The Rarest Disused Railway Level Crossing In The UK 

I used to deliver to the (now gone) Booths at Media city and would pass by the tracks on a weekly basis. I actually appreciate watching the railway infrastructure deteriorate, much of it hasn't been ripped up by developers and it kind of allows me to say goodbye to something that fascinated me as a child as it fades away.

I was a despatch rider in Manchester back in the mid 80s & we all used to dread getting "Trained" when on a job around Trafford Park. The worst part was the crossing at Kelloggs - you could get stuck there for ages! More content like this would be great 👍👍

It's strange they never removed the lights, almost as if they hoped the trains would come back. Can you do more videos like this

I find it really interesting that the red and white chequer pattern has faded, but not the red of the crossing symbols

Nice video!! Just to clarify, the signal at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="258">4:18</a> lights up white, not green; this is standard at all train-man and automatically operated crossings to show the crossing is functioning

Wow! 'Secrets of the Railways by Ringway Shenanigans.' Get in early to own the trademark before some blighter with a Saab beats you to it.

What a rare treat to have disused railway lines still intact, never mind the signals. In most cases, they're either removed or concreted over to discourage looters and avoid a trip hazard. It's unlikely I'll have a chance to visit the area featured in this video, but if I do, I'll be sure to take a look.

Beautiful drone work on this one. We have a similar situation where I live in the USA. The railroad is "officially" open, but I haven't actually seen a train on it for over a decade. The tracks are rusted and covered with weeds. Oddly, there IS a locomotive sitting on a track, but there is no additional track on either end, so it's a train with literally nowhere to go.

Very interesting video indeed. Great use of atmospheric music as well. I have no doubt if those lights were ever torn down, collectors would be queuing up to buy them for restoration

I remember well getting stuck waiting at the lights at the Kelloggs factory for the massive train to go past very slowly....

In the end, every British RU-vidr does a railway signalling episode or two. It's the law...

Absolutely riveting , edge of the seat excitement! Never thought I would be so entranced by a story about traffic lights and abandoned rail lines !

Did I ever mention how much I like your photography/videography? Even if I wasn't a lot of a radio nerd and quite a bit of a railway nerd I'd love to see more of that footage! That line reminds me of a long kinda-closed branch line I cycle along on my daily commute. Rails are mostly still in place, overgrown in a lot of places, paved over in others. Maybe we'll see both of them being used again?

They'll come to regret tearing up that rail link when the roads becone increasingly gridlocked! great video by the way! Makesva change from rf stuff!

Documenting these otherwise ignored features is valuable stuff! The demise of the Trafford Park rail system is shameful.

Thank you Lewis, really enjoy your films, and the topics covered. Keep up the good work, the recent ones have been very interesting.

Love these pieces!! I love how you let the image sink in so it can be appreciated, rather than quickly transitioning from image to image. Keep it up!! I’m in the US and love your beautiful country.

train content too!? this channel is going up the ranks on my lists of favourites lol

great video, I remember it operating in its latter era, the traffic got held for a while as it was usually container traffic and the trains would only go about walking speed, there was a shunting yard next to Kelloggs. I am surprised they didnt use most of the line to create Metrolink to serve the Trafford Estate as a whole. The railway was also connected the Manchester Ship Canal Co. railway system, it ran alongside the ship canal past Irlam to just after Latchford Locks where it merged onto the main lane/low level lines. There are also traces of railway with the same level crossings around Ellesmere Port, and a bit left near Eastham Oil Refinery.

Thanks . Really enjoyed this . Photography , the editing , music , all of it .

This was a fantastic video. Photography and drone footage was first class, along with the historical narration.

Fascinating. Must have been quite a setup in it's day and quite a sight to behold. Shame it's not in operation anymore. Weird seeing those rail lines crossing major roads and disappearing into nowhere. Great vid! 😎👍

Brilliant to see these still here. A unique reminder of the past

Very nice video. I wanna see more for sure! There are loads of disused railways here in France too. I encounter some level crossings while driving which look like they're still in service. So I slow down not realizing the tracks are long gone 😆

I love this sort of thing.

The music pared with the pics is truly magical.

The town in Florida where I now live has one spur to a factory that is still occasionally used! Rail spurs are largely a thing of the past around here, but this one hangs on. The line it’s a spur from has recently acquired an extra track to hold the (somewhat) high-speed Brightline passenger rail, a real oddity here in the USA.

This channel is great,and the videos have the unusual quality of being both informative and just a bit trippy too, good combination

"...radio sh*t for Lewis ehhh...I'll show him!" lol. Great video man.

Great stuff Lewis, yes would definitely like to see more disused railway videos 👍

Lewis--your curiosity about all sorts of things is one of the things that keeps this channel fascinating. Never stop sticking you nose in things and making videos about it.

