17th Avenue, Birmingham, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 1-16-20*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

After catching the two trains at Boyles Yard, I decided to get some lunch, and afterwords, I decided to head on back over to the north end of the CSX S&NA South Sub between downtown Birmingham and Parkwood Junction (which used to be part of the Boyles Terminal). As I was on my way, I saw the coal train was departing from Boyles Yard, so I immediately got set-up when I got to this crossing, and not long after, the southbound coal train came through with an ES44AH leading an ES40DC on the head-end and another ES44AH pushing.

This crossing is a pretty alright one, though it's nothing really spectacular. It appears that originally, there was an old pair of gated L&N signals here. Then, in the 1990s, the far signal was replaced with the closer one being replaced in the early 2000s, likely with the bell here being replaced with the current one at the same time. After that, and by 2011, the lights here were upgraded to LED with the light-heads (at least the ones on the far signal) being replaced at the same time. No major changes have occured here since 2011 though, so these signals have gotten a chance to sit and age a bit.
Interestingly enough, the General Signals Type 2 here appears to be an early one, likely with the GS Type 1 body. The LEDs here are also old enough that they've begun to fall into the lenses, as seen with the pair on the closer signal that face the camera.
This crossing is also the northernmost one on the CSX S&NA South Subdivision, as the Boyles Terminal was truncated back to the 27th Street junction in downtown Birmingham. I-65 can also be seen just beyond the crossing.