Greer Street, Cordele, GA

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 7-30-21*

Signal on the left: 1 pair of WCH 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, 1 pair of US&S 12x20 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, an NEG electronic bell, a US&S Model 75 gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 1 pair of WCH 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, 1 pair of US&S 12x20 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, an dead US&S mechanical bell, a US&S Model 75 gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

Once I got down to Cordele, I documented a few crossings on the east side of town before doing a bit of railfanning on the Fitzgerald Sub. This was the first train I caught in Cordele, a westbound CSX mixed freight with a pair of ES44AHs on the head-end and a CM44AH rebuild working as the mid-train DPU.

This crossing is a pretty decent one, featuring another pair of early SBD signals that still retain a decent amount of their original equipment. It appears that these were pretty much unchanged until sometime in the 90s (or possibly even early 2000s), when CSX replaced the original US&S front lights with the current newer WCH 12x24 inch lights, although incandescent at the time. Then, in 2014/2015-ish, the crossing was given a full LED upgrade by CSX, with the US&S bell on the far signal dying and getting replaced in about 2016/2017. Since then, thankfully no major changes have occured to this signal, but another one may be coming soon.
Sadly, the remaining US&S bell here is pretty much dead, as it sounds like it only clicks a few times when the crossing starts. Hopefully CSX fixes it rather than replacing it, but I wouldn't be too surprised to find-out there's a new NEG e-bell here at some point. Thankfully, the original rear light-heads and Model 75 gate mechs are still around though, and hopefully will remain here for a good while longer. The gate mech on the far side is also rather slow to begin lowering as well, for some reason.