Date filmed: 02/08/2021
Videos filmed at: 13:15 | 13:26 | 13:37
Route: Birmingham to Peterborough Line
- Oakham Station
Location: B640 Barleythorpe Road, Oakham
Trains:
Lowering 1 (0:00):
1) 2 Class 67s and Test Train (Colas Rail) - 2:20
Derby R.T.C (Network Rail) ➡ Eastleigh Arlington (Zg)
2) Class 170 (Cross Country) - 3:15
Stanstead Airport ➡ Birmingham New Street
-
Lowering 2 (Starts at 3:51):
1) Class 222 (East Midlands Railway - Intercity) - 5:50
Melton Mowbray ➡ St. Pancras International
2) Light Class 66 (DB Cargo UK) - 6:16
Peterborough L.I.P ➡ Toton T.M.D
-
Lowering 3 (Starts at 7:39):
Class 170 (Cross Country) - 9:38
Birmingham New Street ➡ Stanstead Airport
Featuring: Kent Rail Observer | EWS Trains
A large level crossing with four full-length barriers located on a very busy road junction, found just away from Oakham's town centre on a major route into/out of the town, and next to Oakham's Railway Station, the only railway station within the small county of Rutland. The signal box located next to this level crossing controls and monitors it from on-site, and there are a total of seven LED wigwags at this level crossing due to the high number of busy approaches to it, each arranged in a certain way which gives this level crossing a rather interesting set-up. Three pairs of wigwags are on top of each other, whilst only one of the four supporting masts holds only a single set of warning lights (wigwags). There are only two alarms here, though one of these produces a continuous flat tone, with the working alarm being reasonably audible over the very high level of traffic which uses this level crossing. A large pedestrian footbridge allows foot traffic to skip waiting at the barriers, though since there is no bridge or underpass over/under the road here, it is very difficult to cross the road at the level crossing safely with the barriers up without needing to walk to a nearby zebra crossing.
Additionally, there are two sets of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at this level crossing, each located on the backs of wigwags closest to the station, and these, along with additional 'red light' cameras, capture impatient drivers ignoring the warnings here, of which there are, presumably as it's so busy, plenty. The exit-side wigwag closest to the station, as well as the bottom of the two wigwags closest to the signal box, additionally have cameras pointing towards them from black rods as to prove to the signal box that these work, as they are otherwise not visible from the signal box.
Three separate lowerings are featured in this video. In the first of these, a Network Rail test train, hauled and trailed at each end by a Colas Rail Class 67, is seen passing through towards Corby on its route towards Eastleigh via Weymouth from Derby, a short while before a Cross Country Services arrived from Stanstead Airport heading to Birmingham. An East Midlands Railway Intercity class 222 is then seen in the second lowering on its journey from Melton Mowbray to London St. Pancras International, in turn a few minutes before a light Class 66 passed for Toton around ten minutes early. Another Cross Country Class 170 is then seen in the third lowering departing for Stanstead Airport from Birmingham.
Purely by co-incidence, two other railway videographers (Kent Rail Observer and EWS Trains) were also at Oakham Station at the same time as I was filming here, to capture the test train here. In the third lowering, EWS Trains can be seen filming the level crossing from the other side, with Kent Rail Observer also there photographing the departing Cross Country Service.
Thanks for watching!