Old level crossings/ manually operated gates

[Stellwerker]

Hello,

I would love to see an old british lever crossing with manually operated gates by myself.
Right now I'm travelling around eastern England in between Newcastle and London.

Can anyone provide me with one or two locations in round about that area, please!
I'm especially looking for gates operated from a signal box.

Many thanks!

 

[D6130]

Wainfleet, between Boston and Skegness....worked by a mechanical wheel in the signal box.

Ramsbottom, on the East Lancashire heritage railway.... as above, but with traffic lights for road traffic.

Cattal, Hammerton and Poppleton on the York-Harrogate line....worked manually by the signaller, who comes out of the box to push the gates open or closed.

I believe there are several other examples in East Anglia. Others with greater local knowledge can confirm....perhaps @dk1 ?

 

[eastdyke]

Swinderby, Lincolnshire [around halfway between Lincoln and Newark] might fit your request.
Semaphore signals as well!

Due for replacement but currently deferred.

And here a piece from YouTube, filmed August 2021:

 

[Stellwerker]

Hello,

thanks for your replys!
I'm especially interested in the wheel configuration.
In Germany such crossings are usually operated by a manivelle.

Many thanks!

 

[Llanigraham]

Manivelle seems to translate as "crank"

 

[MadMac]

Excellent video showing the operation of Scotland’s last set of wheel-worked gates at Holywood.

 

[edwin_m]

Hello,

thanks for your replys!
I'm especially interested in the wheel configuration.
In Germany such crossings are usually operated by a manivelle.

Many thanks!

I had to look that one up - a more usual word would be crank or handle.

 

[D6130]

operated by a manivelle.

For the benefit of non-French speakers, that's a crank handle.

 

[dk1]

Wainfleet, between Boston and Skegness....worked by a mechanical wheel in the signal box.

Ramsbottom, on the East Lancashire heritage railway.... as above, but with traffic lights for road traffic.

Cattal, Hammerton and Poppleton on the York-Harrogate line....worked manually by the signaller, who comes out of the box to push the gates open or closed.

I believe there are several other examples in East Anglia. Others with greater local knowledge can confirm....perhaps @dk1 ?

None here now as far as I know.

 

[D6130]

Howsham Gates level crossing - between York and Malton on the Scarborough line - has manually-operated gates....while nearby Barton Hill has a rare example of a crossing protected by full-road width barriers mechanically-raised and -lowered by a wheel in the adjacent signal box. Further down the same line at Kirkham Abbey, the level crossing there still has swing gates controlled from a wheel in the box. All of these are due to close in 2026 - with control of the line passing to York Regional Operations Centre - according to www.signalbox.org

 

[Barnsley]

Wainfleet, between Boston and Skegness....worked by a mechanical wheel in the signal box.

Ramsbottom, on the East Lancashire heritage railway.... as above, but with traffic lights for road traffic.

Cattal, Hammerton and Poppleton on the York-Harrogate line....worked manually by the signaller, who comes out of the box to push the gates open or closed.

I believe there are several other examples in East Anglia. Others with greater local knowledge can confirm....perhaps @dk1 ?

Wainfleet has barriers, they were replaced around the same time as West Street at Boston, but, Heckington, Hubberts Bridge, Sibsey and Sleaford West all still have gates

 

[D6130]

Wainfleet has barriers, they were replaced around the same time as West Street at Boston, but, Heckington, Hubberts Bridge, Sibsey and Sleaford West all still have gates

Thanks for that update. I haven't visited Wainfleet since BC (Before Covid)....but the latest Wiki photo was still showing gates.

 

[Lucy1501]

To add some more:

• Goxhill and Oxmarsh Crossing on the Barton line. Both of these are operated via a gate wheel in the box.
• Crabley Creek on the Gilberdyke to Hull Line.
• Lebberston and Gristhorpe on the Hull to Scarborough Line.
• Hessary, Marston Moor, Wilstrop, Hammerton Road and Whixley on the Harrogate Line.
• Littleport, Whittlesea and Dullingham in East Anglia.
• Spittal Crossing in Berwick.

In addition, Driffield and Nunthorpe have wheel operated lifting barriers if they are of any interest.

