I returned to Paraparaumu Level Crossing for some better shots and also to capture the new slow-ring E-Bells, and manged to capture a Double Crossing in the process!
Prior to 1980, I'm not sure whether this level crossing had barrier arms (or maybe it had the smaller arms you showed early on in the video). But in 1980, a tragedy occurred when a New Zealand radio personality was killed on the crossing. His car was hit by a train, and I think either the bells weren't working, or maybe he didn't notice them somehow. If I recall rightly, it happened fairly early in the morning, so maybe the bells were even off (if it was before 7:00am). His name was Peter Latham, and he hosted a mid-morning show called "All Things Considered" on the National Programme (later National Radio, now Radio NZ National). The show was subsequently taken over by Sharon Crosbie after Latham retired from radio to become an Anglican minister. There's not much about this tragic accident online, but I remember seeing news footage of it at the time. His car was totalled and I think they had to cut his body out of it. But the crossing was upgraded after that. Either barrier arms were added to it, or those big tall ones replaced the smaller ones.
This crossing is sensor-activated. Our crossings in the US have this too. That’s why it went down so late for that first northbound train. The sensor is there because if the train is below a certain speed when crossing the trip switch, the switch assumes the train is stopping so the crossing activation is delegated to the sensor. This is to avoid longer road traffic delays. For example, say you have a train going 8 km/h when approaching this crossing; if the crossing was only activated by the trip switch, it would make crossing activation times significantly longer and car drivers would be honking their horns in extreme anger because they would automatically assume the crossing was malfunctioning. Whereas with the sensor in place, the crossing only activates when the sensor deems the train to be moving along enough to where it could reasonably block/pass the crossing.
Actually this level crossing is momitored by train control. There is a set of signals on the station side of the level crossing, And usally the signal is set to red. If a train is due to come through that isn't stopping, The signal is cleared before its arrival, However if the train is stopping, The signal remains red until the train has stopped, And the lowering sequence has happened. Maybe they have it set automatically to a timetable?? I'm not sure, But this one along with many newer level crossings don't work on speed detection like what you have in America.
Also in some cases, The train crew have to push a button on the platform (Which alerts train control that the train is ready to drpart), Or has to radio through to have the level crossing activated.
I think I'd be more in favor to see more level crossings in Wellington with ped gates to be honest, Including this one and Linden as they are both bad for close calls. I believe KiwiRail are also going for gates more so for upgrades as well after seeing the work that was done in Auckland over the last 5 years, Also the installations in Wellington, And indeed in various places around the country in recent years.
No, that crossing is north of the platform, so it's technically not part of actual Kapiti Line itself. One could be pedantic and say that it technically is, since trains go through it when parking overnight, but you're never going to go through that crossing on an in-service Kapiti Line train, so I don't count it as a "Kapiti Line crossing".
@@the_alex_ellis_channel6923 You know freight trains, Capital Connection, and Northern Explorer goes through the pedestrian level crossing. But sometimes since there is only a single track lane there is a double track just about 300 metres north of the pedestrian level crossing. The passenger trains do go over it when a freight train is is coming to get to the double track so it can crossover.
There's a pedestrian crossing to the south of Waikanae station at Elizabeth St. I don't think you'll get a true double crossing there, but sometimes there happens to be a freight train coming close behind the southbound commuter train.
