Tadotsu Station '85

[bill937ca]

Tadotsu Station on Shikoku in the late days of JNR with DE 10s, Kiha 58s, a delightfully weathered old station platform and adjacent freight yard all filmed from a pedestrian foot bridge. This was once a home of DF50s, but this was too late for them.

 

Kumoha54 video 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiKKa58vlAI

Edited May 27, 2017 by bill937ca

[velotrain]

Since there are gates, what is the reason for the flagman at the road crossing?

[Socimi]

Since there are gates, what is the reason for the flagman at the road crossing?

 

Probably to signal to train drivers that the barriers have been closed and it's safe to proceed.

[velotrain]

Probably to signal to train drivers that the barriers have been closed and it's safe to proceed.

 

Would this have been in an era when the gate closing was not automatic, so such manual signals were necessary to confirm this?

 

I should think the train drivers could see the cars stopped behind the barriers - you see this happening some time before the train arrives in the video.

[katoftw]

It is 1985.  Lots of things like automatic detection and interlinked proceed aspect lights with supporting object detection sensor weren't the norm as it is today.

 

The booms might have been activated by push button in a control tower/signal box.  And the guy on the ground waving the flag in a sideways arch motion is telling the driver to proceed are restricted/reduce speed.

 

This process happens in today's era when the automatic detection fails and they send repairmen out with hand signalers to control the crossing.