Michael J. Hickok, the creator of this site and the GS "type" system, either did not know about or didn’t have enough information to include this type of GS E-Bell on the original page. Had he acknowledged this type of GS E-Bell, he would’ve called this a "Type 1". Because a "Type 1" already exists, it isn’t worth confusing the signal community by changing the entire "type" system. The official name for this type of GS E-Bell is "Early GS E-Bell", but "Type 0" has been deemed an acceptable name. These bells were previously known as "Prototype" GS E-Bells, but it has been concluded that these bells were production models, not prototypes.

Based on information available, the earliest known USA electronic crossing bell circuit board, "BELL3", was created on August 29th, 1991, by Tenelex Industries of Chattanooga, TN. The sound recording used, "CS-0564", was provided by Western-Cullen-Hayes (WCH) on March 25th, 1991. The tone can be described as a compressed, low quality audio of the "clang" made by a mechanical crossing bell.

These circuit boards were installed into PVC shells, hooked up to outdoor speakers, and were sold as "electronic bells" by General Signals as a maintenance-free (and lightweight) alternative to mechanical bells. It’s not known when the first General Signals bell was sold, but by 1992 the electronic bell had already appeared in the official product catalog.

The term "Early GS E-Bell" refers to any GS E-Bell made before the standard GS1 shell was introduced. This means that an Early GS E-Bell can have the GS1 sound, but still be called an "Early GS E-Bell".

There are several ways to distinguish Early GS E-Bells from standard GS E-Bells. The primary differences that can be observed are the height, the bases, the PVC shell, and in some cases, the sound.

Prior to 1994, GS E-Bells used taller PVC shells. In addition, the bug-proof mesh wiring was much thinner and was almost always warped after leaving the General Signals shop. Nearly all remaining Early GS E-Bells have had their silver paint fade away to the dull white of the PVC pipe. 7 screws can be found on the top of the cap. 4 screws hold in the circuit board (which is partially exposed to the the bell’s interior), and 3 screws hold the speaker assembly. Screws used on Early GS E-Bells were prone to oxidation (rust) and are now extremely difficult to remove.

The earliest General Signals bells featured a stair-step style base, nearly identical to those used on modern WCH M-Bells. At some point (likely in late 1992), the stair-step base was replaced with a custom (and now standard) General Signals base designed specifically for their electronic bells. Both stair-step and custom GS bases can fit on 4 or 5 inch diameter poles.

Some Early GS E-Bells produce the standard GS1 tone, while others produce the "clang" tone. Circuit boards made between August 1991 and March 1992, "BELL3", feature the "clang" sound, while circuit boards made after March 1992, "BELL4", utilize the familiar GS1 soundchip, which is marked "2CD4". It should be noted that "BELL4" circuit boards have both pitch and volume adjusters, while "BELL3" circuit boards have neither of the aforementioned features.

While the internet existed at the time, the World Wide Web was still in its early stages and not accessible to the general public. Because of this, it’s likely that the only railroads that bought these bells were regular purchasers of General Signals products, and just so happened to notice the bell’s appearance in the annual General Signals catalog, or perhaps received a pamphlet highlighting the features of the new bell.

The following are the railroads known to use Early GS E-Bells.

• BC Rail (BCOL)
• Burlington Northern (BN)
• Kansas City Southern (KCS)
• RJ Corman (RJCC)
• Southern Pacific (SP)
• St. Louis Southwestern (SSW)
• Union Pacific (UP)
• Ventura County Railway (VCY)
• Wisconsin Central (WC)

Early GS E-Bells equipped with stair-step bases measure 22 inches in height and 6 inches in diameter. Early GS E-Bells that use custom GS bases measure 20 inches in height and 6 inches in diameter.

All Early GS E-Bells function off 12 volts DC.

Early GS E-Bells with "BELL3" circuit boards measure about 90 decibels at 5 feet. Early GS E-Bells with "BELL4" circuit boards can be set to measure between 85 and 95 decibels at 5 feet.

Early GS E-Bells weigh about 10 lbs.

Model numbers are not known, nor is it known if any variants were offered.

Not many Early GS E-Bells remain in service. Their numbers are slowly dwindling. Explore a map showing the locations of current and former Early GS E-Bells by clicking this link!

3 Early GS E-Bells are preserved in private collections. 2 have stair-step bases, and the 3rd has no base. 2 are in working condition (including one that is new old stock!), and the 3rd is dead. 2 are confirmed to have "BELL3" circuit boards (including the dead one), while the 3rd is not known.

So far, no Early GS E-Bells have ever gone for sale. That doesn’t mean it can’t happen in the future, so don’t give up hope!