Pratt Avenue #1 (Huntsville, AL)

MP: A338.60

Updated December 13, 2022

Total Accidents: 22
Crossing DOT #: 731804G
TOTAL DAILY TRAINS: 16 (AS OF 2022)

Page created by: freebrickproductions

This crossing is located on the NS Memphis District East End.

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Overviews of the crossing.		The first signal.

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It's a Safetran cantilever.	A rather large "Do Not Stop on Tracks" sign.	The mast lights are Safetran 12x24 inch lights.

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The overhead lights are the same.	This signal has a RACO mechanical bell!		The emergency information.

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The second signal.	It's also a Safetran cantilever.	The emergency information.	The mast lights are also Safetran 12x24 inch lights.

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	And the overhead lights are the same as the mast lights.	The bell on this signal is a Safetran mechanical bell.

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The relay case.	Track views. Picture 22 looks southwest towards Cleveland Avenue #1. Picture 23 looks northeast towards Meridian Street #1.		The crossing was caught in action on May 20th in 2013.

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The crossing was caught in action again on March 15, 2014. The RACO mechanical bell was sounding a bit weak, but was still ringing pretty well.

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A return trip to the crossing on November 25, 2014 caught the crossing in action again. Unfortunatly, the RACO mechanical bell was about dead because it rang about two or three times and then clicked the rest of the time.

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Another return trip to the crossing on October 15, 2017 shows a change to the crossing.

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The first signal was completely unchanged, including still having the RACO bell, which had been dead for almost three years at this point!

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The second signal had the Safetran mechanical bell replaced with a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell! Honestly not sure why it was replaced, as it sounded fine the last time I heard it, though it may have just up and died like the one at James Record Road did one day.

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Track views.		The crossing activates!

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NS 201 comes through with a UP SD70M leading.

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The train passes.

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A fourth return trip on February 20, 2018 shows yet another change to the crossing.

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The dead RACO mechanical bell at the crossing was finally replaced just earlier in the day! I was fortunately able to save the old bell from being scrapped and managed to get it working again. The process of doing so can be seen here.

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The other signal remains unchanged this time.

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A fifth return trip just one day later catches the crossing in action!

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NS 173 comes through the crossing with the NS Veterans Unit trailing!

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The train passes.

This crossing is busier than both Cleveland Ave. #1 and Meridian St. #1 (the two crossings closest to this one), but yet this crossing is the only gateless one of the three. As you can see, this has been the cause of numerous accidents.

Also, before I-565 was built, Meridian Street crossed Pratt Avenue right at this crossing, which probably contributed to some of the accidents.