Gillingham Level Crossing, Medway (Kent)

Описание: Date filmed: Sunday the 29th of September 2024
Videos filmed between 15:32 and 16:28

Route: Chatham Main Line
Gillingham (Kent) (GLM) is the closest station

Crossing type: Manually Controlled Barrier crossing with CCTV (MCB-CCTV)

Filming location: Ingram Road, Gillingham (ME7 1YL)

Just under an hour spent at this busy Chatham Main Line level crossing in Gillingham beside the medium-sized Gillingham Depot in Medway, Kent. This level crossing on Ingram Road in Upper Gillingham is by far and away Kent's busiest level crossing for railway movements, and there's no shortage of trains here typically. Bear in mind, this was filmed on a Sunday (it's still really busy) and you can also see various trains stabled in the depot and nearby sidings. There are quiet alarms here, LED wigwags, and four LED pedestrian signals which were commissioned when this level crossing was re-controlled from the former signal box, which still overlooks it, to the glass building on the left as you look towards the station (East Kent Signalling Centre). The barrier pedestals are the same ones that came with this level crossing's original commissioning in its current form back in 2004, and they're un-common 'SPX Fluid Power' variants, though one had quite a new-looking barrier arm on this visit owing to a recent barrier strike.

Seven lowerings in total feature here, and a variety of traffic is seen. The main highlight was the seasonal 'Rail Head Treatment Train', a water-spraying train using very high-powered water jets to blast leaf-fall from the railway; this one was topped and tailed by two retro Class 73 'Shoebox' electric locomotives, and was performing duties on the Medway Valley Line and Chatham Main Line as far as Sittingbourne. Thanks to it turning around there, it could be seen twice here within the space of about 45 minutes, though not too much water jet action was seen up close due to the abundance of point work here - they cannot have the jets powering when they travel through points. I hope you enjoy these videos!

Trains featured:
Start of video - 0:00
-
700 026 (Thameslink) - 0:20
9A44 Rainham (Kent) ➡ Plumstead | On-time
-
Lowering 1 (1:02):
700 048 (Thameslink) (1) - 2:01
9A35 Plumstead ➡ Rainham (Kent) | On-time
-
Lowering 2 (2:29):
73 136 & 73 213 (GB Railfreight) & Rail Head Treatment Train - 3:38
3W75 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf ➡ Tonbridge West Yard GBRf (Via the Medway Valley & Sittingbourne) | 3 minutes early
-
Lowering 3 (4:29):
1) 375 710 & 375 927 (Southeastern) - 5:08
1U74 Ramsgate ➡ London Victoria | 3 minutes late

2) 395 001 & 395 023 (Southeastern) - 5:38
1C42 St. Pancras International ➡ Ramsgate | On-time

3) 700 048 (Thameslink) (2) - 6:19
9A46 Rainham (Kent) ➡ Plumstead | 3 minutes late
-
Lowering 4 (7:01):
700 008 (Thameslink) - 7:50
9A37 Plumstead ➡ Rainham (Kent) | On-time
-
Lowering 5 (8:24):
375 912 & 375 915 (Southeastern) - 9:24
1U24 London Victoria ➡ Ramsgate | On-time
-
Lowering 6 (9:57):
395 028 & 395 004 (Southeastern) - 10:45
1C49 Ramsgate ➡ St. Pancras International | 1 minute early
-
Lowering 7 - Windy! (11:15):
73 213 & 73 136 (GB Railfreight) & Rail Head Treatment Train - 11:45
3W75 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf ➡ Tonbridge West Yard GBRf (Via the Medway Valley & Sittingbourne) | On-time
-
End-of-video picture showcase: 12:29

Train details sourced from:
Real Time Trains: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sear...
Open Train Times: https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps
Traksy: https://traksy.uk/live

Filmed on: Panasonic HC-VX1 in 4K, 25fps

Thanks for watching!