I think that the BBC's reporting of this incident, in which they say that he "parked" his trailer on the rail line, is responsible for many of these strongly worded comments about the farmer. If you read the BTP press release
http://www.btp.presscentre.com/Media...HIRE-1743.aspx you will see that the BBC have conveniently ignored the fact that he had only stopped his vehicle in order to open a gate and had not "parked while he fed his horses" as they stated.
There is no doubt that the farmer had acted dangerously by using the crossing incorrectly and without permission but I think that the BBC's reporting of the incident has been deliberately edited in order to make his actions appear more foolhardy than they really were.