Broad Street (AL 17), York, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 1-30-24*

Signal on the left: 6 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 4 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, a dead General Signals electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

On January 29th, I picked-up my friend Juniper in Nashville and then we went back down to Huntsville for the night. No trains on that day, though. The following day, January 30th, we got up and departed Huntsville for HarmonyCon in Dallas, TX. On the way out of Alabama, we stopped at this crossing in York on the NS AGS South District. After a little while of waiting, we were able to catch this westbound mixed freight with an NS Dash-9 leading a KCS SD70ACe for power! Definitely a great catch to start this trip off with!
Unfortunately, as the signals here activated, a truck managed to stop right in my shot and block most of it. I discovered while I was taking this video that had I set my camera up a bit more to the right I would've avoided it getting in my shot too badly, which was also quite annoying. Either way, at least I got a video of some kind of this crossing, but I do still intend on returning here at some point for another, hopefully better, video of this crossing.

Despite the truck blocking the shot for most of my video, this crossing is still a rather nice one. The signals here were installed by the late-SOU/early-NS in the early 1980s, though, in the late-90s or 2000s, NS replaced the bell on the closer signal with its current GS e-bell, along with the far signal having its bell replaced with a Safetran Type 3 e-bell at some point in the mid to late-2000s as well. Then, in 2014 or 2015, NS replaced both of the original gate masts and gate mechs here with the current ones. Finally, sometime between 2017 and 2022, the Safetran Type 3 on the far signal died and was replaced by the current GS Type 3 e-bell. Thankfully, since then, no further changes to this crossing have occurred, though the closer signal's bell is also now dead. Honestly, I'm just glad to see this crossing still has its original MI cantilevers and MI 12x24s, even if the lights are rather dim and in need of some TLC. I'll probably try to see about getting back here before they eventually get replaced, but, either way, at least I have something to show them in action, kinda.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/R-Z/York/Broad/

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 4-27-24*

Signal on the left: 6 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, an NEG LED gate light, a RECO LED gate light, and a RECO gate light.
Signal on the right: 4 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, a dead General Signals electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, NEG LED gate lights and a RECO gate light.

While I was recording the last pair of traffic lights at the intersection I was getting documented in Tuscaloosa, I heard 29K blowing through the city, so I knew it was time to hit the road for this crossing in York. As such, I hopped back onto I-20/I-59 and made my way southwest, trying to beat the train to this crossing in York so I could refilm it. Thankfully, I was able to get here with plenty of time to spare, and, after a while of waiting, I was able to catch NS 29K rolling through with an NS ES44AC leading a UP AC45CCTE, a UP AC44CW, and a UP SD70ACe for power.

Thankfully, as you can see, nothing too much has changed to this crossing since I last recorded it. That being said, since I last filmed this crossing, NS has gone through and replaced most of the original gate lights here with newer ones, including a pair of RECO incandescent gate lights, interestingly enough. This means, however, that the old MI 12x24s here thankfully still remain in use and incandescent, though these lights are also still very dim, especially the mast lights on the closer signal. NS does need to fix those up or give them some kind of an upgrade, TBQH, even if I do still enjoy seeing them. Hopefully they just fix them up so they're nice and bright, but, either way, I'm glad I got to film this crossing once again, this time without an 18-wheeler pulling-up to block my shot!

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/R-Z/York/Broad/