angles between rail and road. A very long gap between barriers for a single track line.

What about Britannia Bridge crossing on the WHR? The railway runs parallel with the road on one approach.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Sunday at 19:17 ==

Meerkat said:
That’s really mad as there are several houses inside the barriers, which appear to have their own wig wag facing them on the other side of the road!

You can get a good aerial view of Harlech crossing from the castle.

Penrhyn on the FR is another example of a crossing that has houses and parked cars inside the crossing, it this is gated.

Britannia Bridge crossing on the WHR has four road approaches, with lights.

AndrewE · Sunday at 19:28

Belperpete said:
What about Britannia Bridge crossing on the WHR? The railway runs parallel with the road on one approach.

See posts #31 and 32!

Revilo · Monday at 20:57

Golant level crossing on the Fowey branch in Cornwall also crosses a slipway into the river.

Belperpete · Tuesday at 18:31

On the Isle of Man there is an automatic crossing that has flashing yellows instead of flashing reds, described in this thread:
Heritage railways with modern signalling/level crossings

Examples of unique level crossings?

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Network Rail undertakes urgent repairs to unique sliding railway bridge over Lincolnshire canal​

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Network Rail undertakes urgent repairs to unique sliding railway bridge over Lincolnshire canal