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Echo 36 – 59 minutes
Welcome to episode 36 of Echo Romeo Kilo One One. In this episode, Erk is on location at the Garfield Road level crossing adjoining Riverstone railway station. He later moves to the Level Crossing Road level crossing between Vineyard and Mulgrave railway stations.
Erk talks about some of the history of the Richmond line. Also learn about some of the development of level crossings over time as trains have got faster, longer and heavier. Of course over time, the amount of road traffic has exploded as well.
While Erk moves between level crossings, there is a public service announcement that was a part of a recent anti-trespass and level crossing safety here in NSW (source: NSW Level Crossing Strategy website).
Further reading:
NSW Level Crossing Strategy Council
Above – Me posing at the Level Crossing Road level crossing.
Above – Lights and boomgate, Level Crossing Road level crossing.
Above – a Richmond bound train arrives at Riverstone
Above – A city bound train departs Riverstone.
Above – A Richmond bound train arrives at Riverstone.
Above – A citybound train speeds through the Level Crossing Road level crossing.
Above – A Richmond bound train speeds through the Level Crossing Road level crossing.
5 Comments
January 4, 2009 at 20:38
Erk,
Couple of things, the level crossing activates twice due to the automatic nature of the crossing and the configuration of the signalling at Riverstone, not because of Garfield Rd traffic.
The current plan for the Richmond line is Stage 1: Duplication to Schofields and Stage 2 being Duplication to Vineyard.
In the latest state mini-budget, stage 2 was ’shelved’ but Stage 1 is underway with plans being displayed on the wall at my place of work.
The last gatekeeper was replaced only a few years ago, she was employed in Tamworth.
Level Crossings on the Richmond and of the South lines are actually automatically controlled by track circuits not remotely controlled by the Signaller.
Manual level crossings include: Merewether St Newcastle, Hannel St Wickham, Beaumont St Hamilton, Parramatta Rd Rosehill. At these locations the signaller manually activates the gates before clearing the signal. The signal will NOT clear until the interlocking is satisfied the level crossing is working according.
You would be able to put an underpass in at Riverstone, similar to the one near Windsor.
LOL, believe it or not theives steal the boom gates!
Cheers!
Druey
Da Novemba Advencha
January 4, 2009 at 22:26
Thanks for the added comments and info, Drue!
January 14, 2009 at 18:44
I was sitting at my dining room table while listening to this on the computer, from across the room. When te first sounds of the level crossing came up, I thought for a moment it was coming from the crossing nearby where I live. The table is near a window, which was open.
Then I realized it was coming from your podcast.
February 16, 2009 at 02:07
i dident comment yet OMG
good podcast.. i forget some of it
but it was enjoyable…
Shawno: i think you forgot you even had a podcast on Duh
March 16, 2009 at 06:06
Train noises! Yay!
I found it interesting that some girl decided to try and get across the tracks after the alarms were going off to indicate a train was coming…. as you just happened to be recording a podcast about that same subject.
Great show!