S.I. No. 161/1963:

CÓRAS IOMPAIR ÉIREANN (CASTLEBELLINGHAM-DUNDALK) (COMMONS LEVEL CROSSING) ORDER, 1963.

CÓRAS IOMPAIR ÉIREANN (CASTLEBELLINGHAM-DUNDALK) (COMMONS LEVEL CROSSING) ORDER, 1963.

I, ERSKINE H. CHILDERS, Minister for Transport and Power, on the application of Córas Iompair Éireann and in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 9 of the Transport Act, 1958 (No. 19 of 1958), and the Transport, Fuel and Power (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1959, ( S.I. No. 125 of 1959 ), after consultation with the Minister for Local Government, hereby order as follows:--

1. This Order may be cited as the Córas Iompair Éireann (Castlebellingham-Dundalk) (Commons Level Crossing) Order, 1963.

2. In this Order--

"the Board" means Córas Iompair Éireann;

"the Minister" means the Minister for Transport and Power;

"the crossing" means that place where the Board's railway between Castlebellingham and Dundalk stations crosses on the level a public road running between Dromiskin and Gibstown in the townland of Commons, Parish of Dromiskin and County of Louth;

"roadway" means that portion of the said road which is provided primarily for the use of vehicles;

"left" and "right" mean, respectively, left and right looking towards the crossing from the adjoining portion of the said road.

3. This Order shall come into operation on the 2nd day of September, 1963.

4. The following provisions shall cease to apply to the crossing--

(a) section 9 of the Railway Regulation Act, 1842, and section 47 of the Railways' Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845,

(b) any Order, rule or regulation relating to railways and applying to the crossing before the making of this Order.

5. The Board shall provide, maintain and operate an automatically controlled half-barrier (hereinafter called the "barrier") at each side of the crossing.

6. Each barrier shall--

(a) be constructed of wood or other lightweight material and have a fracture segment incorporated near the pivoting point;

(b) have alternate red and white bands of reflecting material on the face thereof and a red band at the tip, the bands to be approximately two feet wide;

(c) have two steady red electric lights one of which shall be placed approximately half-way along the length of the barrier and the other of which shall be placed within six inches of the end of, and on top of, the same and each of which shall be of not less power than six watts and be so placed as to shine both ways along the road;

(d) be pivoted at the left side of the road and be of such length that, when lowered, the barrier shall extend as close as possible to the centre line of the road and that the tip thereof shall be not more than one foot from the centre and not less than ten feet from the far edge of the roadway.

7. Each barrier shall be so designed--

(a) that, when raised, it shall be approximately vertical and that no part thereof shall then be within one foot six inches of the roadway;

(b) that, when lowered, it shall be at, or nearly at, right angles to the centre line of the roadway with the underside thereof not less than two feet nine inches and not more than three feet three inches above the roadway;

(c) that it shall be capable of being operated from a position near the crossing by the Board's servants for testing purposes and in case of emergency or failure of the automatic operation of the equipment.

8. The barriers shall be operated electrically and controlled by track circuits or treadles on the railway line on each approach to the crossing.

9. The Board shall provide and maintain--

(a) two red lights, inscribed with the word "stop", flashing alternately and shining both ways along the road, on or adjacent to each barrier pivot post and such lights shall be two feet apart and not less than eight feet above the road surface and shall have a combined flashing rate of between fifty and seventy flashes per minute;

(b) a loud two-tone gong at each side of the crossing;

(c) an electric sign at each side of the crossing on or near the right side of the road capable of displaying in illuminated letters the words "second train coming ";

(d) an alternative power supply of sufficient capacity to operate the barriers, flashing lights, barrier lights, electric sign and gongs for not less than twelve hours.

10. All appliances relating to the operation of the barriers shall be arranged and operated so that--

(a) the flashing lights shall start to flash and the gongs shall start sounding not less than six nor more than eight seconds before the barriers begin to fall;

(b) the movement of lowering the barriers shall occupy not less than. eight nor more than ten seconds and such movement shall automatically switch on the electric lights on the barriers;

(c) the movement of lowering the barriers shall be completed not less than five seconds before the arrival of any train at the crossing;

(d) the gongs shall cease sounding as soon as the movement of lowering the barriers has been completed;

(e) the flashing lights shall continue to flash and the barrier lights shall remain illuminated, while the barriers are in the lowered position;

(f) the barriers shall remain lowered until the train which caused the barriers to fall has passed the crossing and, if, before that train has so passed the crossing, a second train approaching the crossing from the opposite direction has reached the track circuits or treadles by which the barriers are caused to be lowered, the barriers shall continue to remain so lowered and the sign referred to in paragraph (c) of Article 9 hereof shall become and remain electrically illuminated with the words "second train coming" until such other train has also passed the crossing;

(g) the barriers shall commence to rise to their raised position as soon as the period during which they should be in the lowered position, as laid down by the preceding paragraph, has expired, and shall remain in their raised position for not less than six seconds;

(h) the flashing lights shall cease flashing as soon as the barriers commence to rise and the lights on the barriers shall be extinguished as the barriers approach their raised position;

(i) the alternative power supply referred to in paragraph (d) of Article 9 of this Order shall come into operation automatically if the main power supply should fail;

(j) the barriers shall fall to, and remain in, the lowered position if all power supplies should fail or if there should be any defect in any of the appliances relating thereto.

11. The Board shall provide and maintain--

(a) a telephone at the crossing, which shall be connected to one of the Board's signal boxes, and notices at each side of the crossing instructing road-users to telephone the said signal box if there is undue delay or if any appliance does not appear to be functioning properly;

(b) warning notices on the railway line at each approach to the crossing instructing drivers of trains to cause the train or engine whistles or horns to be sounded continuously up to the crossing;

(c) a good road surface on the crossing and extending for three feet beyond the left and right edges thereof, such edges to be marked by yellow metal studs not less than four inches wide or by plastic or other semi-permanent yellow lines of similar width;

(d) cattle grids abutting the left and right edges of such road surface.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 15th day of August, 1963.

ERSKINE H. CHILDERS,

Minister for Transport and Power.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The effect of this Order is to enable Córas Iompair Éireann to provide, maintain and operate at Commons Level Crossing, County Louth, automatically controlled half-barriers and ancillary equipment instead of manually operated gates.