Railway Crossing

Plastic kit for a railroad crossing with barriers

• Scale 1:35
• Rail sections, barriers, warning signs, crossing beams
• Not built, not painted
• Paint and glue not included

Typical level crossings in the 1930s and 1940s were often secured by manually operated barriers. These usually consisted of wooden barrier arms marked with red and white stripes, operated by a crossing keeper. The keeper was stationed in a small crossing box or gatehouse right next to the crossing and received notification of approaching trains via telephone, telegraph, or trackside signals.

Before a train passed, the barriers were closed using a hand crank or a lever mechanism. The movement was transmitted from the operating device to the barriers via wire cables or linkage rods. Once the train had passed, the keeper reopened the barriers to road traffic.

In Germany, full barrier systems - blocking both the entry and exit sides of the road - were common. However, half-barriers or simple swing gates were also found on secondary lines. In rural areas, crossings often consisted merely of gravel paths, wooden planks laid between the rails, and a small keeper's hut.