Level Crossing, Dapto (Darkes Rd) NSW, Australia.

The first activation is shown at 1:55 and the second activation seems to have been a malfunction of some kind.

This is the Darkes Road level crossing at Dapto, New South Wales. It is located on the South Coast Line between Wollongong and Kiama. There is nothing special about the equipment here, this being a typical new Sydney Trains installation. The main reasons for filming here are I like the surrounding scenery and wanted to film the junction for the Wongawilli Branch Line which is just south of the crossing.

These signals were installed on May 10, 2015 and replaced the original gate-less signals which dated back to June 29, 1976. Both signals have Western Cullen Hayes bases, Western Cullen Hayes gate mechanisms, United Group LED lights and Western Cullen Hayes electronic bells. The bell on the eastern signal rings from start up until the gates rise, while the bell on the western signal rings until the gates have lowered.

Train information:
All passenger trains shown are Sydney Trains services to/from Kiama.

The first/second freight is the same train, being locomotives 8229 and 8203 on WW03 empty coal from Inner Harbour to Wongawilli Mine, then returning loaded to Inner Harbour as train number WW04.

The third freight train is 3930 grain from Cootamundra to Bomaderry (Nowra), with locomotives 8157, 8137 and 8169.

Filmed on November 18, 2018.

[maxstrainsfanssmash]

Excellent video! I like the WCH e bells, also I hope you had better luck filming than I did thanks to a bursted sewer at the railway crossing I was filming at.

[CoastalOCRailfan]

Great video! It's cool that you know exactly what day these were installed.

[stephenwilliamson]

For a crossing that was relatively recently installed, the activation times are nice and short, and the crossing clears relatively quickly as well. The long activation time between the train leaving the branch and crossing the road was to be expected, but once the driver put the boot into the 82, the train got going fairly quickly. Loved the shot of the train disappearing up the branch with the escarpment in the background. Thanks for sharing.

[trainman]

Great video! Love the scenery around this crossing, especially that shot with the Wongawilli coal train and the mountains in the background! Interesting how the counterweights on one of the signals are painted black! Bit of a shame the gate-less signals are gone now...

[dapto]

Wow good video...I lived in Dapto area for nearly 20 yrs and its rare to see an 8 car electric train on this branch line to Wongawilli needs some good weed killer spray on it to keep down that grass in between the tracks.

[freebrickproductions]

Great video! Even if it is a newer install, the signals are pretty nice. One of the gate arms seems a bit limp though, and the arm whacks the mast when it raises, I've noticed.

[MrBnsftrain]

I like how the e-bells go in an out of sync!
It was also neat to see that coal train go in and then out of the branch line!
The 2nd activation was quite unusual! it could've been someone or something on the detection points!

[devionweems]

Very wonderful video. I have a question . is palm trees native to Australia ?

[jeffkitney]

They go rain hail or shine on of all the time