Avenue F #1, Birmingham, AL

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*originally recorded on 2-8-20*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Safetran (Siemens) gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, a dead General Signals (Type 1?) electronic bell, a Safetran (Siemens) gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

After catching CSX M730 in Fairfield, I set on up in the Pratt City neighborhood again. As I was crossing over the BNSF Birmingham Subdivision though, I looked to my southeast and saw that a train was lined into BNSF's East Thomas Yard with an approach signal, but I didn't think they were too close as the block signals for the diamonds weren't lit. After a little while of waiting, I saw the block signals at the diamonds turn on, so I thought M730 was finally coming. However, instead, I soon heard a train horn to my north. Realizing it was the train I had seen the approach signal for earlier, I quickly grabbed my camera and raced on over to this crossing. Luckily, I was able to get set-up with no more than a minute to spare, and this eastbound BNSF intermodal train came rolling through on its way to Atlanta, GA, with an H2 Dash-9 leading an H3 ES44DC and an H3 ES44C4! My camera was literally almost completely out of battery by the time I shut it off after the train had passed, so I decided to make this my last train of the day and head home. Certainly quite a nice train to end off on though!
Also, as a result of this, I was able to catch four different trains, with each one being on a different railroad, within one day!

This crossing is a pretty alright one, IMHO, but nothing really too specially, especially for a BNSF crossing. However, it does have a pretty interesting history at it.
Originally, there was a pair of WCH BN signals here from the 1980s, but by the time street view first came through here in 2009, the original (WCH?) mechanical bell on the far signal had already been replaced with a General Signals electronic bell, while the closer signal lacked a bell. Then, between 2009 and 2011, the right-hand signal was replaced with the current one, though at the time it featured incandescent Safetran 12x24s and a US&S Model 95 gate mechanism. The crossing then remained relatively unchanged for several more years, until early 2017, when BNSF replaced the far signal with a new one, also featuring more incandescent Safetran 12x24s, along with replacing the relay case and the US&S Model 95 on the closer signal. Most recently, BNSF has given this crossing an LED upgrade sometime after 2017, along with, strangely enough, installing what appears to be a re-used General Signals electronic bell on the closer signal. To make things even more strange, this "new" e-bell also doesn't work, so I'm not entirely sure what the point of BNSF installing it here was.
This is also the first crossing I've ever seen on a BNSF line with NEG LED gate lights. Not sure if this is a one-off thing or if BNSF will start using them now, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. As you can see, one of the NEG gate lights has also come off of the gate arm, and is hanging below it.
The Avenue F #2 crossing, along with the BHRR North Ensley Line, the NS Ensley Branch, and the CSX Mineral Subdivision, can all be seen in the background as well.

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Caught this crossing malfunctioning on 11-28-21, the only notable change here since my previous video here was that the dead GS e-bell here was replaced with a GS Type 3.


http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/Birmingham/F1/