Interesting! My daily work is on a very similar industrial estate in the Netherlands, which also has such a disused railway network. The estate over the years has changed from heavy industry into logistic and office buildings, we now see only different sizes of lorries instead of trains. Most of the branches look similar to what you show (overgrown, paved-over) but there is one line that is still being maintained. During the years I work there I have twice seen a crew with a maintenance traincar doing some work on the tracks, but I have never seen an actual transport. There is a (much simpler) crossing over the road I use daily at the point where a sideroad crosses the main road to which the tracks are parallel. When waiting for the red light, everyone just stops on the crossing, which has similar light signaling. I'm sure that IF there would be any train on this track, it would be moving at walking speed with a signaling man (with red flag) walking in front of it, and we would have ample time to vacate the crossing...

I can't say enough how I appreciate your having an interest in the built environment. Cheers.

Brilliant video, Lewis. A nice bit of railway history.

Love the addition of any rail videos. That last one on the signal that's been lit for 30 years on a disused line was fascinating. I'm a Kiwi from NZ and we don't have too many disused lines now. Most have been ripped up. A few remain in a "mothballed" state - closed and unmaintained, or used by business ventures who run golf cart tours on them. Always interesting to see disused lines in other countries. I don't know if it's possible, but a video showing a long disused line being cleaned up and readied for re-opening would be amazing.

Great video and soundtrack. Interesting to see these bits of history before they disappear for good.

Thanks Lewis, great video. Nice musical choice as well.

Very professional use of the drone. 😊

Thanks love all your stuff, thanks for everything, drum and bass 💯🍻👍

I thought level crossings had white lights to indicate the train can proceed (when they're not otherwise protected by a standard signalling block) rather than green? Nevertheless a fascinating video.

Deffo want to see more of this railway network. Didn't even know it existed until your video popped up!

Something unexpected from your channel. Guess radio and rail have a fair bit of overlap after all! Great video as always, been curious about Trafford Park crossings for a while. 👍

Awesome content, and subject as always RM !

Seen videos about this before but had to click immediately on yours because I knew the presentation would be just *chefkiss*

Absolutely brilliant use of the drone , Lewis. Well done. I walked part of this track to Ashbridge and back. 🙏👍. Nice accompanying 🎶 🎵 music

Very forlorn even with the ubiquitous railway budlia going its best to brighten the mood. Excellent choice of background music.

I'm very surprised a bunch of toerags haven't had the rails away for scrap, knocking the keys out with a long handled hammer or a blunt axe takes only a few minutes, then you can simply lift the rail off its chairs

Yes please - more footage on the Trafford Park Railway.

These train tracks are like a time capsule

Interesting and informative as usual, should be shared with another RU-vidr ‘Jago Hazard’ I’ll bet he would be both interested and equally informative. Thanks Lewis for all the stuff you do

I really enjoyed this one Lewis. The chill music over the drone shots of the track was great. I subbed to your channel originally for the radio content but I enjoy the non-radio stuff too. This is probably because I'm a big fucking nerd. Do keep varying the content please.

trainstuff is always fascinating.. thanks for sharing.

Wow. I didn't expect a video on old railway signalling on THIS channel, but it is history on one level or another. RE: railways: Could you maybe do a video on Automatic Train Control in all its forms and if you get bored, something on train defect detectors? I find these subjects fascinating and relevant due to all the derailments hitting the news here in the states.

First Hubnut reviews an Ebike and now Lewis is giving us a historical talk on railways of Trafford Park. What a strange day! 😂 Just kidding, great video. I used to work in Bowlers every weekend every weekend around 2004 so it's nostalgic for me to revisit this area. Very informative. :)

Hugely enjoyable. Line is nearly complete and hence we can see the excellent gradual curves....so unusual for frieght lines. The Telford Steam Railway has a display of at least 32 level crossing Lights and maybe a good suggestion as much concreted track remains. The TSR are very lucky to have it for their stock.

Great video! Interesting and informative.

Good video Lewis, more rail stuff would be welcome.

Super music! Glad to see it credited so no one has to ask about it.

I love Trafford Park. The last time I saw a train anywhere on its network was one of those snub locos on the stretch running alongside Barton Dock Road back in 2004.

Always the best Drone shots! Good job!

Hello Lewis, just watched this interesting video and it reminded me of another video. I have just checked and it too, is one of yours, “ This Signal Has Been Lit For 30 Years On A Disused Railway Line “ I’m both a radio and railway fan, passing my RAE in 1983 but remaining just a SWL on the broadcast bands and an owner of five (little) steam locomotives. Ok, they are live steam models that run on 32mm and 45mm gauge tracks, and yes one is radio controlled. The others are manual control so yes occasionally, burned fingers. Best wishes from Oxfordshire, 73s & good DX.

Think you aught to do a link up with @pwhitewick...

Thanks again for another great video

Funny how every one of the crosses on top seems to be in immaculate condition as if they'd all been replaced recently!