All of these are due to close in 2026 - with control of the line passing to York Regional Operations Centre - according to www.signalbox.org

That list is unreliable and was out of date the moment it was written. There are no immediate plans to resignal the York to Scarborough Line. Practically everything has been pushed back with no firm date, and local management across the country have been instructed to maintain boxes as if they'll be around for at least the next 20-30 years.

 

[Narrowgauge725]

North Yorkshire Moors Grosmont

 

[eastdyke]

North Yorkshire Moors Grosmont

Great shout, and that is unlikely to be closed anytime soon.
Videos of the action here:

Grosmont

Film Archive of Railway Signalling & People (FARSAP) visit to Grosmont signal box.

www.s-r-s.org.uk

 

[Jan Mayen]

Are there any manually operated gates in South East England? I'm sure there must be, but I can only think of one which is on the East Kent Railway between Shepardswell and Eythorne. And that was operated by train crew, I recall.

 

[Gloster]

Are there any manually operated gates in South East England? I'm sure there must be, but I can only think of one which is on the East Kent Railway between Shepardswell and Eythorne. And that was operated by train crew, I recall.

I think there are a couple on the Strood-Paddock Wood line and there is also Marchwood on the Fawley branch. (Fawley, nor Fawlty. Blasted Spellcheck.)

 

[Stellwerker]

So, thanks for all your great tips!

I was visiting Nunthorpe and later the Harrogate line today, it was quite impressive!

Thank you so much, I wouldn't have been able to find these places without your help

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

None here now as far as I know.

Yeah there are. Dullingham, Elsenham, Littleport and Whittlesea. Dullingham will be replaced late this year/early next year as part of the Cambridge resignalling.

 

[Revilo]

There’s also Bishton level crossing near Newport on the South Wales Main Line, and Blue Anchor on the West Somerset Railway.

 

[renegademaster]

I think there are a couple on the Strood-Paddock Wood line

Used to be, all CCTV crossings now

 

[Blockman]

North Yorkshire Moors Grosmont

Also NYMR New Bridge box, 1 mile north of Pickering station on the road to Newton-on-Rawcliffe. Gates operated by a wheel in the box. See: https://www.flickr.com/photos/llangollen_signalman/5755439043/in/album-72157626672797127

 

[Failed Unit]

Swinderby, Lincolnshire [around halfway between Lincoln and Newark] might fit your request.
Semaphore signals as well!

Due for replacement but currently deferred.

And here a piece from YouTube, filmed August 2021:

Wickenby on the Lincoln - Barnetby line (near Market Rasen) still has such a crossing. Not sure if any still exist on the Barton-on-Humber line.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Do the gates still exist at Grain crossing in Kent? Not sure how often they are used though given that it's a freight-only line

 

[JGurney]

Are there any manually operated gates in South East England? I'm sure there must be, but I can only think of one which is on the East Kent Railway between Shepardswell and Eythorne. And that was operated by train crew, I recall.

The Kent and East Sussex has some.

 

[dk1]

Yeah there are. Dullingham, Elsenham, Littleport and Whittlesea. Dullingham will be replaced late this year/early next year as part of the Cambridge resignalling.

Ah yes of course. None of them on my patch.

 

[paul1609]

The Kent and East Sussex has some.

We have:
Tenterden Town Station
Cranbrook Rd. Tenterden
Rolvenden Station A28
Wittersham Rd Station
Northiam Station A28(A268)
Bodiam Station
the 3 on the extension to Robertsbridge Junction will be lifting barriers.

 

[Jan Mayen]

We have:
Tenterden Town Station
Cranbrook Rd. Tenterden
Rolvenden Station A28
Wittersham Rd Station
Northiam Station A28(A268)
Bodiam Station
the 3 on the extension to Robertsbridge Junction will be lifting barriers.

Clearly a visit is overdue. Thank you.
(Offtopic, but any idea when the extension will be in service?)

 

[renegademaster]

We have:
Tenterden Town Station
Cranbrook Rd. Tenterden
Rolvenden Station A28
Wittersham Rd Station
Northiam Station A28(A268)
Bodiam Station
the 3 on the extension to Robertsbridge Junction will be lifting barriers.

Do you know how the barriers will operated, CCTV, local control , or even something else fancy? Or are AHB still allowed for slow speed lines?

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Ah yes of course. None of them on my patch.

Oh yeah you're a Norwich driver