Railroad Crossings of the GC Macon Subdivision

The Macon Subdivision is one of the two mainlines that the Georgia Central owns & operates, and runs between the cities of Macon and Vidalia in Georgia. The line was originally built as the Macon, Dublin, and Savannah Railroad (although the railroad never reached Savannah, interchanging with the Savannah, Americus, and Montgomery Railroad at Vidalia). Eventually, the MD&S (and what used to be the SA&M) came under the control of the Seaboard Air Line, who owned it until the 1967 merger with the Atlantic Coast Line, which formed the SCL. As the years went on, this line would become part of the SBD and then later CSX in the 1980s. Then, in 1990, CSX sold this line and what they still had of the SAL mainline between Savannah, GA and Montgomery, AL, off to Rail Link, who formed the Georgia Central Railway over this newly acquired trackage. Since then, this line has been owned and operated by the GC, though the GC itself got taken over by the G&W in 2012.
This line, when it comes to crossing equipment, is definitely the more interesting of the GC's two mainlines. The Macon Sub is still full of classic SCL & SBD crossing equipment, with a nice variety of older and newer GC equipment along the line too. It features one of only two gateless crossings left in service along the GC entirely, with this one's gateless crossing being located on US Route 80 near Ripley, GA, along with all of the remaining SCL-era RACO cantilevers on the GC. There are also still some hints of the SAL remaining along this line as well, such as the pair of WRRS gate mechs in Dudley and an old SAL-era gateless signal at US 80 near Ripley, which even still retains its original set of US&S 8 inch lights!
This line also features a nice variety of mechanical bells, with them being a mix of WCH, Safetran, WRRS, and the GC's only three remaining WABCO bells. It even still has three GS Type 1s, the only three I'm aware of that are still in service along the GC, and even a Safetran Hybrid bell (which I believe was previously owned by @owensri2 ) in service in Franklinton just outside of Macon.
There is also a large number of 8 inch lights along this line still, with US&S, WABCO, Safetran, WRRS, WCH, RACO, and Harmon all being represented along this line. Amazingly enough, there's even a GRS Lex-C 8 inch light that managed to somehow make its way onto a signal in Jeffersonville. Quite unusual to see one of those there, especially given the fact that this is former Seaboard territory. All of the 12 inch lights between Macon and Dudley are now LED, along with all of the 12 inch lights along it in Vidalia, but between Dublin and Soperton, a decent number of incandescent 12 inch lights still remain. The LEDs do have a nice variety though, with GE Uniform Look, Harmon Dotted, Harmon Fading, Progress Rail, General Signals, and WCH 2nd Generation LEDs all being found along this line. There is also a nice variety of 12 inch lights here as well, with older & newer Safetran, older and newer Harmon, older and newer WCH, older and newer Modern Industries, Progress Rail, and even some early Federal Signal 12 inch lights all making an appearance along it.
This line also still features a nice variety of gate mechs along it. There are a pair of WRRS gate mechs in Dudley, a pair of GRS/WRRS gate mechs in Dublin, and a nice mixture of WABCO Model 75 gate mechs, older and newer Safetran gate mechs, and older and newer WCH gate mechs across the rest of the line.
In downtown Dublin, the line parallels the out of service NS Dublin District, where two signalized crossings (one of which is a double crossing) are split between the two railroads. As such, these two signalized crossings are the only remaining "active" crossings on the NS Dublin District, though it seems that NS doesn't give them too much attention. One of them features a nice old SOU install from the early-70s (and even still retains a RACO bell), while the other appears to be an NS install from the early-90s. The SOU install is still in pretty decent shape, outside of a heavily-faded gate arm, but the NS install appears to have a failing flasher relay along with a bad capacitor for the gate mech. East of downtown Dublin, trains on the GC Macon Sub utilize a short section of the NS Dublin District to cross the river between Dublin and East Dublin, though the line, upon entering East Dublin (going east), immediately splits off to the south, leaving the rest of the Dublin District unused.
I have visited this line twice so far: once on a trip in 2020 and another on a trip in 2021. Over the course of these two trips, I was able to film all but four signalized crossings along the line (along with unfortunately being unable to film the new e-bell at 2nd Street in Soperton), but I'm still glad I got the vast majority of it. This line only features a total of 39 signalized crossings, but with the variety of older equipment present here, I certainly ain't gonna complain.

[@schnuurtchke]

I love the EMD locomotives that you shot along this line

[@everybodysbud18]

21:44 I love the random caboose in the middle of the train.

[@freebrickproductions]

IIRC, said caboose has been converted to a track geometry car.

[@filipplayz8772]

i absolutely love the super old rusty crossings!! i hope they never upgrade them unless they dont work anymore.

[@filipplayz8772]

omg i love 8 inch lights!

[@devoris]

Ahh yes! I love these videos:). They’re always 10 out of 10!! Keep up the good work bro💯

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks!

[@devoris]

@@freebrickproductions of course! 😁

[@abelmosqueda8616]

Those videos are very amazing

[@devoris]

@@abelmosqueda8616 yes indeed

[@luciajavier2841]

W,

[@ACs_Trains]

Great crossings!

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks!

[@TheBCRailfan]

Great crossing compilation! The GC (in general) features a lot of nice equipment!

[@freebrickproductions]

Thanks! I agree.

[@razrramonel4077]

Well now, that’s a first finding a caboose acting almost like a Distributed Power Unit (DPU).

[@oliverandthemorrisons9667]

23:44 wow that’s a fast safetran bell

[@oliverandthemorrisons9667]

2nd streets crossing is a piece of history because of the WABCO bell

[@sylv____]

Can i have a notice please? Thank you!
Also great railroads!

[@jtherailfanner2058]

What kind of bell did 2nd Street in sopia ga again
Nice crossings

[@freebrickproductions]

What?
Thanks!

[@Mudpaws]

how many times a day do trains come into Macon GC yard ?

[@freebrickproductions]

I have no idea. It ain't many, that's for sure.

[@abelmosqueda8616]

Hey does those videos are very long?

[@thegreatelementalgod8184]

same