Pratt Avenue, Huntsville, AL

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*originally recorded on 12-16-22*

Signal on the left: 4 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights and a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, 3 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, and a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell.

This was the only train I had caught on December 16th. I believe it was NS 101 with a pair of AC44C6Ms for power.

Back on December 12th, on one of my older videos of Pratt Avenue, someone left a somewhat confusing and somewhat badly worded comment that read, and I quote:

There is an update to Pratt Ave. to the mass [sic] and overhead lights.

...and never gave a response further clarifying what they meant. As such, the day prior, I decided to check on it while I was out, and discovered what the change was: the overhead lights on the closer signal (and only the overhead lights on the closer signal) had had all of their backgrounds replaced with 20 inch ones, for some reason. The rest of the lights here remain 12x24s, though it appears they've been given a fresh coat of paint. Thankfully, since I last recorded this crossing, no other changes appear to have occurred here, though I'm kinda surprised that NS still hasn't yet upgraded this crossing to gated signals, given how many accidents have occurred here since the FRA started recording them back in the early-70s.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/H ... le/Pratt1/

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No upgrades here (yet) as of 7-24-23, though this crossing is due to get gates at some point in the near-ish future, apparently. However, the upgrade is apparently on pause while the state works-out some issues on their end.

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Got another video of this crossing on 11-2-23:

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As of 11-27-23, work on upgrading this crossing to gated signals had begun, though the existing signals were still left unchanged for the time being.


Apparently this upgrade, when done, will feature a new gated cantilever on the far side, while the closer cantilever will be replaced with a gated mast signal, and a new gateless median signal will also be installed. I'm guessing the reason why they aren't installing a new cantilever on this side is because the I-565 viaduct right behind my camera pretty well obscures the overhead lights on this side of the crossing.
And before anyone asks, I checked the following day and both Moores Mill Road in Huntsville and Jordan Road didn't have any signs of any coming upgrades at them. According to the local NS signal maintainer, neither he nor even the signal gang installing the new signals here have any idea when those two crossings will be getting upgraded.

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As of 1-28-24, the only change here at the time was the completion of the median and the installation of the foundations:


Since then, the new median signal has been installed and the new gated mast signal for the nearside has also arrived on-site.

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*originally recorded on 2-19-24*

Signal on the left: 4 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights and a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell.
Median signal (non-functional): 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, 3 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, and a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell.

On February 19th, I went out to see about rerecording Pratt Avenue and hopefully Quietdale Drive, given that one of the new signals here had finally been installed. Not too long after I got here, I was able to catch what wound-up being my only train of the day: NS A81 with an SD40E for power! Certainly not a bad train to be my only one on this day.
I waited around for NS 362, as I heard it approaching, but, unfortunately, it wound-up going into emergency around Elko a bit before sunset, so I eventually went on back home.

Since I last recorded this crossing, NS has finally installed the first of the new signals here, with the new median signal being the first to go up. It appears that it's already hooked into the new relay case, but, as that isn't active yet, the new signal isn't either. Still glad to see the upgrade here progressing though.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/H ... le/Pratt1/

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Nothing else had changed to this crossing yet as of 2-25-24. However, this would wind-up being mast last video of both of the original cantilevers here.

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*originally recorded on 3-2-24*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, 3 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, and a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell.
Median signal (non-functional): 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs.
Signal on the right: 4.5 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, 1 Safetran 12x24 inch light with a GE Uniform Look LED, and a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell.

On March 2nd, I met-up with a friend of mine who'd just moved to Huntsville a few months ago, and we decided to hang-out for a bit. While wandering around, I found that NS had installed the new cantilever at this crossing, and the signal to our east was showing red due to an approaching westbound. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long, and we were soon able to get this NS 283 rolling through Huntsville with a BNSF ES44C4 leading a BNSF ES44DC and another BNSF ES44C4 for power.
After this, I saw that I026 was waiting in Decatur with the Seaboard System heritage unit leading, so we attempted to chase that, but were sadly unsuccessful in doing so. As such, this wound-up being our only train on this day.

