Sherman Drive #2, Indianapolis, IN

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 4-8-24*

Signal on the left: 6 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 8 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a Safetran Model 85 gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

After catching the southbound mixed freight, I went on up to this crossing to see about getting it recorded as well. I wound-up waiting another hour and a half, but, thankfully, just as the sun was beginning to set, I was able to get my only other train on this day: a second southbound CSX mixed freight with a pair of ES44AHs for power.

This crossing is another nice one, featuring what appears to be a 1980s Conrail install, which is still decently original. At some point, I believe in the 90s, the left-hand pair of mast lights on the closer signal and the two pairs of overhead lights on the end of the far cantilever arm were replaced with the current Safetran 12x24s. Then, sometime between 2007 and 2009, the far signal's gate mast was replaced with a newer Safetran one, featuring a reused US&S/WABCO Model 75 gate mechanism on it. The crossing remained largely unchanged for at least a decade after that, but, then, sometime between 2019 and 2022, the gate mast was replaced once again, this time with a newer mast featuring a Siemens gate mechanism on it, with what seems to have been a reused MI base. This wouldn't last too long before being once again replaced, however, this time with one that has one of CSX's standard double-sided WCH bases on it, sometime after street view last came through in 2022. I have no idea if the Siemens gate mech here was reused from the previous mast or if it came new on the current mast.
Thankfully though, despite these various changes, the closer signal still retains its original Safetran Model 85 gate mechanism, which is great to see. Especially since this one also has its original counterweight arms on it, which were pretty unique to the Model 85s, due to not being mounted directly to the cantilever mast, though the cantilever masts do partially block the gate mech from being seen.