Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

Un/fortunately, it wasn't the RACO bell (which is still dead), but for some reason, the Safetran mechanical bell at Pratt Avenue here in Huntsville was recently replaced. No idea why, but IIRC, the Safetran bell had been starting to sound like it was starting to go last time I heard it, so it's possible that it just died. Also, interestingly enough, the new bell is a General Signals Type 2 e-bell.

Here's the video that I found out about the replacement from:


Will see about getting some photos and videos soon.

That is ridiculous. NS should of replaced the RACO bell, not the Safetran one.

TrickyMario7654 wrote:That is ridiculous. NS should of replaced the RACO bell, not the Safetran one.

I'm beginning to wonder if the RACO bell is one of the tethers holding this universe together and that's why NS hasn't replaced it yet. Hey, it's a stupid reason for a stupid decision!

I don't see anything wrong with the Safetran bell, maybe if NS would've fixed the RACO bell then there would've been no GS type 2 bell.

Something tells me that the maintainer of that line wants the RACO bell there, and possibly he (or she) just doesn't quite have the knowledge to repair it?

Either way, it'll remain a mystery.

NathanFromEngland wrote:I don't see anything wrong with the Safetran bell, maybe if NS would've fixed the RACO bell then there would've been no GS type 2 bell.

I think the Safetran may have just up and died randomly one day like what the one at James Record Road did.

ZachL wrote:Something tells me that the maintainer of that line wants the RACO bell there, and possibly he (or she) just doesn't quite have the knowledge to repair it?

Either way, it'll remain a mystery.

Who knows, maybe a part broke and they're trying to find a new one so that it'll ring again.

Good-ish news! After three years, NS has finally gotten around to replacing the dead RACO bell here with a General Signals e-bell! According to the signal maintainer I chatted with, whenever he went out to check on it it worked fine, but this time around, it didn't work so he went ahead and replaced it yesterday. I was also able to save the RACO bell, and will see about getting it to work.

freebrickproductions wrote:Good-ish news! After three years, NS has finally gotten around to replacing the dead RACO bell here with a General Signals e-bell! According to the signal maintainer I chatted with, whenever he went out to check on it it worked fine, but this time around, it didn't work so he went ahead and replaced it yesterday. I was also able to save the RACO bell, and will see about getting it to work.

I thought the sentence just said you weren't able to save the RACO bell. Silly me.

Well, got a recording of the crossing in action today. Sadly, the new bell is another General Signals Type 2.