Rome Boulevard (US 27/GA 1), Summerville, GA

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 9-30-23*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs.
Signal on the right: 3 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs and a WCH Type 1.5 electronic bell.

After catching the train at Commerce Street, I continued on over to the other crossing on US 27/GA 1 in Summerville, mainly in the hopes that they would get close enough to activate it. Thankfully, as the locomotive had to pull out away from the train past a switch just south of the depot, before being able to shove back and go to the turntable to be turned around, it was able to get close enough to this crossing to activate it, and I was able to film it timing out.

This crossing is the southernmost signalized crossing on the CCKY, and is the eleventh crossing I had filmed on this day. Originally, there was a gateless CofG install here. The closer signal had an unusual mast on it, which I believe was a replacement installed at some point, which featured an odd base similar to the ones found on signals over in the UK. Anyways, in the 1970s, it appears the Southern Railway replaced all of the lights here with Safetran 8 inch lights, along with the CCKY replacing whatever bell was here on the closer signal with a WCH e-bell in the 2000s. By 2013, however, this WCH e-bell disappeared from the top of the signal it was on, and I'm not sure if the railroad had intentionally removed it or if it got stolen, of it was even later replaced. Either way, by December of 2015, the signals here had been upgraded to the current ones, with no major changes to the crossing since.
Interestingly, I believe this is the only crossing along the CCKY to feature GE Uniform Look LEDs. The railroad used to have some at their one signalized crossing in Chattanooga, TN, but those have since been replaced. I will admit, I'm glad I was able to film this crossing in action, as it was a bit of a gamble as to whether or not it would actually activate. The CCKY does presumably run freight through here, but not knowing what their operations are like and how often they run this far south, I wanted to see if I could get it with a train that I knew the operations of, lol.
The CCKY used to have another signalized crossing further south down in Lyerly at the south end of their line, but it seems that part of the line is largely out of service (and straight-up was officially out of service there for a while), and only seems to ever be used for occasional car storage. As such, the crossing was downgraded to just crossbucks at some point prior to street view first coming through in 2008. That being said, the crossing does still retain one of the old CofG-era gateless masts at it, albeit with the lights and crossbuck removed. The other, which appears to have still had its original WRRS bell back in the 2008 imagery, has long since disappeared though.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Georgia/R-Z/Summerville/Rome/