Great Western Coffee Shop

Not seen a crossing like this before....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ho8AzAm9f54

That just has so much OMG on me. The interlocking and proving must be a nightmare - and the failure case in either direction is catastrophic. What are your views?

This reminds me of a video I saw of Sacramento, where a track was temporarily laid across the main operational line to get some stock from sidings across to the California State Railroad Museum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Railroad_Museum).  Did anyone else see that video?

On the original post - I have to wonder why it's not been simplified to a level crossing - after all, if it can be done at Porthmadog and Newark ...

From the video description

As well as Porthmadoc and Newark one other structure came to mind the Keadby Slide Bridge over the Keadby and Stainforth Canal. Interesting geometry the double track line crosses at a skew but pulls back at  a right angle to the canal. it's locked in place by 4 power operated FPLs.

I know non proving works as we were stuck in Scunthorpe yard for 3 hours on the Roxby Music Tour whilst they tried to get all 4 to lock.

I did wonder if it was still there, since the main lines in Queensland are electric and have been for over 20 years. But I have found a more recent video (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi2h9_6u-_oAhVjqHEKHQLJDYYQwqsBMAN6BAgKEA4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-UcbflOnffg&usg=AOvVaw2etZI8hhqjfLAgjEd7R5_P), with OLE, and a better location - it's 2.5 km north-west of Meadowvale. It does seem it's still there.

Thanks STUVING for finding that more up to date video.  Pleased to see that it is protected on the Sugar Cane line, by signals and catch points.  One thing I do like about those railways is the red flag in place of a tail lamp on the last vehicle.  Very quaint  ;D

It'd be nice to see a clip with all those wagons loaded with something!   ;)

And another video - other crossings too - some incredibly long can trains and some that are not empty!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttIyjT7p02w

With the flag where it is nice and high, it can be seen by the loco crew.

On a slightly different theme, here's an unusual shared bridge/level crossing in New Zealand:

https://youtu.be/sstRJcaFU9U

I've traversed that bridge - both on the train and in a 4x4 as part of a tour. The commentary on the train told us about it ;D

https://youtu.be/-hzQtnz2GuE

I saw this one few weeks ago while nosing around in relation to 1950s US diesels.

Thank you - that was the one I was looking for!

The Taieri Gorge Railway is a stunning journey, and well worth the detour to Dunedin if on the South Island.  We also saw on KiwiRail a level crossing that went right through the middle of an average sized  roundabout near Hokitika with two sets of barriers on the roundabout itself. The ORR would have a fit if anyone suggested that here.

The cane railway's pivots sound like they need greasing!

I've been over a bridge like that in NZ but it wasn't the same one. I was in someone's car.

I'd be most bothered about proving in the up position, since the main-line trains as much faster - and carry people. It's not enough to detect the bit near he motor has rotated to the correct position, you also need to know the whole of the rest is still attached. Even small bits of metal dropped off onto the track would be scary. I can't see anything that does that - perhaps some photocell arrangement could do it, mostly at least.

No different to the switch rails on a conventional set of points.  The tips are detected in the correct position but not the remainder of the switch rail unless its over a certain length (usually higher speed turnouts).

Another very unusual level crossing. Seven lane highway crossed by freight trains. No lights, no barriers.

https://youtu.be/u4hed723pd8

And the rather scary idea of road and rail sharing the same tunnel - not side by side, but on the same trackbed.  Does the last car through carry a tail lamp, or is there axle-counting in and out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhbH-hVlHe4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhbH-hVlHe4)

Edit later re relevance to current topic – the road enters the tunnel from the right of the railway, and exits to the left, so my humble submission is that the road is crossing the railway and it is therefore a “railway crossing with a difference” (!)

I think I'm more concerned about the lack of overlap on the cane railway signals protecting the crossing.  The trains look to be unbraked, and although sugar cane is light the trains are long.  I have this vision of a rainy day and the driver applying the loco brakes, the wheels pick up, and the train slides slowly past the signal....

Unfortunately New Zealand does have a number of crossing accidents, but typical Kiwi's they  tend to shrug them off.

Road and rail sharing is something we've come across before ... rather off topic from the origins of this thread though.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20431.msg249578#msg249578

In this case, safety seem to have gone to the other extreme, with the shared section initially closed to road traffic any time a train was in the Strathcarron to Kyle of Lochalsh section - some 20 miles.

I think I said before that there appear to be catch points each side of the crossing on the Sugercane line.