Level crossing

[villan]

I need to put in a level crossing that will go across two lines on a curve. My laylout is on a loop and I must have a way for vehicluar access to the centre. I've tried a bridge but there isn't sufficient room with everything else on the layout to have a decent slope from the bridge.

The level crossing kits I've found do not have big enough gates to meet in the middle when they are across the tracks and if they don't meet I think it will look a little silly.

Does anyone know of a kit that will suit or any plans/designs to scratch build one?

THANKS

[poliss]

Have you looked at the peco ST-266 Curved level crossing?

[villan]

Although this is curved it doesn't look like the gates would meet when over the track if it where used with more than one curve.

[stuartp]

Provided the gate covers the full width of the road when closed to road traffic, it doesn't necessarily need to completely fence off the railway when open to road traffic. It looks odd but it's prototypical.

If you really can't live with it you could always turn it into an AHB, Peco do the barriers.

[poliss]

The only OO one I could find where the gates looked like they meet is the old Triang R414 curved level crossing.

[villan]

Provided the gate covers the full width of the road when closed to road traffic, it doesn't necessarily need to completely fence off the railway when open to road traffic. It looks odd but it's prototypical.

If you really can't live with it you could always turn it into an AHB, Peco do the barriers.

Is does look odd must admit.

Can't use a AHB because I think it would be too modern. Although my layout is not specific to one age or environment I am aiming around the early 60's.

[stuartp]

Hmm, fair enough. In that case there's another option, depending on what your vehicular access leads to. If it's a private road leading to, for example, a factory, isolated group of houses, goods yard etc, then it wouldn't have a public level crossing, it would have an occupation crossing instead. No controls or associated signalling, the gates would generally be 9' wide and open outwards away from the railway. Use is restricted to the occupiers of the property (hence 'occupation' crossing) and those having legitimate reasons to visit them - postman, bin wagon, visitors etc. Users are entirely responsible for opening the gates and looking both ways, and for closing the gates afterwards on pain of a 40 shilling fine for not so doing. The reason the gates open outwards is so that they don't obstruct the line if left open. Ratio do a kit including (I think) some pedestrian wicket gates and warning signs.

If, on the other hand, you've got shops or a pub etc in there then that suggests a public highway and you're back to gates closed across the railway.

[villan]

It will go to shops, houses etc. but thanks for the help. I think I will go with the gates opening across the track but not meeting. All I need now is a picture of some to work from and to decide whether to include a gate keepers house/cottage/hut .