LEVEL CROSSINGS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 104, 1 April 1926, Page 9

LEVEL CROSSINGS

(To tho Editor.) Sir,—l noticed in your issue of the 16th instant a statement by the Prime Minister as Minister for Railways setting fortli tho policy of tho department in eliminating the inoro dangerous level crossings and erecting warning bells at other places. 1 wish to point out to your renders, sir, that the Department or Parliament are doing practically nothing to copo with this danger. Some four or fivo years ago 1 submitted to the Department, and later to a Parliamentary Committee, an automatic gate and warning boll, lights, etc., which the Department turned down with groundless reasons, and' which tho Parliamentary Committee referred to the Government for consideration. A trial gate would cost from £2OO to £3OO, and when everything was in working order the Department should be able to erect them from £IOO to £l5O per crossing. These gates are worked by trains in motion in the following manner:

(1) A boll commences to ring; a red light shows; a signal moves. (2) One gate closes swinging away from tho railway line and closing half tho road. (3) A second gate closes, also swinging away from tlio railway line, and completely closing the road for traffic. (4) AVhen tho train has passed oyer tho level crossing the gates , will swing open again for road traffic. A turn-stilo attachment is fitted to tho end of the first gate, eliminating the risk of crushing anything that might bo caught between the two gates. The reasons given by the Department for not adopting the gate are as follows: (1) Not altogether free from danger to tho users of railway crossings.

(2) Too costly. Now, sir, these aro simply excuses which, I think, will be clear to anyono who reads this letter. I will first deal with No. I—“not altogether free from danger.” The signals and lights can be placed in any position desired, holf-a-milo from the crossing, if desirable. The public would know that the signal was a sign that a gate was going to swing half-way across the roadway and immediately after or simultaneously, if desired, a second gate would close, thus closing the road for traffic. If a motor car were to be driven straight at the gate I venture to say it would bo much less dangerous than an engine coming at right angles. The driver of a motor car or cycle knows that with the engine it is a case of first past the post, as it were, and a lot of drivers race for it.

With the gate it is very different. The gate is swinging across the road to meet the driver, and if he does not stop the gate will save him from tho engine, but he would need to be very drunk or partly insane if he neglected to stop. The hell would he heard above the noise of any engine, coupled with moving signals and red lights. Therefore I think I have gone a long way to make these gates free from dangor. I would be prepared to swing on the end of the second gato while it closes the road by locking itself into the first one. if a flock of sheep were oil tho lino over 80 per cent would be swept clear by the gates in operation. No. 2, “Too costly.”—This is certainly an excuse, as tho gates would save all tho salaries of gato-keepers and crossing-keopers at present employed by tho Railway Department. This saving would amount to over £SOOO and perhaps not under £IO,OOO per annum. If £SOOO per annum wore used to pay interest aiul sinking fund on a loan maturing in 36 years, you would have sufficient finance to erect these gates at nearly every crossing in New Zealand and Australia. There is one thing that tho Government would miss, and that is the doath duties on the people who are being killed nearly every week. 1 noticed quite recently that five people were killed in two days. Now, sir, to show that I am not striving to become wealthy through tho sale ot patent rights, I desire to state that the gate would be free to the Railway Department; no patent rights would be charged whatsoever. So it tile Department ha 3 any grounds for not erecting a trial gate I would be very pleased to hear what they are. 1 am, etm, gCHREIBER; Rongotea.