*originally recorded on 3-28-22*
Signal on the left: 2.5 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, 1 Harmon 12x24 inch light with a Leotek EV Series LED, 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, a Federal Signal mechanical bell, a WCH gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 1 pair of US&S 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, 1 pair of WCH 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, 2 pairs of Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights, a WCH mechanical bell, a WCH gate mechanism, a RECO gate light, an NEG LED gate light, and a RECO LED gate light.
This was the last crossing I caught TA-West at, and it was also the crossing I'd first gone to after supper, lol. I'd only just barely beaten TA-West here from Midway, and, as you can see, I forgot to leave my car running when I hopped out. Thankfully, the video is still usable, and I did later get some better ones here.
After this, I finally made it back to my hotel room for the night.
This crossing is a rather nice one, and seems to have had a bit of an interesting history with it as well. The signals here appear to have originally been installed by the SCL back in the early 1970s, and were apparently a pair of gateless cantilevers, though it appears that later-on in the 1970s, at least one of the bells here was replaced with the current FS mechanical bell, followed by the closer signal having its bell replaced with the current WCH mechanical bell later-on in the 1970s (or maybe even the 1980s). In the 1980s, it appears that the SBD replaced at least the front pair of mast lights on the closer signal with the current US&S 12x20 inch lights. Then, later on in the 1980s (it appears), either the SBD or CSX (I believe the latter, due to the relay case and bases on the gate masts here) installed the current gate masts here, and upgraded the rest of the mast lights to 12 inch (interestingly enough, the far signal appears to have gotten MI 12x24s on its gate mast, while the closer signal got WCH 12x24s on its gate mast). I believe at the same time this happened, both bells were removed from the cantilevers and installed on the gate masts.
Then, also later on in the 1980s or in the early-1990s, the far signal had its cantilever replaced entirely with the current MI one by CSX. Next, in the late-90s (maybe early-2000s), one of the side lights on the far cantilever was replaced by CSX with the current Harmon light. Finally, sometime between 2016 and 2018, CSX upgraded all of the mast lights here to LED, but left the overhead lights incandescent, for some reason.
Like I said, there was a bit of an interesting history at this crossing, it appears. Thankfully, despite all of the various upgrades here, this crossing still retains some great equipment. The closer signal still retains its original earlier Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights, as well as a RECO incandescent gate light, both of which are quite nice to see. However, my favorite feature at this crossing has to be the FS mechanical bell, which the far signal had managed to retain all of these years. Both mechanical bells here sound rather nice too, though the WCH mechanical bell on the closer signal does sound a bit on the rougher side. All in all, this was a rather neat crossing and I'm glad I got to record it.
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