Seasonal Track-Cleaner & a Pullman at Sturry Level Crossing, Kent
Date filmed: Thursday the 3rd of October 2024
Videos filmed between 12:58 and 13:31
Route: Ashford to Ramsgate Line
Sturry (STU) Station
Crossing type: Manually Controlled Barrier crossing (MCB)
Filming location: A28 Sturry Hill, Sturry (CT2 0NG)
An early-afternoon at Sturry Level Crossing, Kent's busiest level crossing in terms of road traffic, situated between the staggered platforms of Sturry Railway Station which trail it. This level crossing near Canterbury is on an incredibly busy road (to the point where it's very hard to cross with the barriers raised), and tonnes of traffic always builds up during every lowering. Plans for a relief road exist, but they won't go ahead for a little while yet. The tiny signal box here controls the level crossing, which in its current form dates back to 2004 and has the unusual SPX 'Fluid Power' barriers. The alarms aren't particularly quiet, but could really do with being a bit louder given the environmental noise here and location next to a station.
A lucky instance with the timings meant that I could make it here to see not only retro Class 73 locomotives working the Seasonal water-spraying 'Rail Head Treatment Train', but also a diesel-hauled Belmond British Pullman within the space of about 10 minutes! These made up two of the five separate lowerings I managed to film here, so a worthwhile visit I felt! I hope you enjoy these videos!
Trains featured:
Intro - 0:00
-
Lowering 1 (0:25):
375 913 (Southeastern) - 1:45
2W40 Ramsgate ➡ London Charing Cross | On-time
-
Lowering 2 (2:28):
73 136 & 73 213 (GB Railfreight) & Rail Head Treatment Train - 3:42
3W74 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf ➡ Tonbridge West Yard GBRf (Via East Kent) | 18 minutes late
-
Lowering 3 (4:14):
67 021 (DB Cargo UK) & Belmond British Pullman - 4:54
1Y40 London Victoria ➡ Gillingham (Kent) (via Canterbury & Thanet) "Belmond - The Garden of England" | 15 minutes late
-
Lowering 4 (5:32):
395 017 (Southeastern) - 6:25
1J37 Margate ➡ St. Pancras International | 3 minutes late
-
Lowering 5 (6:52):
375 921 & 375 829 (Southeastern) - 7:32
2R30 London Charing Cross ➡ Ramsgate | 5 minutes late
-
End-of-video picture showcase: 8:38
Train details sourced from:
Real Time Trains: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sear...
Open Train Times: https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps
Traksy: https://traksy.uk/live
Filmed on: Panasonic HC-VX1 in 4K, 25fps
Thanks for watching!