Dymchurch Level Crossing (St Mary's Road Crossing)

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway diesel loco No.12 "J.B. Snell" in black and yellow heads toward St Mary's Bay before Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway steam loco No.7 "Typhoon" in Malachite green heads into Dymchurch station and onto Hythe. After, Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch steam loco No.8 "Hurricane" in Caledonian blue heads into Dymchurch station also. This is one of the oldest ABCLs on this narrow gauge line and seems to be, well not in a bad working order, but not in a good working order. The triggers for the crossing when the two trains passed in the first shot were activated just shy of each other as to not keep the barriers lowered. As the crossing raises the first time, the white light on the back of one of the wig wags in the mid left of the screen can be seen switching off and on again. That's not a fault, just bad timing really. I've always wondered what would happen if the triggers were activated just like that, but I've only thought of the national railway, not a narrow gauge line. The lights are all still from the 1970s when the crossing was an AOCL. Barriers were added after the deaths of two drivers in the noughties, and so was the extended white light on the back of one of the wig wags. What wasn't added in the noughties but back in the 70s was a flashing red light pointing toward the Dymchurch Recreation Ground, which can just be seen in the second shot. The road markings are almost correct although the paint covering the old ones may have worn away so both versions are visible. There was a baby seagull crying out for food on one of the rooftops nearby, with it's mum fighting off jackdaws. Bloody jackdaws.
Route: Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
County: Kent
Train 1 & 2: 0:39
Closure 2: 2:04
Train 3: 2:34

[@practicallyfamous]

I love this railway, I hope to visit next summer! Great video :)

[@FlashingRedProductions]

Wow! At 1:04, the barriers went up, lights remained on, then the barriers went back down for the second train!?
Unless it was a malfunction, I guess that was because the second train just triggered the crossing just as the barriers just started to raise as I saw the white lights on the back of one of the lights go out then went back on again.

[@ACLifts]

1:04 Jesus I'm surprised the car didn't ripped off the barrier or someone hit it when it came back down again lol I'm guessing the second train hit the trigger at the last minute after the other train passed

[@ACLifts]

1:34 I'm guessing the woman came back just to see if the crossing was working properly

[@CraigBaker96837]

See, if the lights and alarms would shut off AFTER the gates have fully raised (like 90% of the crossings in the US do), 1:10 wouldn't happen, and the alarms would have gone into second stage (ATC mode).

[@rainbowlady1532]

1:11 that scared me the first time i watched this vid.
However, isn't this one of the level crossings on this line that once it's ATC mode is activated the alarms get louder, increase in tempo and change tones?

[@kentrailobserver37]

1:10 did you report it to the railway?

[@Nathan_A_RF]

ye

[@freebrickproductions]

Great video! GEC wigwags there? Looks like some people didn't read the Another Train Coming signs in the first clip!

[@Nathan_A_RF]

That's not meant to happen. The barriers are meant to stay down if another train is there

[@freebrickproductions]

I think what Will Scriven commented is what happened. Basically, the second train triggered the crossing right after it began to deactivate. I've seen it happen a few times here in America.

[@STUAA2024]

freebrickproductions That must have been a double stay, but did not change to faster tones and the barriers did not stay down.

[@kianthetrainspotter7777]

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