V/Line must be hiding information from te council on the cause of the accident or they are waiting for the investigation to complete by independent body or review.  Will the gates be restored i really hope so they are beautiful and deserve to be retained.

The wait continues for report on Lydiard St rail gate smash

V/Line must be hiding information from te council on the cause of the accident or they are waiting for the investigation to complete by independent body or review.  Will the gates be restored i really hope so they are beautiful and deserve to be retained.

The wait continues for report on Lydiard St rail gate smash

Fuggen'ell, they aren't asking for much are they?

It took the ATSB 8 weeks to get a preliminary report out about T842's hitup at Clevland in 2013 and around 11 months for the full report (fast by their usual standards) and it took them 23 months to publish the full report into the Waratah hitup at Richmond in 2018.

I would expect the preliminary report by this time next month and the full report by Christmas next year.

My work colleague in Ballarat seems to think it is a big deal the crossing has been closed for 8 weeks and no details or dates on when it will be fixed.

My work colleague in Ballarat seems to think it is a big deal the crossing has been closed for 8 weeks and no details or dates on when it will be fixed.

Maybe the crossing will be permanently closed. Hence no need for the gates.

Only 140m away from the nearest grade separated crossing of the line, and host to a quite dangerous layout with street and driveway junctions on all four corners of it, I reckon it should be a priority for closure.

It would be nice to include a nod to the prior heritage of the location by selecting a design for the fencing that evokes the old level crossing gates in its aesthetics while meeting modern standards for its function.

Only 140m away from the nearest grade separated crossing of the line, and host to a quite dangerous layout with street and driveway junctions on all four corners of it, I reckon it should be a priority for closure.

It would be nice to include a nod to the prior heritage of the location by selecting a design for the fencing that evokes the old level crossing gates in its aesthetics while meeting modern standards for its function.

Close the crossing and put up fencing but rebuilding the gates as a mark to the past sounds like a good idea.

1. Nothing will be done - it's all too hard. If we procrastinate long enough the problem will go away.
2. A half baked cheapskate 'plastic' patch-up job will be tried
3. A proper restoration that will cost squillions is, perhaps, unlikely to be attempted

Only 140m away from the nearest grade separated crossing of the line, and host to a quite dangerous layout with street and driveway junctions on all four corners of it, I reckon it should be a priority for closure.

It would be nice to include a nod to the prior heritage of the location by selecting a design for the fencing that evokes the old level crossing gates in its aesthetics while meeting modern standards for its function.

Close the crossing and put up fencing but rebuilding the gates as a mark to the past sounds like a good idea.

Rebuilding the gates will, for PTV/Vline/Victrack (whoever) in Victoria, be a task akin to the rebuilding of Notre Dame or Windsor Castle after their fires.

As the organiser of extravaganza railfan tours of old, the late Tom Murray, used to say 'They can't do it anymore'. To me there seem three likely outcomes:

1. Nothing will be done - it's all too hard. If we procrastinate long enough the problem will go away.
2. A half baked cheapskate 'plastic' patch-up job will be tried
3. A proper restoration that will cost squillions is, perhaps, unlikely to be attempted

I have seen several cases where the traditional Oregon level crossing gates have been either damaged or totally destroyed. On each occasion the gates were professionally repaired or totally replaced within a few days. 'They can't do it anymore'!

I have seen several cases where the traditional Oregon level crossing gates have been either damaged or totally destroyed. On each occasion the gates were professionally repaired or totally replaced within a few days. 'They can't do it anymore'!

I have seen several cases where the traditional Oregon level crossing gates have been either damaged or totally destroyed. On each occasion the gates were professionally repaired or totally replaced within a few days. 'They can't do it anymore'!

Of course it can be done.
Is the lack of action emblematic of V/Line's modus operandi concerning maintenance?

The actual timber gates are the easy bit. The hard bit would be sourcing two of those big cast posts the gates were swinging from. Not that many around; many old ones broke as they were removed, and unlikely any were kept at spares, given that once installed they would normally last forever. None of their designers would have anticipated two being wrecked with a high speed impact. In this case, might be good reason it is hard.

The actual timber gates are the easy bit. The hard bit would be sourcing two of those big cast posts the gates were swinging from. Not that many around; many old ones broke as they were removed, and unlikely any were kept at spares, given that once installed they would normally last forever. None of their designers would have anticipated two being wrecked with a high speed impact. In this case, might be good reason it is hard.

I suggested above that the crossing be closed and the design of the old gates integrated into what would become fixed fencing at the site.

If this is adopted, it would be sufficient for the posts used to be substitutes that replicate the external appearance of the original posts while not having the same internal materials/construction. This is an accepted practice in the realm of heritage preservation.

The posts are ornate steel/iron castings (probably cast iron) - they have an internal void which, as suggested, could become a solid if necessary. With advances in technology since the original design of these posts you may be able to get away with a steel pillar surrounded cosmetically with prestressed/reinforced concrete of some sort??????

I have seen several cases where the traditional Oregon level crossing gates have been either damaged or totally destroyed. On each occasion the gates were professionally repaired or totally replaced within a few days. 'They can't do it anymore'!

Of course it can be done.
Is the lack of action emblematic of V/Line's modus operandi concerning maintenance?

The actual timber gates are the easy bit. The hard bit would be sourcing two of those big cast posts the gates were swinging from. Not that many around; many old ones broke as they were removed, and unlikely any were kept at spares, given that once installed they would normally last forever. None of their designers would have anticipated two being wrecked with a high speed impact. In this case, might be good reason it is hard.

I suggested above that the crossing be closed and the design of the old gates integrated into what would become fixed fencing at the site.

If this is adopted, it would be sufficient for the posts used to be substitutes that replicate the external appearance of the original posts while not having the same internal materials/construction. This is an accepted practice in the realm of heritage preservation.

The posts are ornate steel/iron castings (probably cast iron) - they have an internal void which, as suggested, could become a solid if necessary. With advances in technology since the original design of these posts you may be able to get away with a steel pillar surrounded cosmetically with prestressed/reinforced concrete of some sort??????

RP is doing stupid things again. The post above reading:

'The posts are ornate steel/iron castings (probably cast iron) - they have an internal void which, as suggested, could become a solid if necessary. With advances in technology since the original design of these posts you may be able to get away with a steel pillar surrounded cosmetically with prestressed/reinforced concrete of some sort??????

was mine.
It seems that RP is running multiple posts together under the one attribution.