Page 2 of 3

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:30 am
by MapsSurfer
FEC's Upgrades have stuck again, this time at W 1st Street in Hialeah. This crossing was upgraded a while ago, I just forgot to report on it!
The original crossing had what I believe are Harmon Lights with GRS Gate Mechanisms and a standard WCH Mechanical Bell. https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8412387 ... 312!8i6656
The crossing was upgraded shortly before the nearby warehouse was being demolished, as seen here:

Before:https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8408564 ... 312!8i6656

After: https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8408583 ... 312!8i6656

The new euipment is from WCH and Progress Signals, possibly. The FEC also bought two new WCH Mechanical Bells, which is a nice touch!
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8408583 ... 312!8i6656

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 12:52 pm
by freebrickproductions
MapsSurfer wrote:FEC's Upgrades have stuck again, this time at W 1st Street in Hialeah. This crossing was upgraded a while ago, I just forgot to report on it!
The original crossing had what I believe are Harmon Lights with GRS Gate Mechanisms and a standard WCH Mechanical Bell. https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8412387 ... 312!8i6656
One of the old lights appears to have been an MI 12x24, interestingly enough:
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8412387 ... 312!8i6656

The old signals remind me of older L&N signals, for some reason.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:40 pm
by MapsSurfer
I was recently in Hialeah visiting relatives. It's been a while since I've visited the area, so I wanted to check out the FEC and the surrounding area as a whole for upgrades and what-not. Here is what I've learned.

I'll start off with the Metro-Rail Terminal and Yard. They seem to be in the process of upgrading the railroad ties within the yard. According to Google Maps, they've had a pile of concrete ties sitting there for a while. When I passed by, there was an additional pile of what look to be wooden or faded ties. Also, within the yard there are two grade crossing both equipped with Safetran Signals. The one closest to the road is gateless and has an E-bell for warning. However the other crossing is too far from the road to be shown. It does have Safetran Lights, Gates and E-Bells, from what I could tell anyway. Here is the gateless signal, it's been there for as long as I can remember.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8363442 ... 312!8i6656
Moving on to the FEC, they recently upgraded a block-signal located just outside the Hialeah Yard. It's one of those "Vader" Signals a lot of railroads are using nowadays. The one closest to the road is the one that's been replaced, however the one farthest is still in place.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8409995 ... 312!8i6656
I got a glimpse of the old Black-Painted Safetran Bell I posted on the "What Bell is This?" forum. Luckily for us, it's still there and in good working order! Still bafles me that the FEC randomly decided to use a Safetran Bell, instead of WCH.
Lastly, I was able to check out two crossings with old Modern Industries cantilever structures. They are still in place, a lucky break since the FEC has been keen on replacing old Signals and Cantilevers since the start of Brightline. Even though Brightline won't be running through Hialeah.
Here is the pair at E 8th Avenue.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8417431 ... 312!8i6656
And here is the pair at NW 32nd another very interesting crossing I'll report on soon :Grin:
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8415347 ... 312!8i6656
That raps it up for this long-ass post. I hope y'all enjoy my findings.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 8:41 pm
by MapsSurfer
Google Maps recently ran through Miami-Dade County to update their Streetview Images. Sadly the images reveal something that is very saddening to those who love vintage signals. To those who are familiar with CSX Transportation's line through South Florida, you'll recognize the grade crossing at Coral Way (7178 SW 24th Street) as still having an ancient Seaboard Coast Line-Era Setup.
This setup, as we can see, included Four Cantilevers, of which make I'm unsure of, Two Mast Signals and Two "No Right/Left Turn Signals".

The Cantilevers.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.7480022 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.7481582 ... 312!8i6656

The Mast and "No Right/Left Turn" Signals.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.7483556 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.748323, ... 384!8i8192

An interesting fact about the South Mast Signal, one of the flashers was substituted with the No Right Turn Signal.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.7477926 ... 312!8i6656

Here we get into the sad bit of this report. It appears that sometime in late 2017-May of 2018, CSX decided to replace both of the Right-Hand Cantilevers with new, shiny canitlevers that i believe are from Lincoln Industries. They are much shorter than the ones that predated them, which I guess is kinda odd. At least the didn't replace the Cantilevers on the median, they are still in service for now.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.747982, ... 384!8i8192

Note: If anybody out there knows which company made the original Cantilevers please inform me.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 1:57 pm
by freebrickproductions
The old cantilevers are from either RACO or Safetran. Most likely the former if they date to the SCL, if I had to guess.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:35 pm
by MapsSurfer
freebrickproductions wrote:The old cantilevers are from either RACO or Safetran. Most likely the former if they date to the SCL, if I had to guess.
Thanks for the clarification! :) Those types of cantilevers used to be favored by the SCL for there Grade Crossings. We used to have a lot of them down here, but most of them have been replaced by now. There are still a few here and there that surprisingly have been spared.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:45 pm
by ZachL
A little off-topic, but it's also nice to see the typical Florida spanwire signal setup there. Those are few and far between in Miami and Miami-Dade County.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:38 pm
by MapsSurfer
ZachL wrote:A little off-topic, but it's also nice to see the typical Florida spanwire signal setup there. Those are few and far between in Miami and Miami-Dade County.
Totally, those are way cooler than the newer, simplistic setups seen today. There are still a few in Downtown Miami and Hialeah still in operation, which is nice.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:36 pm
by MapsSurfer
It appears that the W 1st Street FEC Crossing has been upgraded...again.
I reported on this crossing a while back while it was having it's 1980's-era Signals upgraded with newer WCH Equipment. I was recently in Hialeah for the holidays when I noticed that the crossing was strangely in the process of being upgraded, for the second time!

Here is a view of the most recent upgrade. These signals were placed exactly were the older signals where.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8415722 ... 384!8i8192

The new signals were installed on a completely separate base closer to the Railroad, I guess the old base was a bit dated but I don't understand why the FEC felt the need to upgrade an already upgraded crossing! Unfortunately the Mechanical Bells were dumped for those new, high-pitched E-Bells the FEC uses nowadays.

Here's a sound sample. I believe these types General Signals E-Bells, however I'm most surely mistaken about that!
All I know is that all new FEC installs have these bells. They sound pretty cool to me.

Re: South Florida Signals

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 2:07 pm
by ZachL
For a street that size, the cantilevers are a tad overkill, IMO.