Level crossing wheels

[R. pike]

Thanks for all the replies. I just thought about the subject the other night and knew id get a good explanation on here.

There's a lot more to it yet. If your happy with what's been said i'll stop as it'll save a lot of scanning <G>

[StevieG]

Thanks for all the replies. I just thought about the subject the other night and knew id get a good explanation on here.

There's a lot more to it yet. If your happy with what's been said i'll stop as it'll save a lot of scanning <G>

There is more indeed.
I know little of the technical detail compared to RP, but there could be complications.
One, for example, can be with 4-gated skew crossings, where the one operation of the wheel has to simultaneously make two gates move through an arc of more than 45 degrees, and the other two through an angle of correspondingly less than 45 degrees.

Another might be (though I've never seen one closely enough to study) where a crossing's road is far narrower than the width of the railway. This can be where four gates are provided, on posts at each corner of the crossing, and the gates are of sufficient length to close off the railway when open to road, and which are also so arranged that all close across the road.
These are then designed to overlap each other when closed to road, but I believe that to make this happen, of each pair which had to overlap in that way, one was arranged to reach the closed position before the other, in order to avoid their ends meeting during their swing while closing which would prevent them reaching the fully closed position.

[R. pike]

Here's 20mb worth of free download of booklet 25 from the IRSE. Essential reading and worded far better than i ever could....

http://bookos.org/book/1176006/c8cfd1

[Mickey]

Deleted

[micknich2003]

Taken from a NERegion, S&T training manual. A few photo's to follow.

[PinzaC55]

This has to turned into a very general thread but it may be worth mentioning , in connection with unusual gate arrangements, Ogdens Lane signalbox in Sunderland on the Pallion - Deptford branch http://www.ipernity.com/doc/pinzac55/21761355 Not only was the signalbox unusual in having an internal staircase but the two full width gates were both on the box side of the crossing and didn't meet when they were closed against the railway! In fact there was about a 4 foot gap and on the other side the railway was unprotected from the road.

[thesignalman]

Now I was told this tale by a signalman some years ago; it's probably an urban myth, but I do like it.
On Chinese state railways somewhere, a signalman found the labour of turning the wheel too much, so he hit upon the idea of training a panda (or was it a bear?) to turn the wheel.
All went well until a passing passenger noticed the panda moving about in the 'box, and assumed it had been trained up as a signalman. When this idea got around, it was not universally welcomed....

Possibly the tale has suffered a touch of the "Chinese whispers" - the only one I have heard concerns a baboon pulling levers in South Africa:
http://www.earthfoot.org/lit_zone/signalmn.htm

John

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all
The local crossing in the town had a wheel. However, I'm sure I can remember out on a country branch line, the crossing keeper shutting the gates by hand.
Earlswood nob

[micknich2003]

Sandholme Hull & Barnsley Rly. Arrangment of level crossing gates when railway wider then roadway. 1907 to 1959.

[52D]

Many a time I was held up at Shippea Hill whilst the signalman put on his hiviz and down the cabin steps to open the crossing. I think this box is now closed or due to close pretty soon.

[R. pike]

Shippea closed last year. I will be taking the frame out in the next month or so. There was for a while a very nice signalwoman there too.

[Nick Garnham]

Here's 20mb worth of free download of booklet 25 from the IRSE. Essential reading and worded far better than i ever could....

http://bookos.org/book/1176006/c8cfd1

Hi, I’m very new here, but interested in gate/ road and rail stop interlocking. Sadly the link above is no longer, I wonder if there is an alternative?

The photo above of the interlocking was very interesting. I think there might be variations on the interlocking method, so I wonder if anyone knows about them?

Thanks

[65447]

Many years ago I used to frequent signalboxes between Alnmouth and Chathill, most of these had a level crossing with gates operated by a big metal wheel. I have never seen a diagram how the wheels worked can anyone explain or point me to a relevant drawing or explanation.

Peter Kay's reprint of 'Railway Signal Engineering (Mechanical)' revised edition published 1932, chapter VIII.

Two basic arrangements:

1. The wheel is vertical as per a ship's steering wheel. Rotating the wheel in turn rotates a nut on a threaded rod which either raises or lowers the crank attached to it. If the threaded rod is vertical then the action is direct, if the threaded road is horizontal the motion is first translated to the vertical by a right angle crank. At the bottom end there is another right angle crank which translates the vertical motion from the upper floor to the horizontal rodding to the gates etc. These wheels are usually sited near a window overlooking the crossing.

2. The wheel is mounted in the interlocking frame and is attached to a series of gears that move a toothed ratchet that in turn moves the lever arm and locking mechanism in a manner similar to operating a signal, save the wheel minimises the mechanical effort to effect the movement.

This chapter also contains numerous diagrams showing the various arrangements of cranks and rods that move the crossing gates and the stops that maintain them in the desired position.

[thesignalman]

Most of those on the NER were of the second type (above), being of McKenzie & Holland manufacture.

John