dutch trains

[Anonymous]

Check out www.cofoto.camarades.nl , if you haven't already, for a webcam focused on a grade crossing in the Netherlands. It obviously gives Americans and Canadians who don't have the time to make an expensive overseas trip to experience foreign trains. Perhaps it's just that I'm from elsewhere, but Dutch trains, and European trains in general, look pretty neat to me. Most common in this area are the characteristic yellow Dutch short-haul intercity trainsets, which looks sort of like rounded buses. (The train in the site's wallpaper is a good example.) European freight locomotives and cars are especially interesting to me.
Obviously another neat thing about this site is that grade crossings have usually been quite rare in Europe, I've been led to believe, and they're getting rarer for safety reasons. So this webcam offers North American railfans a look at European (or at least Dutch) crossing gates.

To anyone who's been to the Netherlands, what do the crossing gates there sound like? I've noticed through certain sources that America's ominous clanging bells are not the world standard. I watch some anime (Japanese animation) and have thus learned that Japanese crossing alarms sound sort of like an electronic version of ours (what else would you expect from such a "wired" nation?), and French crossing alarms have an angry metallic buzz which sound more like the traditional American mechanical school bell or fire alarm. (Brrrrring) So what do they sound like in Holland, and for the rest of Europe for that matter?

Pretty interesting that so many people would do something so simple so many different ways.

[jeaton]

andyjay Nice site. You need to remove the comma after the l to get your link to work.

[Anonymous]

The bells in crossing gates in holland sound like bells. There's a 10 inch diameter bell which will sound about 3 seconds after the lights start falshing, again three seconds later the gates will start closing the corssing. The bell will sound at about 1 dong every second.

By the way, the train on the background is a 'plan V' one of the most common local trains in Holland. Enjoy the webcam, I can see them IRL about 10 times a day [:P]

[Anonymous]

By the way, this may be a nice collection of photo's taken of Dutch trains:

http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/ns/ns.html

[Anonymous]

where i've been in europe crossings with gates down have no bells!! only if it's flashing lights with no gates. crossings aren't quite rare (in the cities they are) but are commun in the country side.
q; i wonder how you do a "dutch drop" over there in holland???!!

[Anonymous]

where i've been in europe crossings with gates down have no bells!! only if it's flashing lights with no gates. crossings aren't quite rare (in the cities they are) but are commun in the country side.
q; i wonder how you do a "dutch drop" over there in holland???!!

[Anonymous]

Hi Goat,

Yes true we have a lot of crossing and they seam always to close when I drive there. [:D]

Not sure what you mean with an “dutch drop"!?
but if you mean how we close the crossings, its like Court described, when they start closing the bells ring about 3 times an second till the gates are down. When they are down the bells remain clinging ones every second.
This will keep on till they completely up again and it’s safe to pass the crossing.

If that’s not what you’re after,
Well.... we Dutch never "drop" anything. [:p] (like you)
Or... what we Dutch call "drop" is a kind of sweet is rather salty, most foreign don’t like them, In case your one of those, you can send the “drop” to me. [:D][:D]

To all,
For those who are interested, the “Plan V” shown in the picture, is mostly use in “local trains” which stop at every station. Although they do service as intercity in combination with “plan T” which look a little like the “plan V” but is larger. (4 passenger cars i.s.o. 2)
And a few year back we had “Plan P &Q” nicknames “hondenkop” or “Benelux” they look similar too and they used to be intercity trains, but they are out of service now and replace by several types of Double Deck trains. (as we call it)

I am sure if ppl want more information about trains in The Netherlands, Court and I can help you.[:)]
Krgds
Cor