With the infrastructure still in place, it could be opened again in the future. Of cause with Peel Holdings of Trafford Park, while open to the public, is all private land. Excellent vid ❤

Yes Lewis like Martin so sad to see everything old being destroyed and forgotten. Thankyou for the video, just watch most of your stuff always interesting. Our railways still work here but no passenger service all freight. Oil, propane, potash then more of the same.

I love this slightly differently themed video. Thanks Lewis.

Brilliant video!

Yeah, why not. Some railway history is always of interest. :)

What a curiosity this is. Fascinating stuff!

Fab video, so interesting thank you ! 😊

I would love to know more about this railway, I remember driving around the estate in the late 80s. I was totally side tracked if you pardon the pun, I found it really interesting as I had never seen anything like it before. Never saw a train and that would of been icing on the cake.

They should bring part of it back as a Metrolink spur from the Trafford Centre line to serve employees of the estate

Nice to see that most wig-wags are still there there are some other crossings in trafford park which have been completly removed but the tracks still remain and some crossings there was a crossing on Europa Gate which had 5 wig-wags and 2 pedestrain lights, all those lights are gone now there is another crossing near the other crosing on John Gilbert way which had 4 wig-wags and 2 pedestrain lights also now gone there is another one which is a foot crossing on Europa Way witch has 2 pedestrain lights crossing still remains and a crossing on Westinghouse road witch had 4 wig-wags but now has 3, crossing still remains and all the tracks have been removed maybe you can add these crossings if you're making another video about abandoned crossings around trafford park :)

Cool 😎 variety makes things interesting, infrastructure oddities are pretty neat to me, so yeah I'd like to see more👍👍

You know a crowd like us that watches radio tower videos will love railroads as well.

Awesome! Very interesting! Would love to see more videos like this! Always wonder if they are any original 1960s wig wags still around? Just a though that occurred to me while watching. Considering this line was from the 80s I would think that the logic running the lights would be analogue? I hope these are rescued when they are eventually brought down. Brilliant video!

I've driven or walked through there a bunch of times and always hoped I'd see a train. It is surprising that the track is still there as network rail tend to want to pull up all rail it can to reuse it elsewhere, but I guess Trafford Park is privately owned and the rails probably owned by...Peel is it? I certainly wish there was more freight train use than trucks, so I hope some of it could become in use once again.

We have crossings here in Central FL where the Amtrak is mostly through the cross before the lights go and the bar lowers. Very dangerous

Good video lewis always good to change it up when things arent great in the world of content. No radios to review or play with besides the CB one. All the best 73 de Paul 2E0IJE

When the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich was operating at its height there was in excess of 120 miles of trains track.

Hope you do the disused Timperley to partington,cadishead line one day,and also the shell branchline which is accessible into the place now

Very interesting stuff for sure. I'll gladly learn some obscure railway stuff from across the pond

Railways (disused or otherwise) aren't really my thing. But you put a lot of work into this video (as you do on all of them!) which even I found interesting and very atmospheric - particularly with your choice of music. Odd all that metalwork hasn't been removed. I had no idea about the illuminated signal on the long-disused line! Thanks again Lewis!!

Notice a pedestrian crossing light there made by Forest City formerly of Timperley - must've liked using local suppliers back in the day!

11.04. The signal would not be green. It would be a flashing white light to indicate to the driver that the crossing was working normally. It was then safe to proceed after a check around.

Some of those "Keep Crossing Clear" signs still look younger than the roads around them, as if they've actually been replaced in more recent years, or have simply just aged pretty well.

I love your abandoned railroad videos. You need to do more. Especially film the old signals and switch towers.

Great video

Love this railway stuff!

@RingwayManchester >>> Those manually operated railroad crossings are interesting. This video reminds me of my childhood: Growing up in St. Petersburg, Florida, there was a railroad yard about a mile {or maybe less} to the east of my parent's home. I remember watching the diesel switch engines moving RR cars around. My parents moved back to Indiana around 1992, and I moved to North Carolina {from where I was living in South Florida} in 1995. I have not been back to St. Pete since the early 90s, but I have checked Google Earth. In the intervening years those RR yards were closed.

It would be cool to hear more about this railway.

Change of pace, but very enjoyable - more please!

My dad used to work at MetroVics and then Jone's sewing machines back in the 50s.

I cycle round there most days and I always "clench" as I go over them especially if they are not at a right angle to me.

Before I was born, the cluster of cities in the middle of Illinois had electric interurban trains between them and an electric tram system within each city. I was born in 1961, and by then they were all defunct, though until I was nearly 20 there were rail crossings with no other rail in sight, and other such oddities. During the Second World War, it was trivial to set up train and tram service to the munitions plant near Illiopolis so that every shift could go to and from their homes in Decatur and Springfield by rail. (Handling a lot of explosives near a small town roughly halfway between two small cities was considered more prudent than putting it near either city.)

Good content, Music works well with the environment.

I really enjoyed this video

A real shame its falling apart 🙁 i wonder if theres any old film of all this working somewhere

Great photography and, perhaps strangely, but the retro-futuristic soundtrack seemed to encapsulate it so well.