Double railway line crossing

[strange6]

Hi

There is a section of line somewhere in the country that is known as a railway railway level crossing; it's unique in that it has two by two sections of track that cross each other perpendicular (so the layout looks like a perfect + ). Does anybody know where it is please?

 

[asylumxl]

Newark

 

[generalvegitable]

Newark
edit: damn it

 

[PinzaC55]

You are probably thinking of the crossing just north of Newark Northgate on the ECML?

 

[strange6]

Thanks guys! Got it!

http://www.signalbox.org/gallery/e/newarkcrossing.php

Fascinating piece of track.

Also live HST ride going over it here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEqieTcay5g&playnext=1&list=PLA104C39B601E3ED3

 

[MidnightFlyer]

One at Retford, just south of the station where the ECML/Sheffield-Lincoln cross was replaced by a diveunder in the 60s. Newark Flat Crossing was under threat to be replaced but never occured - it really does bugger up the ECML and Lincoln-Nottingham lines!

 

[driver9000]

I believe there used to be one at Retford until HSTs came along and it was rebuilt as a fly under.

Edit: Beaten to that one!

It's a shame the BBC Railwatch HST cab ride actually misses out the moment the train passes over it, all you get is Driver Swaby easing off for the speed restriction over it.

 

[strange6]

The amount of railway knowledge on these forums is very impressive! Pity that box was closed in 1981; I bet it was a wonderful place to work in.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I think the Newark removal was only recently discussed too - maybe three or four years ago just after the closure of Barkston Curve at Grantham? That was sacrificed to get paths for a half-hourly Leeds-London GNER service, but I reckon removing the FC would remove a good six mins of non-ECML use an hour!

 

[Oswyntail]

I believe there used to be one at Retford until HSTs came along and it was rebuilt as a fly under.....

Surely removed WAY before HSTs? I seem to remember the two levels being there in '67ish

 

[strange6]

I believe there used to be one at Retford until HSTs came along and it was rebuilt as a fly under.

Edit: Beaten to that one!

It's a shame the BBC Railwatch HST cab ride actually misses out the moment the train passes over it, all you get is Driver Swaby easing off for the speed restriction over it.

I wonder if it is particularly violent to cross on a 142? (I bet it has some big gaps between those cross points) If the railway pointing at Castleton nr Rochdale is anything to go by, i would imagine it would be.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I wonder if it is particularly violent to cross on a 142? (I bet it has some big gaps between those cross points) If the railway pointing at Castleton nr Rochdale is anything to go by, i would imagine it would be.

Shame only HSTs/91s N/Sbound and 156s/158s/222s W/Ebound ever cross it! In addition to tour stock of course

It is very smooth in real life, apart from a rumble you'd never guess!

 

[driver9000]

Surely removed WAY before HSTs? I seem to remember the two levels being there in '67ish

I wasn't sure, I was once told it was removed when HSTs were being planned for introduction onto the ECML. 1967 is way before my time

 

[Oracle]

Am I totally barmy or isn't there a modern-built level Narrow Gauge crossing Standard Gauge in Wales?

 

[jopsuk]

Shame only HSTs/91s N/Sbound and 156s/158s/222s W/Ebound ever cross it! In addition to tour stock of course

It is very smooth in real life, apart from a rumble you'd never guess!

You forget the 180s...

 

[HugePilchard]

Looking at this one from above it would seem that it's only the ECML that's electrified; does anyone know if a similar thing, but with OLE on both lines exists anywhere? And if so, how does it all work?

 

[matt]

Am I totally barmy or isn't there a modern-built level Narrow Gauge crossing Standard Gauge in Wales?

Yep the Welsh Highland crosses the Cambrian line on the level.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I wonder if it is particularly violent to cross on a 142? (I bet it has some big gaps between those cross points)

Not really. I cross it regularly and while its very visible, there's hardly and sense of a jolt. The gap which the wheel crosses is very short in relation to the wheel diameter, and the vertical element perpendicular to that gap is (I think) only 3-5mm. On a high speed twin-axle bogie, then there is almost nothing transmitted to the chassis. Add to that the inertial mass of the coach and perhaps you can see why there's no noticeable jolt.

The reduction in linespeed to 100 for the crossing may be (I don't know) more to do with reducing track wear than maintaining stability of trains; I believe that the 10 or so tons per axle at 100mph will have so much foward momentum that even gravity's 9.8m/2 isn't going to pull it down those few mms to fully occupy the drop. ie At the 125mph linespeed which applies either side of the crossing, a wheelset will not fall into that gap.

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

They are common abroad, seen one in Netherlands near Haarlem I think.

 

[mumrar]

Am I totally barmy or isn't there a modern-built level Narrow Gauge crossing Standard Gauge in Wales?

Yes, for the Welsh Highland line

 

[Old Timer]

Hi

There is a section of line somewhere in the country that is known as a railway railway level crossing; it's unique in that it has two by two sections of track that cross each other perpendicular (so the layout looks like a perfect + ). Does anybody know where it is please?

Its NOT Newark Flat Crossing, that is at an angle, not at 90 degrees.

The one at Lincoln Pelham Street Jct was as far as I remember at 90 degrees, as was the flat crossing at Bedford St Johns.

The 100 mph restriction is in place to minimise the wear, plus the policy now is for continuous rail/wheel contact above 100 mph, hence a move towards swing nose crossings.

 

[PinzaC55]

The one a Lincoln Pelham Street wasn't anywhere near 90 degrees , particularly since there was a connecting curve on one side of the "X".

I think Pontop Crossing on the Newcastle - Sunderland line was as near to 90 degrees as you could get. It disappeared in about 1983 following closure of Boldon Colliery.

 

[jopsuk]

Looking at this one from above it would seem that it's only the ECML that's electrified; does anyone know if a similar thing, but with OLE on both lines exists anywhere? And if so, how does it all work?

I don't know for sure, but I'd guess that an electrified one, to simplify things, would be a neutral section on all tracks. Not quite sure how the actual crossing of the wires would be handled.

 

[33056]

Yep the Welsh Highland crosses the Cambrian line on the level.

[blatant plug, sorry!]

Pictures here and here (taken from a public footpath before anybody starts shouting )

 

[sprinterguy]

deleted

 

[swt_passenger]

Darlington would have been pretty close to 90 degrees?

 

[dzug2]

Yes, for the Welsh Highland line

But single track though - OP was on about double track