Level Crossing, Kensington VIC, Australia.

The first activation is shown at 4:30
This is the Macaulay Rd level crossing at Kensington, Victoria. It is located on the Craigieburn/Seymour line, just a few kilometres from the Melbourne CBD.
These signals were installed on February 25, 1965 and have undergone many equipment changes in the intervening years, to keep things simple I will only focus on the existing equipment.
Both gated signals have McKenzie & Holland bases, Safetran gate mechanisms, Artcraft gate lights and General Signals Type 1 electronic bells. The bells were installed in 1998 and are the last remaining GS Type 1 bells in Melbourne, quite possibly all of Australia. The bell on the western side of the crossing rings from start up until the gates have lowered, while the eastern bell rings for the entire activation. Both bells are in poor sounding condition and it is amazing they have survived this long.
The crossing has a rather crazy mixture of lights and I can only presume it was used as a testing ground for different LED brands. The eastern gated signal has one pair of Alstom red LED lights (the only ones in Victoria) and a pair of Westinghouse incandescent lights. The western gated signal has 3 Westinghouse incandescent lights and 1 Western Cullen Hayes first generation LED which is mounted in a Westinghouse frame.
Despite this seemingly random mixture of lights both gated signals still retain their original McKenzie & Holland crossarms with the junction box covers being painted white, breaking from the normal Victorian custom of the entire crossarm assembly being painted black.
The gate-less signals here have a more normal range of equipment, with the eastern signal having an unmarked base and McKenzie & Holland crossarm with Westinghouse incandescent lights. The western signal is much newer and replaced the original signal some time around 2006, it has an unmarked base and a pair of Westinghouse LED lights.
Filmed on July 8 & 9, 2022 and March 13, 2023.

[@freebrickproductions]

Great video and crossing! The western one sounds like it has a pretty good tone to it to my ears, at least in the first couple of activations, the eastern one is definitely rather tinny & scratchy-sounding. Love the GS Type 1s there regardless though!

[@TazzieTransport]

Nice Documentation of the First and Last GS1's in Australia!!

[@JRussellProductions]

Strewth, E-bells dated back to 1998. That is absolutely bizzar. I only heard about these e-bells back in 2008 when the Yerong Creek Plunkett Street crossing was uprgaded to boomgates whilst using some recycled old parts for it that still stands today. But wow didn't know E-bells were first invented in the Late 90s. the more you know I guess.😅

[@HybridBell]

The first GS E-bells were invented in the early 1990s (circa 1991) however some claim the first prototype was created in 1989. The Type 1’s at Kensington are actually the 6th revision.

[@ethansNZtrains]

Nice job! If you didn’t know (which you probably did actually but I’m going to say it anyway), there is a crossing just east of this crossing under the Citylink toll road, which appears to still have hybrid bells, (unlike many that were replaced) otherwise, nice video! (Just realised TrickyMario was kind of ahead of me on that one but at least you kind of know where it is again)

[@KFCBOY-nd4qg]

Your talking about Macaulay road?

[@trainman758]

Nice video! Certainly an interesting crossing!

[@McKHAust]

Thanks :)

[@tomc951]

GS Type 1 sound normal at night

[@HybridBell]

Great video. Enjoyed filming this unique crossing with you.

[@McKHAust]

Thanks, it was fun filming with you :)

[@tomhenry6440]

Happy new year. This is Australias last gs1's

[@McKHAust]

Thanks, happy new year!

[@jacktherailwayenthusiast3343]

Great video Michael

[@McKHAust]

Thanks Jack

[@TrickyMario7654]

Man, those GS Type 1s are really sounding beat up. Metro have replaced other bells (especially Mechanical ones) which were in much better shape than these! Did you film the other crossing on Macaulay Road? Also nice to see a number of Comengs here.

[@McKHAust]

I'm guessing Metro aren't worried about replacing e-bells until they actually die, in any case it would be a difficult job, would need an oxy torch because the bolts are totally rusted up. Yes I did film the other crossing.

[@TrickyMario7654]

@@McKHAust Ah nice, I told you this before, but it used to have a setup similar to what is at Yanco where there was a separate pair of signals for a siding track, but they were removed when Citylink was built in 1997-98. Arden Street had a similar set up, but the crossing had the entire set up replaced with the current signals there at the same time.