Level Crossing, Granville NSW, Australia.

The first activation is shown at 5:20 This was the Parramatta Road level crossing at Granville, New South Wales. It was located in western Sydney on the branch line from Clyde to Carlingford. Parramatta Road connects the Sydney CBD with Parramatta and is one of the busiest roads in the Sydney area, while the Carlingford Line was rather quiet in comparison. The crossing saw roughly four passenger trains per hour (2 in each direction), operated by continuous shuttle services between Clyde and Carlingford. The Carlingford line was closed on January 5, 2020, with the crossing being decommissioned and these signals removed on January 18, 2020. These signals were manually operated from the adjacent Parramatta Road Crossing Signal Box which was the last of it's kind in NSW, only existing due to the busy traffic and the risk of vehicles blocking the tracks. Train movements over the crossing were regulated by block signals which could not be cleared until the gates had been lowered and the track was observed by the crossing operator to be clear of vehicles. Both gated signals had Western Cullen Hayes bases, Western Cullen Hayes gate mechanisms, Alstom LED lights and Western Cullen Hayes electronic bells. The western signal had the lights mounted on a separate mast, due to the nearby power pole. These newer signals used recycled equipment and were installed in 2013 when they replaced the original gated signals which had GRS/WRRS Type B gate mechanisms, McKenzie & Holland lights and WRRS mechanical bells. It is believed that these signals were installed some time around 1961. The median signals were much older and probably original, both having unmarked bases and unmarked Westinghouse lights which are mounted on McKenzie & Holland cross-arms. The western cross-arm was mounted upside down! Both pedestrian crossings had Magnetic Automation swing gates and Aldridge Don't Walk lights. They were installed on November 3, 2001 and replaced older gates which were mechanically worked by levers in the signal box using a system of steel cables and pulleys. Known as Wicket Gates, this older equipment can be see in photographs at the end of the video which were taken by myself on March 27, 1993. Train information: All passenger services were provided by the same 4-car Millennium train (set M33) which was operating shuttles between Clyde and Carlingford. The last train is track inspection vehicle MTPV2 which can be seen departing from the nearby siding where it is normally stored. The train seen in the photo at the very end of the video is a race special going to Rosehill Racecourse, operated by set C9. Filmed on Sunday morning, December 16, 2018, when the traffic was less busy!