19th Street Railroad Crossing, Bessemer, AL

originally recorded on 6-27-19
Signal on the left: 1 pair of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a dead Safetran mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 1 pair of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
After catching the southbound intermodal train, we moved up a few blocks to 19th Street where, after a few minutes of waiting, we caught this southbound mixed freight with a pair of NS Dash-9s for power with the older one leading the newer one, and both still remaining in the older NS paint scheme.
This crossing is one that I had been wanting to get recorded for some time now. The crossing features a pair of older SOU cantilevers with most of their original older Safetran 12 inch lights protecting a one-way street. Originally, this crossing would've had all older Safetran 12 inch lights and two Safetran mechanical bells, but over the years, NS has replaced a few of the older Safetran 12 inch lights with newer ones, likely as they get damaged. Currently, the left-hand signal has three newer Safetran lights on the overhead while only the right-hand signal only has had the right-hand mast light replaced. Neither of the gate mechs are original, with the left-hand one having been replaced in the 1990s and the right-hand one being installed in the 2000s, likely around the time the original Safetran mechanical bell on that signal was replaced with the current GS Type 2 e-bell. I'm not entirely sure when the remaining mechanical bell died, but I remember seeing videos taken near this crossing several years ago and it was dead then, so it's certainly been a long time since it last worked. Honestly not sure why NS hasn't bothered to replace it yet if the bell's been dead for several years.
www.rxrsignals....

[@BNSFBishop]

Thanks for sharing, very unique catch to catch a D9 in the 9000 series, 9017 will be definitely retired soon.

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks! Yea, probably.

[@RXMattCARailfan]

Gotta love those Safetran cantilevers!

[@MobileRailSpotterRxR]

Great video and crossing!! Shame the Safetran Mechanical Bell died though. RIP Safetran Bell.

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks!

[@kyleb06]

Great catch and crossing! RIP Safetran bell.

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks!

[@richmondrailfan8444]

nice catch double dash 8

[@freebrickproductions]

They're Dash-9s.

[@RailfanNS]

Great Catch! What track was is it on? The closer one or the farther one?

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks! Closer one, IIRC.

[@888jerm888]

83 cars!!

[@EthantheRailfanner]

Nice video! Notice the traffic lights are in flash mode when the crossing activates.

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks! Yea, we saw that.

[@s_rv.]

I've seen this crossing many times

[@BryantsRailfanProductions]

Nice video!

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks!

[@ACs_Trains]

Nice video! Shame the Safetran died. Did you record 32nd Street?

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks! 32nd Street in Bessemer? If so, then no, but I can sadly report that NS replaced both Safetran mechanical bells on their signals there with GS e-bells. The other changes I observed were that the overhead lights on CSX's signal were upgraded to LED and NS's gate arm was replaced and now features NEG LED gate lights. The BHRR signal remains entirely unchanged.

[@ACs_Trains]

@@freebrickproductions Yes. Shame that the Safetrans were replaced.

[@Benito2006]

I found out the dead safetran Mechanical bell was replaced with a safetran type 3 e bell

[@freebrickproductions]

I've been aware that it was. Some photos of the new bell should be on the site, though I haven't gotten back down here to re-record it yet.