Columbia Avenue #1, Indianapolis, IN

[freebrickproductions]

originally recorded on 4-9-24*

Signal on the left: 6 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a Safetran Model 85 gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 4 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, an NEG electronic bell, a Safetran Model 85 gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

While I was waiting for M313, I heard there was an M331 running not too far behind, so, once that train came through, I immediately made my way over to this crossing to record it. After less than half an hour of waiting, I was able to get my fourth and final train of the day (and final train of the trip): CSX M331 with an ET44AH pulling on the head-end and an ES44AH working as the mid-train DPU.

This crossing is another great one, and I'm glad I was able to end my trip off with it. The signals here were installed by Conrail back in the early-90s, it seems, and have thankfully remained largely unchanged. It appears that, between about 2014 and 2016, CSX replaced the front-left mast light on the far signal with the current Safetran 12x24, which seems to have been reused. Then, in 2020 (per kyleb06's video of this crossing), CSX sadly replaced the original Safetran mechanical bell here with the current NEG e-bell. Thankfully, since then, no major changes have occurred to this crossing, aside from CSX sadly replacing the incandescent WCH gate lights on the closer signal's gate arm sometime after Kyle shot his video of the crossing. Both signals do still retain their original Safetran Model 85 gate mechs though, which are great to see. Hopefully they remain around for many more years to come.
Based on the fact that Conrail had installed two cantilevers here, and that the far one features two pairs of side lights, I suspect that the one-way road on the far side was originally two-way, and that the building seen in the background also used to not exist. Said building does provide for a neat backdrop to this crossing though, so I don't mind it being there. Helps give this crossing a bit more of an industrial vibe to it, IMHO. Strangely, the one-way road on the far side of the crossing only uses white striping on it. Normally the left-hand edge stripe would be yellow, which I feel helps indicate that street may have originally been two-way.