12th Avenue, Decatur, AL

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*originally recorded on 4-12-23*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.

On April 12th, as KCS would be merging with CP in just a couple of days, I decided to go out to Corinth, MS, to see about shooting a couple of KCS locals there before the CPKC merger. On the way out there, I saw this NS 733 approaching Decatur, so I decided to set-up at this crossing. Shortly after I set-up and started recording, NS 733 came through with an H3 BNSF ES44AC leading an H2 BNSF SD70MAC on the head-end, and another H3 BNSF ES44AC and a nose-out Executive BNSF SD70MAC working as the DPUs. Certainly a decent catch, even if it would've been nice if either of the MACs were leading instead.
While it was passing, an NS local freight, I believe NS A81, also came through on the siding here, with a pair of SD40-2s for power. Unfortunately, I was on the wrong side of the crossing for that meet, but still neat to see anyways.

Since I was last here, the far signal has had a couple of changes to it. One of the light heads on that signal was sadly replaced with a newer Safetran 12x20 (making it no longer an almost-fully original 90s NS install), along with the gate lights on it having been upgraded to RECO LED gate lights. Thankfully, the rest of the signals here have remained largely unchanged otherwise, and both Safetran mechanical bells here sound nice and healthy still.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/Decatur/12/

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*originally recorded on 7-24-23*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran Type 3 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a dying Safetran mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

After I filmed the miswired traffic light in Huntsville, I went out to Decatur to film 12th Avenue's new bell. When I got out here, NS 286 eventually pulled up near the crossing and stopped to meet an NS A04 here. After a little bit of waiting, NS A04 came through with a lone SD40-2, running lite.
I probably would've shot a different angle for this train, but didn't want to risk potentially having 286 leave before I could get set back-up for this angle, so I decided not to move.
After NS A04 came through, I remained set-up here. After about three minutes of waiting, NS 286 departed and came through with a pair of AC44C6Ms for power.

As you can see, since I was last here, NS had replaced the bell on the far signal with a new Safetran Type 3 e-bell, unfortunately. It seems that the far signal's bell must've died, as I caught a train here back in June where I noticed both bells had started to struggle when the gates began to lower, with the bell on the far signal cutting-out briefly when they did. The closer signal's bell still sounds fairly decent, though it does struggle noticeably when the gates begin to lower.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/Decatur/12/

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The mechanical bell here sounds much better as of 1-5-24:

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The Safetran mechanical here was still sounding pretty decent as of 2-25-24:

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Got another video here on 3-11-24: