Seasonal Track Cleaners at Beltring Level Crossing, Kent

Описание: Date(s) filmed: Friday the 4th / Sunday the 6th of October 2024
Videos filmed at: 13:45 | 13:52 / 15:08 | 15:36 | 16:07

Route: Medway Valley Line
Beltring (BEG) Station

Crossing type: Automatic Half Barrier Crossing (AHBC)

Filming location: Gravelly Ways, Beltring (ME18 6DA)

An automatic half barrier level crossing on a very unusually-named road (Gravelly Ways) next to Beltring Railway Station, a quiet, rural Kent station located across the A228 from the Hop Farm along a road with nearly no pedestrian walkway. This level crossing has very loud alarms, and a lot of the equipment including them dates back to a partial renewal which happened throughout 2017. The LED wigwags still remain from before then, as does the control circuitry which still silences the alarms when the barriers are down - very rare for half-barrier crossings nowadays. For north-bound trains towards Maidstone and Strood, this crossing can be a risky one with a fairly lengthy barrier down time and no continuous audible warning or full barrier protection.

This video contains clips filmed on two different dates and with vastly contrasting weather conditions. Due to what I was able to film and feature here, passenger trains are actually out-numbered by what the title hints at in this video - Rail Head Treatment Trains. Both dates were in early 'leaf fall season' where falling leaves pose a serious risk to the safety of running trains to the point where these were actually given priority over certain passenger train timings. Mostly, these are water-spraying trains which physically blast leaf-fall from the railway, but some also apply 'Sandite' (sand, anti-freeze and steel shot) - a substance that combats against the effect of the dreaded 'leaves on the line'.

Two of these were the '3W' headcode trains from Tonbridge West Yard, characterised by retro Class 73 locomotive and large blue tanks, with the third being a more standard and common 'Multi Purpose Vehicle' with its water jets built into the units. The rear locomotive on the second was the reason that brought me out again to this location so quickly (other than not feeling like I'd spent enough time here on the Friday) being in old pre-privatisation 'Network South East' livery and branding, and also bearing a recently-given name of an amazing heritage railway the person behind the camera is incredibly familiar with - The Kent and East Sussex Railway. It was named at its special gala event back in June 2024 celebrating 50 years of preservation. Enjoy!

Trains featured:
Lowering 1 (0:00):
375 309 (Southeastern) - 0:52
2T36 Strood ➡ Paddock Wood | On-time
-
Lowering 2 (1:25):
73 107 & 73 201 (GB Railfreight) & Rail Head Treatment Train - 2:08
3W01 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf ➡ Tonbridge West Yard GBRf (via The Medway Valley and Isle of Sheppey) | ~ 136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes) Early!
-
Lowering 3 (2:37):
73 213 & 73 128 "Kent & East Sussex Railway" (GB Railfreight) & Rail Head Treatment Train - 3:10
3W75 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf ➡ Tonbridge West Yard GBRf (Via The Medway Valley & South East London) | 8 minutes late
-
Lowering 4 (3:35):
375 302 (Southeastern) - 4:46
2T47 Paddock Wood ➡ Strood | On-time
-
Lowering 5 (5:24):
DR 98990 & DR 98930 Multi Purpose Vehicle (Network Rail) - 5:59
3S71 Tonbridge Engineers Sidings ➡ Tonbridge Engineers Sidings (Via The Medway Valley & South East London) | 2 minutes late
-
End-of-video picture showcase: 6:23

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!