Pecan Street, Chipley, FL

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Pecan Street, Chipley, FL

Post by freebrickproductions » Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:56 pm



*originally recorded on 3-29-22*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, a WRRS mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, RECO LED gate lights, and an NEG LED gate light.
Pedestrian signal on the far left: a Safetran gate mechanism.
Pedestrian signal on the near left: a Safetran gate mechanism.

After shoving their train into the siding, TA-West disconnected their locomotives from the train so they could run around the cars in the siding and pick-up what they needed to take back towards Tallahassee. Here we see them heading towards the west (timetable south) end of the siding, which was the last time I caught TA-West on this evening. After this, I chatted with the crew a bit (confirming that PA-East wouldn't be directly interchanging with them) and went straight back to the hotel for the evening, as I didn't feel like trying to chase them back towards Tallahassee.

The signals here are fairly nice, and a bit unique for the P&A Sub. It appears that the L&N had originally installed these back in the 70s, but in the 1980s/early-90s, CSX upgraded all of the lights here to the current MI 12x24s. Then, in the late-90s or early-2000s, CSX replaced the gate mechanism on the far signal and installed the pair of pedestrian signals here. Finally, sometime between 2008 and 2013, CSX replaced the remaining GRS gate mechanism on the closer signal here with the current Safetran one. Interestingly enough, rather than using a then-modern Safetran or Invensys Rail one, CSX chose to go with a re-used 80s-style Safetran gate mech for the closer signal.
Thankfully, despite these upgrades, the old L&N double-mast install remains here, which is nice to see. Always do enjoy recording these double-mast installs, so I'm glad to have been able to get this one even if it ain't the most interesting crossing in Chipley, IMHO. Also quite nice to see is the original WRRS bell remaining here, which still sounds fairly healthy as well.
One slightly unusual feature for this crossing however would definitely be the pair of pedestrian signals. These aren't the only ones along the P&A Sub, CSX installed some at a crossing in Milton, FL, back in the 2010s, but they are the oldest ones along the line. The location of them also seems kinda weird, as it kinda feels like CSX randomly chose this crossing to install these, rather than installing them at any of the crossings around the (former) Amtrak station in downtown Chipley (or any of the others in downtown Chipley, for that matter). Either way, I do always like seeing ped signals like this, so I'm glad to have been able to record some more. The ones here seem to lower rather slowly as well, only lowering all the way about the time the train has reached the crossing.
The RECO LED gate light on the tip of the closer signal is also out, so I suspect that the FGAR will be replacing that at some point.
They/Them for me, please.

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