Main Street (AL 21), Atmore, AL

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Main Street (AL 21), Atmore, AL

Post by freebrickproductions » Tue Aug 02, 2022 6:00 pm



*originally recorded on 5-20-22*

Signal on the left: 4 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, an NEG electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 3 pairs of Modern Industries 12x20 inch lights, 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, an NEG electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, RECO LED gate lights, and an NEG LED gate light.

While documenting crossings in Atmore (despite the rain), I saw that CSX had a southbound lined through the city. While documenting this crossing, I started seeing it approaching in the distance, so I quickly ran and grabbed my tripod. Thankfully, I was able to set-up with a bit of time to spare, and shortly afterwards, this southbound mixed freight came through with a YN3b CSX CM44AC leading a YN2 CSX AC44CW, another YN3b CM44AC, a UP AC45CCTE, a UP ES44AH, and another UP AC45CCTE.
Thankfully, despite the rain and the fact I forgot to pack an umbrella on this trip, none of the rain drops seem to have hit my camera's lens while recording as well.

This crossing is a fairly nice one, and I'm certainly glad I got to record it, especially on this side. It appears that originally, there was a 70s (or maybe early 80s) L&N install here, but around the mid-90s, CSX upgraded the crossing and replaced both mast signals, but left the L&N cantilever here entirely alone, strangely enough. Then, in the 2000s, it appears that CSX replaced both gate mechanisms here with the current Safetran ones. The crossing then remained largely unchanged until sometime within the past year (IIRC), when CSX unfortunately replaced both WCH mechanical bells here with the current NEG e-bells. Since then, thankfully, no major changes seem to have occurred to these signals.
Still don't really have any idea as to why CSX chose to replace both bells here, as the videos I've seen from Atmore (usually taken on the nearby former Amtrak station platform) showed that they seemed to be perfectly healthy still. I'm guessing that CSX just felt that they needed to be replaced for some reason, which is a bit of a shame.
Thankfully, the old L&N cantilever here lives on, with the cantilever itself being almost entirely original still. I'm also quite glad that, since it was raining, the lighting here allowed for me to be able to film on the side of the crossing with the cantilever, since that's the more interesting side here, IMHO. Thanks to how CSX upgraded the crossing here in the 90s (apparently forgetting that there was a cantilever here), the cantilever also has an extra crossbuck on it. Seems they twisted the crossbucks slightly so that they face a bit more towards the side streets on this side of the crossing to account for this, but both side streets are one-way away from Main Street, so IDK how much good they do.
Even with the WCH mechanical bells here unfortunately being gone, this is still a fairly nice crossing and I'm quite glad to have been able to record it. Hopefully the L&N cantilever here continues to remain unchanged for years to come.
They/Them for me, please.

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