What is this sign for at a level crossing?

[Paul180]

Hi I have been wondering what this sign is for it is next to Chilworth station level crossing towards Guildford.

 

[Dunnideer]

It’s for road users pulling out of the junction at Sampleoak Lane, to try and prevent them driving straight up the railway. see the attached screenshot from Google Streetview:

 

[GB]

What idiot thought that was a good location for a plant pot?

 

[mmh]

What idiot thought that was a good location for a plant pot?

It's to make drivers give way at right angles, and not cut across the hatches and make their left turn right down the railway line.

Satnavs do not make such junctions better, and sometimes the easiest approach is to physically block drivers from blindly following them.

 

[Gloster]

So that is what it looks like now. Other than the equipment hut on what was then a bit of hard standing and blinds in the old signal box, it doesn’t seem to have changed much since I spent several hours manning the barriers on a cold and misty morning in 1978. Of course it was immaculately kept then, that being one of my jobs.

 

[ComUtoR]

sharp deviation sign - Google Search

A Sharp Deviation to the [direction] Often seen on roundabouts (link is to google search)

 

[erk]

What idiot thought that was a good location for a plant pot?

A pedestrian?

 

[MarkyT]

A pedestrian?

Indeed. I think there would be an overwhelming desire in some drivers to cut that corner otherwise, and the planter makes it impossible without damaging their vehicles.

 

[edwin_m]

It also means that anyone driving up to the give way line and avoiding the planter has the crossing lights in their direct line of sight. If it wasn't there, all the lights would be only in peripheral vision for anyone cutting the corner, and the initial steady amber in particular might be easy to miss.

 

[GB]

It also means that anyone driving up to the give way line and avoiding the planter has the crossing lights in their direct line of sight. If it wasn't there, all the lights would be only in peripheral vision for anyone cutting the corner, and the initial steady amber in particular might be easy to miss.

That’s what the second set of lights across the road are for. I get it stops cutting corners but if you are driving a long wheel base vehicle or a lorry then that makes it a lot more awkward.

 

[John Webb]

What idiot thought that was a good location for a plant pot?

A look on Google shows this to be, in effect, the end of a 'lay-by' outside the former station main building. The hatching and planters, presumably, is to ensure only one line of traffic approaches the road junction and level crossing.

 

[WesternBiker]

Indeed. I think there would be an overwhelming desire in some drivers to cut that corner otherwise, and the planter makes it impossible without damaging their vehicles.

But the planter isn't going to be very visible at night, nor would it survive an encounter with a heavy truck. Why not a proper reflective bollard/sign??

 

[swt_passenger]

If there is that much of a risk of traffic heading along the tracks accidentally they could close that road completely, but it would probably be easier to just make it one way heading away from the level crossing.

 

[Gloster]

If there is that much of a risk of traffic heading along the tracks accidentally they could close that road completely, but it would probably be easier to just make it one way heading away from the level crossing.

If my recollection is correct, it would result in quite a long diversion for vehicles visiting either Chilworth village or wanting to use the main road towards Albury. There might not be a lot of through traffic, but there is probably a lot of local traffic.

 

[swt_passenger]

If my recollection is correct, it would result in quite a long diversion for vehicles visiting either Chilworth village or wanting to use the main road towards Albury. There might not be a lot of through traffic, but there is probably a lot of local traffic.

I just meant close the 30m long angled road next to the station building, not the main road perpendicular to the tracks.

 

[WesternBiker]

There seems to be a small lane serving housing on the right, immediately after the level crossing, obscured by bushes and trees. So presumably all the signage is to prevent people turning right onto the tracks, 20ft too soon. I presume someone must have done this at some point...?

 

[edwin_m]

That’s what the second set of lights across the road are for. I get it stops cutting corners but if you are driving a long wheel base vehicle or a lorry then that makes it a lot more awkward.

The lights are apparently in the line of sight as a driver approaches the junction. But at that stage they would be concentrating on the junction itself, and the lights might only illuminate after they've reached the line.

Drivers of large vehicles need to be competent in handling them, including checking it is safe to swing over to the wrong side of the road when necessary. If such a vehicle made this turn without the planter there and tried to keep on their side of the line, then they'd probably clip the warning lights to the left.

 

[Davester50]

What idiot thought that was a good location for a plant pot?

It's on Streetview from as far back as 2009!

 

[Dunnideer]

There seems to be a small lane serving housing on the right, immediately after the level crossing, obscured by bushes and trees. So presumably all the signage is to prevent people turning right onto the tracks, 20ft too soon. I presume someone must have done this at some point...?

Yeah that happened in 2016. Don’t think it has since.

 

[Paul180]

Yeah that happened in 2016. Don’t think it has since.

I was wondering if this was the case but didn't release it had happened there.

 

[samulih]

What idiot thought that was a good location for a plant pot?

way to slow down drivers is to make the turn tighter, without pot it is easy to go hard to turn.

 

[Egg Centric]

way to slow down drivers is to make the turn tighter, without pot it is easy to go hard to turn.

Have you ever driven a longer vehicle? Even a long wheelbase van?

 

[Spartacus]

In something long wheelbase, even a long van, you'd probably want to be positioning your vehicle on the right hand side of the road there, so when the barriers raise, and Mrs Bucket in her Rover comes across the other way wanting to turn right, she'll be pig headed enough to see you're on the wrong side of the road, and insist you move instead of making the shortest diversion in the history of diversions by going the 'long' way around the triangle, oblivious to the vehicles behind her on the crossing who never expected someone that pig headed to be on the road there. You can't proceed forward forward as you still need to swing over the other side of the road due to the ruddy planter but can't because of the vehicles Bucket is holding up, while concerned about the vehicles now behind you, having picked up people who just got off the train. Mexican stand-off, until the lights start flashing again.

 

[WesternBiker]

In something long wheelbase, even a long van, you'd probably want to be positioning your vehicle on the right hand side of the road there, so when the barriers raise, and Mrs Bucket in her Rover comes across the other way wanting to turn right...

Pronounced "Bouquet", of course...

 

[LAX54]

Wonder how many plant pots they go through a month, reckon the local NR Manager has an account at the Garden Centre !