Volunteers combine to install new gates at Wansford
THE Nene Valley Railway’s Wansford level crossing has benefitted from a new set of wooden gates following the deterioration of the previous ones which had been in place almost 30 years.
The crossing, which is mechanically operated from the adjacent Wansford signalbox, controls traffic over the Old Great North Road. Built by the LNWR as part of its primary route into Peterborough from London, the level crossing has remained in constant operation and is a key feature of the line, both prior to and during preservation.
The newly-installed gates have been made in-house at the NVR by a dedicated team of volunteers and are exact copies of the previous gates.
All the metalwork has been cleaned and painted, with newly-painted lamps fixed to the gates, which for the first time have received new brackets to sit on, rather than being bolted directly through the top beam.
The gates were moved into position on November 7 and the signalling and telegraph team spent the next few days completing the installation.
It is the third set of level crossing gates at Wansford in the time that the NVR has been in operation. During the course of the year the gates are moved hundreds of times, which adds stress to the wooden structure.
Several decades of use and exposure to all weathers took its toll on the previous gates, which had begun to fail in the last year. Signallers at Wansford had experienced difficulty in winding the gates and extra timbers were employed to brace the failing frames.
This new set of gates not only looks fantastic but will ensure consistent operation for many years to come.
NVR signalling and telecoms manager Keith Parkinson said: “The installation of the new gates is a great achievement for all those involved, from those who made the gates through to my team who installed them. This is a perfect example of volunteers with a passion for heritage preservation working together towards a common goal.
“I’m pleased we have been able to safeguard the operation of the level crossing for years to come with these fine examples of rail infrastructure. This is one of the first things visitors to the railway see as they arrive and so it is important the crossing has been restored to its former glory.”
It is hoped that the Grade II Listed LNWR Wansford signalbox, built in 1907, will receive similar treatment in the not-too-distant future and be repainted to complement the newlyrestored crossing.