Lucille Drive, Vance, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 4-27-24*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, an Invensys Rail gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, a Safetran Type 3 electronic bell, an Invensys Rail gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

While waiting for 344, I heard that there was also a 28J coming up behind it, but I didn't initially think I was going to be able to catch it, as I was planning on just continuing west after catching 344. However, after I got the Vance DD recorded and was about to leave Dudley Road, I heard 28J calling a signal in Coalville, AL, over my scanner, so I decided to head east a bit to get it. I was originally going to head for Woodstock, but I decided to try for this crossing instead. Just as I got out of my car I was already hearing the train blowing its horn for Dudley Road, and, thankfully, I was able to get my camera set-up with a few seconds to spare. Here we see NS 28J rolling through Vance, with a UP ET44AH leading an NS SD70ACC, an NS Dash-9, and an NS SD70ACe for power.

This crossing is a pretty decent one, if a bit more on the modern side. Previously, there had been a 2000s NS install here, but, sometime between 2011 and 2014, NS replaced those signals with the current ones, likely due to a new control point being put in near this crossing. Strangely, the current signals here feature only one bell, while the previous signals featured two. Not sure why NS didn't include a second bell here. Anyways, the signals here remained largely unchanged for about a decade, until sometime between 2020 and 2023, when NS gave this crossing an LED upgrade. Since then, nothing appears to have changed to this crossing. I ain't sure why this crossing in particular was given an LED upgrade though, as this road is a fairly minor dead-end street it seems.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/R-Z/Vance/Lucille/