CR 11, Chelsea, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 5-5-24*

Signal on the left: 3 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a Safetran Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2.5 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, 1 Safetran 12x24 inch light with a Leotek EV Series LED, a Safetran Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

After I829 came through, I'd been thinking of attempting to chase it south on the Lineville Sub. However, I then remembered how difficult that would be, and I also saw something lined north along the line through Westover, along with hearing I829 meeting something at the next siding south, so I decided to head on west to this crossing on the west side of Chelsea. After a few minutes of waiting, I was able to catch this time-table northbound phosphate train rolling through the crossing with an ES40DC leading an ES44AH and an SD70MAC for power.

This crossing is one I've been meaning to record for quite some time, but I'm glad I was finally able to get it. The signals here were installed back in the mid-2000s by CSX, and appear to have been installed at about the time CSX was just starting to adopt LEDs. As such, while the cantilevers here are fully LED, the gate masts for them use incandescent lights, which is rather neat to see. At some point between 2018 and 2023, the left-rear overhead light on the closer signal was replaced with a reused Safetran 12x24 inch light with a Leotek EV Series LED in it. It's a shame to see that this unique transitionary crossing ain't fully original anymore, but I'm still glad I finally got to record it either way, especially before CSX gets around to upgrading the two pairs of incandescent lights here to LED. I'm also quite glad to see that the rest of the original Dialight Ball LEDs are still in use here as well, I always enjoy filming these on CSX crossings. All in all, this is definitely a neat little crossing, and I hope it remains like this for many more years to come.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/Chelsea/CR11/