MP*:  0153.27, 0402.18

 

Updated December 13, 2022

 

Total Accidents*:   14, 3
Crossing DOT #*:  725393P, 352615N
TOTAL DAILY TRAINS*:   32   (AS OF 2014),  2   (AS OF 2015)

 

Page created by: freebrickproductions

 

*The first one for each of these is NS's crossing and the second one is CSX/BHRR's crossing.

 

This crossing is located on the NS AGS South District, the CSX Birmingham Mineral Subdivision, and the BHRR South Ensley Subdivision.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>> Signal #1 Signal #2 Signal #3 Signal #4
Bell: General Signals Type 3 electronic General Signals Type 3 electronic Safetran Type 2 electronic Safetran 2nd Gen mechanical
Cantilever: Safetran Safetran Walpar Walpar
Light Frames:

5 - 12x20" Safetran

4 - 12x20" 70s Safetran

4 - 12x20" Safetran

4 - 12x20" 70s Safetran

4 - 12x24" Safetran

2 - 12x20" Federal Signal w/ Dialight Low Wattage LEDs

2 - 12x20" Federal Signal w/ Dialight Ball LEDs

6 - 12x20" L&W w/ General Signals LEDs

2 - 12x20" WCH w/ WCH 2nd Gen LEDs
Base: Safetran N/A N/A Safetran
Gate Lights: 3 - NEG LEDs N/A N/A 3 - General Signals
Gate Mechanism: Safetran late-70s N/A N/A Safetran late-70s
Gate Striping: Vertical N/A N/A Vertical w/ Diagonal tip

 

1

2

3

4
Overviews of the crossings.
The first NS signal.

5

6

7

8
It's a Safetran cantilever.
An old Southern DOT tag.
The mast lights are Safetran 12x20 inch lights.

9

10

11

12
The overhead lights are Safetran 12x20 inch lights.
The bell on this signal is a Safetran mechanical bell.

13

14

15

16
A Safetran base.
This signal has a Safetran gate mechanism.
The emergency information.
This signal has RECO gate lights.

17

18

19

20
The second NS signal.
It's another Safetran cantilever.
The emergency information again.

21

22

23

24
All of the lights on this signal are Safetran 12x20 inch lights.

25

26

27

28
The bell on this signal is another Safetran mechanical bell.
CSX's signal.
It's a Walpar cantilever.

29

30

31

32
CSX's emergency info.
The mast lights on this signal are Safetran 12x24 inch lights.
The overhead lights are Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights.

33

34

35

36

The bell on this signal is a Safetran Type 2 e-bell.
The BHRR's signal.

37

38

39

40
It's another Walpar cantilever.
The front lights on the mast are L&W 12x20 inch lights with General Signals LEDs in them.

41

42

43

44
Another style of L&W lighthead.
The rear mast lights are WCH 12x20 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs.
The overhead lights are more L&W 12x20 inch lights with GSI LEDs.

45

46

47

48

The bell on this signal is yet another Safetran mechanical bell.
Another Safetran base.

49

50

51

52
This signal has another Safetran gate mech.
The gate lights on this signal are from Safetran.
The BHRR's emergency info.
CSX's relay case.

53

54

55

56
The BHRR's relay case.
NS's relay case.
The NS line. Picture 55 looks northeast towards 5th Street #2 in Lipscomb. Picture 56 looks southwest towards 20th Street and 22nd Street #1.

57

58

59

60

The BHRR line, looking southwest towards 22nd Street #2

and 22nd Street #1. To the northeast is 5th Avenue #4.

The CSX line, looking southwest towards 22nd Street #3.

To the northeast is 5th Street #1 in Lipscomb.
Action shots.
Amtrak comes roaring through at 79 MPH.

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88
A return trip to the crossing on 6-27-19 finds a few changes to this crossing!

89

90

91
NS's gated signal had the Safetran mechanical bell replaced with a General SignalsType 3 e-bell!

92

93
The gate arm was also replaced and the gate lights were upgraded to NEG LEDs.

94

95

96

97
NS's gateless signal also had the Safetran mechanical bell upgraded to a General Signals Type 3 e-bell!
NS replaced their relay case as well!

 

According to a signal maintainer I later chatted with, the Safetran mechanical bells here were still working fine when they were removed.

Apparently they were only replaced as the relay case was upgraded, and the signal maintainer's manager wanted the bells here to replaced at the same time, sadly.

 

98

99
NS wasn't the only railroad here to upgrade anything, CSX's signal had some changes to it as well...

100

101

102

103
The overhead lights were upgraded with a mixture of Dialight Ball and Dialight Low Wattage LEDs!

104
The BHRR's signal remains unchanged, for now...

105

106

107

108
Another return trip on 3-7-20 finds that the BHRR replaced their Safetran gate lights with General Signals gate lights! No other changes appear to have occured to this crossing, thankfully.

109

110

111
A third retrun trip to the crossing on 1-29-22 catches the crossing in action again!

112

113

114

115

116

117
A southbound NS mixed freight comes through the crossing with an ES44DC leading a pair of Dash-9s...

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136
...and eventually comes to a stop on it.

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144
A northbound NS mixed freight comes through with an AC44C6M leading another Dash-9.

145

146

147

148
Both NS mixed freights clear the crossing...

149

150

151

152
...only for CSX M730 to come through with a CM44AC running long-hood forwards for power!

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172
M730 eventually clears the crossing as well...

173

174

175

176

177

178
...and the gates finally raise, almost a full 1.5 hours after the signals had first activated!

 

 

 

 

NS's bells ring from start-up to when the gates lower. The BHRR's bell rings from start-up to when the gates lower and then when the gates rise. CSX's bell rings the entire time the signal it's on it active.

CSX's signal also shuts off when the gates start to rise, due to it being gateless.

 

Pictures 1-86 and the first and second videos were taken on 6-4-15.

Pictures 87-104 were taken on 6-27-19.

Pictures 105-108 were taken on 3-7-20.

Pictures 109-178 and the third video were taken on 1-29-22.