Well sorry guys but so tied up at mo with that decorating bug her indoors has that i have had no time for research but today i thought look up the history of crossing gates and this came up. Took me by suprise as its full of how the railways came about etc, also many links on it. Get this the first steam engine built was back in 1804 and tested in Wales, yes Wales, wonder if Jeff was about then, ok on that i best go get my hat and coat  :D  :D .
Hope you enjoy it.  Mindue it was the Germans who started it all off, wonder if it is because of this their railways are so better today  :?
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm
Phill

Never mind it being tested in Wales, it was built in Camborne by a Cornishman!  Richard Trevithick has a memorial statue guarding the route to the Town Centre outside the library and every year there is a day of celebrations to commemorate this.  Part of the celebrations involves a run of traction engines and other steam powered vehicles through the town and they salute his statue in passing.

The picture below is a replica of the steam engine he built running through Camborne:-



The parade was banned in 2004 after it was decided to be too dangerous, even though nobody had ever been injured.  It was said that the traction engines might run somebody over, but the fact that 38 ton lorries routinely come through the street every day seems to be lost on the powers that be.

Now they hold an unnofficial parade the following day - if you are interested I have some pictures of last years run here: -

http://www.christreris…topic.net/c1268441_1.html