Dalfaber Level crossing.
16/02/2023
By Robert Law
All work within the S&T department is currently focused on Dalfaber level crossing. With lots of progress being made. With the commissioning date becoming ever closer, we are still on target for completion before the beginning of the running season in early March.
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| Moving on from the last report, only the barrier pedestals had been installed. This is the Down side barrier arm being installed. |
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| Work completed and barrier raised to allow cars to pass safely again. |
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| Impossible to get both flashing red pedestrian lights in one picture, but both are working when being tested on the Down side of the crossing. |
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| Again this time on the Up side, both red pedestrian lights being tested. |
The next part to be installed was the track circuits. There are three in total, that work through the crossing. One to the North. One over the road deck. Then the last one to the South of the crossing. All three work together to control the crossing. When to turn the crossing on, when the train is clear and the crossing can turn off. The next few pictures shows the work that has been done on the line side.
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| The North end “Strike in point. This is the remote end of the track circuit. With two strike in treadles. These are a redundancy to insure that if the train has rubber wheels or the wheels are missing on one side of the train? The crossing will still turn on. |
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| The North side Strike out treadle. It’s job, turn off the crossing once the train has cleared the crossings from the South. |
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| The feed end of the North track circuit and one end of the track circuit over the road deck. |
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| The feed of the South track circuit and the other end of the track circuit over the road deck. |
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| The south side Strike out treadle. This turns off the crossing once the train has cleared the crossing from the North. Still a bit of work to be completed on the cable route. |
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| The remote end of the track circuit to the South of the crossing. With the two treadle to insure that the crossing turns on. When the train has rubber wheels or there is heavy rail head contamination. |
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| The Up divers Plunger. In the event of the train stopping and the crossing timing out. The driver of the train can restart the crossing. Making it safe for the train to cross the road. |
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| Both the Up and Down drivers indicators have been installed. Including the road floodlights that are behind the divers indicator. Yes this work was completed before the driver plunger was installed. |
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| To meet the new requirement set out in the design of the crossing by the ORR. This is the barrier cages that are required to be installed. Protecting everyone from the moving parts. Soon to be installed on NR crossings as well. |
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| On the Down side of the crossing the barrier cage has also been installed. |
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| A view inside the equipment room. This is the brains of the crossing. Controlling and monitoring everything that happens outside. Still a few cables left to be transferred over from the temporary location cabinets outside. That are currently controlling the road lights for when a train currently needs to travel across the road. |
This has been a lot of work, that has been completed by a dedicated few. Sacrificing annual leave and leisure family time for the railway. Ensuring that the railway is ready for the future, meeting all the modern standards that are required to be upheld on a “heritage” railway. If anyone has time to spare and would like to help with this project and others to come, please get in contact through the railways website!
