Sweet Springs Road, near Ardmore, AL

[freebrickproductions]

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, a WCH mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

This crossing is one of the last four crossings with a mechanical bell on the CSX S&NA North Sub, and is the last with a WCH mechanical bell. It's also one of the last with incandescent gate lights.

I say that this crossing is "near Ardmore" because Ardmore is the closest town to this crossing.

[freebrickproductions]

Here's my video from today showing the new NEG e-bell and NEG LED gate lights at the crossing on the signal with the bell. The crossing also malfunctioned after the train had passed.

[freebrickproductions]

Only noticable change here as of 9-2-21 is that the NEG e-bell here was replaced with a newer one:


http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/A ... t_Springs/

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 8-5-23*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, a Safetran gate mechanism, NEG LED gate lights, and a RECO LED gate light.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, an NEG electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

After I caught CSX W087, I figured it was meeting a southbound train, so I continued on my way south. I stopped here and found an upgrade, so I set-up to record this crossing as well. After a bit of waiting, I was able to get my fifth train of the day: CSX I029 with an ES44AH pulling on the head-end and another ES44AH working as the mid-train DPU.

Since I was last here, CSX has replaced two of the gate lights on the far signal (the base and tip ones) with NEG LED gate lights, leaving only one RECO LED at this crossing. No other noticeable changes have occurred here since then however, thankfully. As a bit of a fun fact, the gate mech on the far signal here is the oldest gate mechanism on the CSX S&NA North Subdivision at this point, as it's an 80s style one (although it was likely installed here in the 90s with the rest of the original equipment here).

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/A ... t_Springs/

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 1-22-24*

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

Yesterday, I decided to hop out in the afternoon to see what was running, after hearing HMCR 8539 from my house. Sadly, it seems the HMCR was heading south as I never saw them, so I decided to head on over to the S&NA North, as I wanted to check-up on Mooresville Road in Thach (no changes there, BTW). On my way up, I heard something call the signal at South End Carey, so I decided to head on up to this crossing, only to find-out it was a hi-rail truck.
After a few hours of waiting, I went up into Ardmore to use the bathroom, where I got to find-out that CSX had a southbound lined through Ardmore. As such, I returned back to this crossing after answering Mother Nature's call. After a little bit more of waiting, I was finally able to catch my one and only train on this day: CSX I025 with a CM44AC leading an ES44AH on the head-end and another ES44AH working as the mid-train DPU.

Since I was last here, CSX has replaced the LEDs on the closer signal with a full set of Leotek EV Series LEDs. Not entirely sure why this was done, but I suspect the WCH 2nd Gen LEDs had begun to fail. Either way, this crossing has remained entirely unchanged otherwise, even still retaining the oldest gate mechanism on the CSX S&NA North Subdivision.
Admittedly, it'd also been a good while since I last shot the western side of this crossing. You can also still see a fair amount of snow on the ground from the snowstorm we got the week prior.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/A ... t_Springs/

[freebrickproductions]

No changes here as of 2-18-24: