Re: Oldest set of flashing lights at a road crossing still in situ

["Lineman" <grime@dcsi.net.au>]

Notagunzel <notagunzel@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
7GZL3.13$FJ3.884@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net">news:7GZL3.13$FJ3.884@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net...
> Darren H. <locob67@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> 38000ec9@nap-ns1">news:38000ec9@nap-ns1...
>
> > Lineman <grime@dcsi.net.au> wrote in message
> 37fe7d99@nap-ns1">news:37fe7d99@nap-ns1...
>
> > > I wonder if the National Trust or Heritage council has placed the
> > > Koo-Wee-Rup (Vic) level crossing on its register as a notable item
> to be
> > > protected.
> > > I was led to believe that it was the oldest complete installation
> on the
> > > Victorian system,dating from the mid 1940s
>
> > I had suspected that they may be the oldest set in situ. Do any
> others of
> > this type still exist in use?
>
> > For those who haven't seen them, they are the type with a single
> lamp being
> > used to light lenses facing each direction. Most signals these days
> have a
> > seperate lamp housing for each direction - forward and rear of the
> post.
>
> They are certainly the only ones I've seen around.  (Model HC81?)
> They are Cast Iron.
>
> The Crossing won't be oldest complete installation unless it has the
> original control circuits, which if it was 1940's would have been a
> high tech DX13 interlocking Track Relay.
>
> If FV ever start running back down to Koala, I expect they won't
> survive the attack of the LED's.
>
> --
> Mr Notagunzel.
> Rail Transportation Connoisseur.
> notagunzel@bigfoot.com
> (Waiting for any move at http://www.bigfoot.com/~notagunzel)
>
> In the early 1990s there was plans to upgrade the installation but I don't
think this was done.
I seem to recall that in the wooden trackside boxes the relays where in
cylindrical glass jars a bit like the sort of thing you would store
preserved specimens of cats dogs etc in.
I think it was also a 6volt set up.
If the sun was shining from a low angle in the afternoon it was extremely
difficult to see the flashing lights at all.
About 6 or 7 years ago one arm(I think it was the down side mast) corroded
right through which caused quiet a shemozzle because there was no
replacement parts and of course current fittings did not readily fit, so its
probably a good idea to get a photo of it all before it all goes.If that is
to be its fate.