Charlton Lane Level Crossing

[traingeek97]

I passed Charlton Lane Level Crossing today and it looked like there was still an operator in a hut next to the crossing. Is it still manned 24/7? If it is, how is this staffed? Is it a signaller who’s responsible for operating the crossing?

 

[Lucy1501]

The crossing box is indeed still open, staffed by a crossing keeper operational 24/7. It was downgraded from being a full on signal box in the 70s and is believed to be the closest manned level crossing to London.

It still contains a lever frame, “slotting” London Bridge’s signals; meaning London Bridge cannot clear its signals over the crossing unless the crossing keeper releases the slot.

When a train passes over certain track circuits on the approach to the crossing an annunciator sounds in the box informing the crossing keeper the gates need to be closed.

The crossing keeper closes the crossing, checks that it is clear, and reverses the appropriate levers (2 for down trains, 3 for up trains) to clear the signals. If all is well the signals should be cleared in time for the train to not get a cautionary aspect and not need to slow down on the approach.

There are a few boxes like this in the country, a relic from when CCTV and obstacle detection were not as readily available for resignalling projects. Budget concerns and signaller workload are the main barriers to abolishing them, much to the delight of the crossing keepers!

 

[John Webb]

Another factor is the short distance to the A206 Woolwich Road on the north side of the crossing - the crossing keeper can keep a better eye on any build-up of traffic which might occur than a CCTV system could.

Closing the crossing is a bit problematic - to the west there is Charlton Church Lane crossing on a bridge about 600m away; to the east some 750m away the railway is crossed by a bridge at Prospect Vale onto an awkward junction with Woolwich Church Street, so the alternatives are not convenient - and there is absolutely no room to put a bridge in! (I speak as a former Woolwich resident.)

 

[Mikey C]

Another factor is the short distance to the A206 Woolwich Road on the north side of the crossing - the crossing keeper can keep a better eye on any build-up of traffic which might occur than a CCTV system could.

Closing the crossing is a bit problematic - to the west there is Charlton Church Lane crossing on a bridge about 600m away; to the east some 750m away the railway is crossed by a bridge at Prospect Vale onto an awkward junction with Woolwich Church Street, so the alternatives are not convenient - and there is absolutely no room to put a bridge in! (I speak as a former Woolwich resident.)

Yes, the crossing is between tightly packed housing and the steeply rising hill with Maryan Park on it.

I had no idea that hut was manned, I'd assumed it was an empty hut that they'd never bothered removing after automating, but it makes sense that the crossing needs to be manned!

 

[traingeek97]

The crossing box is indeed still open, staffed by a crossing keeper operational 24/7. It was downgraded from being a full on signal box in the 70s and is believed to be the closest manned level crossing to London.

It still contains a lever frame, “slotting” London Bridge’s signals; meaning London Bridge cannot clear its signals over the crossing unless the crossing keeper releases the slot.

When a train passes over certain track circuits on the approach to the crossing an annunciator sounds in the box informing the crossing keeper the gates need to be closed.

The crossing keeper closes the crossing, checks that it is clear, and reverses the appropriate levers (2 for down trains, 3 for up trains) to clear the signals. If all is well the signals should be cleared in time for the train to not get a cautionary aspect and not need to slow down on the approach.

There are a few boxes like this in the country, a relic from when CCTV and obstacle detection were not as readily available for resignalling projects. Budget concerns and signaller workload are the main barriers to abolishing them, much to the delight of the crossing keepers!

Another factor is the short distance to the A206 Woolwich Road on the north side of the crossing - the crossing keeper can keep a better eye on any build-up of traffic which might occur than a CCTV system could.

Closing the crossing is a bit problematic - to the west there is Charlton Church Lane crossing on a bridge about 600m away; to the east some 750m away the railway is crossed by a bridge at Prospect Vale onto an awkward junction with Woolwich Church Street, so the alternatives are not convenient - and there is absolutely no room to put a bridge in! (I speak as a former Woolwich resident.)

Thank you for taking the time to reply. It did strike me as almost out of place for the area when I drove over it.

 

[Gloster]

The wooden former signal box, if it hasn’t been replaced by something more modern, dates from March 1894 and was reduced to a Ground Frame from 14 March 1970. The box is a Saxby & Farmer Type 12a and, at least in 2009, still had its original Saxby & Farmer 7 lever frame.

Source: Signal Box Register, Volume 4: Southern Region (Signalling Record Society, 2009).

 

[43066]

It still contains a lever frame, “slotting” London Bridge’s signals; meaning London Bridge cannot clear its signals over the crossing unless the crossing keeper releases the slot.

“London Bridge” now being Three Bridges workstations rather than the PSB, of course! It’s great to see things like this still around… Adds character to an increasingly bland railway.

 

[John Webb]

The wooden former signal box, if it hasn’t been replaced by something more modern, dates from March 1894 and was reduced to a Ground Frame from 14 March 1970. The box is a Saxby & Farmer Type 12a and, at least in 2009, still had its original Saxby & Farmer 7 lever frame.

Source: Signal Box Register, Volume 4: Southern Region (Signalling Record Society, 2009).

Google street views from last year show the wooden box is still there.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Last time I was there (2018) it still had mechanical bell

 

[TrenHotel]

The bell's still there - it recently had its bridge renewed too. Until about 15 years ago it had an old "Railway Executive" warning people of passing trains.

 

[zwk500]

Closing the crossing is a bit problematic - to the west there is Charlton Church Lane crossing on a bridge about 600m away; to the east some 750m away the railway is crossed by a bridge at Prospect Vale onto an awkward junction with Woolwich Church Street, so the alternatives are not convenient - and there is absolutely no room to put a bridge in! (I speak as a former Woolwich resident.)

There's a footbridge at the crossing and an underpass at Prospect walk, or the park itself for foot/cycle traffic, and sending traffic round to Charlton Church Lane or Prospect Vale would not be a bad thing for discouraging more local trips.

 

[TrenHotel]

There's a footbridge at the crossing and an underpass at Prospect walk, or the park itself for foot/cycle traffic, and sending traffic round to Charlton Church Lane or Prospect Vale would not be a bad thing for discouraging more local trips.

The underpass at Prospect Walk is a pretty grim place. There is a footbridge on the east side of Maryon Park, but that whole area is closed at present as the estate is being redeveloped.

There has been some thought about closing the Charlton Lane/Woolwich Road junction to enable a segregated cycle lane, but there is still a turning for a small council estate in between between the level crossing and Woolwich Road that would need to be accessed somehow. I suspect access to Charlton Athletic's ground for emergency vehicles would also be an issue - it's a funny area with roads that are often either very narrow or very steep.