*originally recorded on 3-6-22*
Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG gate lights.
After catching 61C in Collinsville, I knew he'd have to stop in the siding at Fort Payne to meet the mixed freight already there, along with 109, so I decided to set-up at this crossing on the north side of it. Once 61C was in the siding, the first mixed freight began to move. Once that got clear of the siding, 109 began continuing its journey south, and, after a little bit of waiting, I was able to catch it coming through this crossing with an NS SD70ACe leading an NS AC44C6M on the head-end and a BNSF ES44C4 working as the mid-train DPU.
Oh hey, would you look at that! I finally filmed one of the other crossings in Fort Payne!
This crossing is a fairly nice one, especially for the NS AGS North District. It features an old late-70s SOU install, though the far signal features an older Safetran base that I believe was re-used. In the early 2000s, when NS upgraded most of the crossings along the line, they did some upgrades here as well, installing the current Safetran 12x20s and GS Type 2s. At around this same time, NS also replaced the old SOU-era relay case here with a modern (at the time) NS one, though Google Street View shows that the old case here was left in place for a good while after (but was removed by 2014). It appears that the closer signal also originally had a pair of side lights, but those were obviously removed at some point. Not entirely sure when, but I wouldn't be too surprised to find-out it was at the same time as the major upgrade here. Since then, no major changes appear to have occurred here, and both signals still retain their original late-70s Safetran gate mechs. Hopefully they remain here for a good while longer, as I quite like the look of them.
Just south of this crossing is the north end of Fort Payne siding, while just north of it is the old Fort Payne depot, a rather impressive-looking building.
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