White-striped ATC light?

[UKboy]

Why is there white stripes on this ATC light pole

https://www.google.com/maps/@54.1699928 ... 312!8i6656

I am unsure if this still exists, because this is in 2011, and has long since been replaced with an AOCL+B and I have not seen this before, any suggestions of why?

[Nathan_A_RF]

Could just be decorative. Incidentally these type of lights are redundant as no double track AOCLs exist in the UK now, some of these lights have even been removed at AOCL+Bs.

[traffic-light-man]

I quite like them being on striped posts - perhaps someone fond of the old regs? This image in the gallery shows them without stripes.

Interestingly, I've just noted the current Dorman LED 'Another Train Coming' signals are not compliant with the TSRGD given the colours are inverted. The TSRGD also seems to have the signals at 210mm diameter, rather than the 200mm used for the aspects of wig wags and railway pedestrian signals.

I'm surprised the majority of wig-wag-width Another Train Coming illuminating signs were removed in the UK in favour of the wordy fixed signs. It seems a bit of a backwards move to me.

I happen to have been reading a few RAIB reports lately. Several suggest accidents have been the result of issues to do with the conspicuity of active crossing equipment, particularly those silhouetted by the sun. I find it strange that advance warning signals (where the driver's distance before noticing it isn't a danger) never seem to be posed as a solution, despite their popularity in other countries.

Having said that, one report following a fatality in such circumstances mentioned a silhouetted telegraph pole could have been mistaken for a barrier in the raised position. The crossing in question now has the Siemens US-style barriers that 'require' a tall post, which I would imagine exacerbates that particular issue somewhat

[Gareth]

I quite like the Japanese level crossings which, in addition to the wigwags, has illumated red arrows to indicate a train is still to come and from which direction.

[AndyB]

I quite like them being on striped posts - perhaps someone fond of the old regs? This image in the gallery shows them without stripes.

Interestingly, I've just noted the current Dorman LED 'Another Train Coming' signals are not compliant with the TSRGD given the colours are inverted. The TSRGD also seems to have the signals at 210mm diameter, rather than the 200mm used for the aspects of wig wags and railway pedestrian signals.

I'm surprised the majority of wig-wag-width Another Train Coming illuminating signs were removed in the UK in favour of the wordy fixed signs. It seems a bit of a backwards move to me.

I happen to have been reading a few RAIB reports lately. Several suggest accidents have been the result of issues to do with the conspicuity of active crossing equipment, particularly those silhouetted by the sun. I find it strange that advance warning signals (where the driver's distance before noticing it isn't a danger) never seem to be posed as a solution, despite their popularity in other countries.

Having said that, one report following a fatality in such circumstances mentioned a silhouetted telegraph pole could have been mistaken for a barrier in the raised position. The crossing in question now has the Siemens US-style barriers that 'require' a tall post, which I would imagine exacerbates that particular issue somewhat

High voltage neon signs were provided for 2nd generation AHBs, which were rather expensive, and were dispensed with as a result - there is no lit sign for it as the barriers of an AHB or ABCL are the reminder.

I can't help wondering how much use the ATC light is at the remaining AOCLs, if any still remain on double track, because you couldn't accuse it of being prominent, and the x height will surely be poor.

[traffic-light-man]

there is no lit sign for it as the barriers of an AHB or ABCL are the reminder.

Which makes one wonder why they were deemed necessary in the first case. Surely by their replacement stage, alternative technologies would have made them more viable. Not as cost efficient as a metal sign, I suppose.

I can't help wondering how much use the ATC light is at the remaining AOCLs, if any still remain on double track, because you couldn't accuse it of being prominent, and the x height will surely be poor.

I think a mellor-type 300mm lens would have done a better job at that, given it would have reduced the direct beam of light to give more chance of reading the text. Or indeed, the reversal of the colours like the current offerings likely also gives a much better legibility.

[AndyB]

Yes, considering that was the 1980s, you would have thought it would be straightforward to mould a suitable internal reflector for a rectangular lit sign with x-size not less than 50mm and a simple relay to make a tungsten bulb flash.

I totally agree that red on black is more easily distinguished than the other way round - perhaps the idea was that road users would catch on to the extra red light before they saw what was on it?