1st Avenue, Alabaster, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 5-5-24*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, an NEG electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, an NEG electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

After I shot the northbound mixed freight at 6th Avenue, I went back up to this crossing to document the new gated signals here as well. While I was doing that, I looked to my south and saw another northbound fast approaching, so I grabbed my camera as fast as I could and got it set-up as quickly as I could, just barely getting it set-up in time for the signals here to activate. This train wound-up being a northbound empty coal train, with a pair of ES44AHs pulling on the head-end and an ET44AH and another ES44AH working as the mid-train DPUs. This wound-up being the last train I saw on this day.

This crossing is one I'd been meaning to record for a long time, but, sadly, I wasn't really ever able to get around to it. In hindsight, I probably should've made the time to do so, but sadly I never did. Originally, there were a pair of gateless L&N signals installed here back in the 1970s, I believe. In the 1980s (or possibly the early-90s), CSX replaced the original 8 inch lights here with some MI 12x24 inch lights. Then, in the late-90s, the far signal here was replaced entirely (with the replacement getting what I believe was a GS Type 1 e-bell), followed by the closer signal having its bell replaced with a Safetran Type 2 e-bell in the mid-2000s or so (certainly prior to 2009). The signals here then remained unchanged for well over a decade, nearly two, but sadly, in 2023 (it appears), CSX upgraded this crossing to the current gated signals. Definitely a shame that I missed recording the older gateless signals here, but at least I did get them documented on the site years ago. The new gated ones here don't look too bad, admittedly.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/Alabaster/1/