(Halogen Lights) Barway Sidings Level Crossing, Cambridgeshire

Date filmed: 03/10/2022
Videos filmed at: 18:31 | 18:44 | 18:59
Route: Ipswich to Ely Line
- Between Soham and Ely Stations
Crossing type: Automatic Half Barrier Crossing (AHBC)
Location: Barway Road, Barway
Trains featured:
Lowering 1 (0:00):
Class 66 Light Locomotive (Freightliner) - 1:25
Ipswich S.S. ➡ Whitemoor Yard L.D.C. GBRf
-
Lowering 2 (Starts at 1:53):
Class 755 (Greater Anglia) - 2:25
Peterborough ➡ Ipswich
-
Lowering 3 (Starts at 3:30)
Class 755 (Greater Anglia) - 4:44
Ipswich ➡ Peterborough
A light Class 66 locomotive and two Class 755 passenger trains are seen passing this now-fairly-unique level crossing found just a few miles from Ely on the single-track line which runs between Soham Station and Ely Dock Junction. As well as still having Mk.1 twin-arm half barriers, it also still retains three retro, and one relatively newer, sets of halogen (bulb-type) wigwags / road traffic lights, and is one of only a few examples of level crossings still like this remaining on the main lines that have lasted so long. The halogen bulb-type road traffic lights / wigwags are an older variant of warning lights which are now incredibly rare as most are now LED due to the latter being quite a lot brighter and a lot more energy-efficient at the same time. It is surprising the ones here have been kept as several nearby level crossings on much quieter roads have had theirs changed, and you get quite a lot of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) over this level crossing.
Three videos taken here during sunset time are featured in this video, arguably one of the best times of day to see these older styles of warning lights in operation as it's dark enough to see them nicely, but not too dark, and it can be seen that trains coming from Soham take quite a while to reach the level crossing after it activates. One of the barrier/wigwag units in one corner has been known to get struck quite badly, and for a period of time one which came from another level crossing following a full renewal there had to be re-used here. That has since gone, and now there's yet another unit in is place which has an NRS halogen light wigwag as well as quite a fast alarm. Both alarms here are fairly loud.
Thanks for watching!

[@NWLevelCrossings]

Amazing and Awesome Video and Crossing!!👍🏻😁👍🏻👏🏻👌🏻 Love the Halogens and the Alarms! One of them alarms sound pretty fast!👍🏻Also loud!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you very much! Indeed

[@UKLevelCrossingsTrains]

Great catch, certainly haven't been on here for a while lol. That must be one of my favourites

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks very much, and welcome back! I really like it too.

[@UKLevelCrossingAndRailways]

We lost the lights and barriers for new versions. Great video!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

We did...
Thanks!

[@SouthWestCrossingsUK]

Great video! I really do miss this crossing

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! Same here, though it had to happen at some point. I'm just surprised this one's old kit outlived all those nearby ones on much quieter roads, not so frequented by HGV traffic nearly as this one.

[@NorthWestLevelCrossingsChannel]

Excellent video, love the old halogen lights 👍👍

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! Same here.

[@glenncooney3959]

I love how at 0:18 the lights flashing sequence changes slightly, though it doesn’t seem to happen on the other sequences. Great crossing though

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

It seems to be a quirk with these older crossings sometimes. Maybe the electricity feed to the lights only briefly cut as the barriers began to move.

[@railwayhonza]

Lovely video. This is an epic lc

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! It is

[@vastjonea]

Excellent video!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you very much!

[@YorkshireLevelCrossingChannel]

Love the halogens amazing video!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you!

[@TheChannelThatHatesRedBull]

Great video. Other side barrier was broken off again in September. Over the summer the lowering time was longer due to speed limit cause by summer heat damage on tracks

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you! That would make sense why it seemed to activate so early (unusually hot, prolonged heatwaves causing lasting damage to this line, if the effects are still there, that is)

[@TheChannelThatHatesRedBull]

In June all the old barriers and lights are being replaced

[@Rayy_aviation_zuni_edits]

did anyone notice that minibus

[@TheosTrainsWalesOfficial]

They still haven’t upgraded it?

[@TheosTrainsWalesOfficial]

EDIT: They have now. Slight shame, but well needed.

[@TrainspottingTrini]

What about Duxford? Is it still incandescent?

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Possibly. Not 100% sure though

[@TrainspottingTrini]

@@SouthEastLevelCrossings I hope so because it's so rare to see halogens and even rarer to see them with these penguin barriers

[@TrainspottingTrini]

We don't have trains in my country anymore the passenger service had stopped running in 1965 but it had continued on as a freight service for a few years then railways were removed for good so were the signal boxes and level crossings which were the same thing as a manually gated level crossing in Britain (because Trinidad and Tobago was ruled by Britain from 1802-1962). There was a level crossing which used to be located in an area called Cross-Crossing which is a series of roads which can lead to confusion if you're coming from a different area such as Port-of-Spain. I do not know the name of that level crossing, so I just call it Cross-Crossing Level Crossing. It was located in the city of San Fernando. I am not sure of what line this was on.

[@TrainspottingTrini]

There was also a Semaphore signal which can be seen in the picture. I do not know if it was removed.

[@TheosTrainsWalesOfficial]

For now, yes. But it won't be long before it gets upgraded.

[@SN06BNF]

One Of The Halogens Are Newer

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

It was.