As mentioned above, NS has installed the new Siemens cantilever on the east side of this crossing, replacing the old Safetran one, and wired it on into the old relay case for the time being. Unsurprisingly, the bell for it is a new GS Type 3 e-bell. The lights I'm not too surprised about, as I was expecting the LED Safetran 12x20s for this signal as I saw it with them when it was stored next to Church Street for a little while. Not sure what's up with the random 12x24 on the new signal, I'm guessing the original 20 inch background on that light got damaged somehow so NS swapped it with one of the 24 inch ones from the cantilever that had just been replaced.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/H ... le/Pratt1/

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*originally recorded on 3-20-24*

Signal on the left: 4.5 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, 1 Safetran 12x24 inch light with a GE Uniform Look LED, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Median signal: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs.
New signal on the right: 1 pair of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Old signal on the right (non-functional): 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, 3 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, and a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell.

After getting the newly-activated signals documented, I hung around and waited for a train, as I heard a 362 out towards Decatur over the scanner. After a bit of waiting, I was able to catch the new signals here activating for their first train, and my third and final train of the day: NS 362 with a Dash-9 leading an SD70ACe for power! This was definitely my best catch of the day.

As you can see, the new gated signals here are in and fully activated, with the upgrade to this crossing being almost completed. The signals here are a pretty typical modern NS install for this area: all Siemens equipment with GE Uniform Look LEDs, General Signals e-bells, RECO LED gate lights, and Siemens S40 gate mechs. The right-hand signal here has a rather tall mast due to the long gate arm, even though it ain't as long as it could've been (due to the center lane being removed through the crossing). I will admit, it is kinda nice seeing another median signal, though this crossing will look weird without the massive Safetran cantilever on this side. I'm also not entirely sure why there aren't any rear lights on the new gated signal on this side, given that they'd be useful for pedestrians, I'm guessing ALDOT forgot there is a sidewalk here.
Speaking of that cantilever, had just disconnected it and was in the process of bagging up the lights on it when I arrived. It certainly looks weird seeing it like this, TBH, and I guess this will be the final activation I get of this crossing with this signal, even if it no longer works. I'm definitely glad I got to save the RACO bell it originally had years ago. I'm also glad I got a ton of videos of the old gateless install here, but I'm also glad to see gates finally go in here given the large number of accidents (and presumably near misses, TBH) that'd racked-up here over the years, the highest of any crossing both within Huntsville and on the Memphis East as a whole.
At the time of recording this video, the large cantilever here was due to be removed the following day.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/H ... le/Pratt1/

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*originally recorded on 3-21-24*

Signal on the left: 4.5 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, 1 Safetran 12x24 inch light with a GE Uniform Look LED, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Median signal: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs.
Signal on the right: 1 pair of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

After waiting a while, I decided to head over to Cleveland Avenue to wait, mainly as I wasn't sure if a train was coming eventually or not. However, while I was there, I heard 204 call the signal at East End Elko Siding, so I went back over to this crossing and set back-up. After a bit of waiting, I was able to get my only train of the day here: NS 204 with an NS Dash-9 leading a UP AC45CCTE for power, elephant-style! Definitely a great catch for my one train on this day. The train also seemed to noticeably slow down as it climbed Chapman Mountain.
Also, I'll need to see about shooting this angle for an afternoon eastbound at some point, it looks like it'll be a good one.

As you can see, NS removed the large decommissioned cantilever here on this day, showing how the crossing looks without any of the old signals. The old relay case still needs to be removed, and probably the old cantilever foundation covered-up, but I honestly quite like the look of it. Does look quite different from how the old gateless cantilevers did, though.

I also later managed to catch the crossing malfunctioning:


http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/H ... le/Pratt1/