Has anyone got a photo of Hixon level crossing? I believe this was one of the first automatic half barrier level crossings erected in the country, one of those where the approaching train activates the orange then red flashing lights and the barrier comes down. But it was also the site of the first serious accident at one, where a train hit a slow-moving lorry carrying a transformer.
There is more information here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hixon_rail_crash