27th Street #1, Birmingham, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 2-1-20*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights and a Safetran mechanical bell.

After catching the lite engine move at 25th Street, they stopped before 27th Street to get permission to go across the NS West End District. As such, I was able to race on over here and get set-up before the train continued through the crossing.

This is another crossing that's quite nice. It also features a pair of old Frisco-era signals, but this crossing appears to be older, featuring signals from Transport Products Corp. Then, in the 1960s, the original lights were replaced with RACO ones (more than likely 8 inch ones). After that, it appears that in the 1990s, the BN replaced the bell that was here with the current Safetran mechanical bell. And then finally, likely in the very late 1990s or early 2000s, BNSF replaced the RACO 8 inch lights here with the current Safetran 12x20s, and no other changes have occured here since then. For which I'm quite glad, as this crossing is one of the last three crossings on the BNSF Birmingham Subdivision with a mechanical bell. The bell sounds quite nice, if a bit unsteady, so hopefully it stays around for quite a while.
Also, to add to the niceness of this crossing, to the right of the crossing is a nice old pair of Frisco Searchlights protecting the NS diamonds.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/Birmingham/27/