Masonic Home Drive, St. Matthews, KY

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 5-28-20*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 4 pairs of Transport Products Corp. 8 inch lights, a Transport Products Corp. gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
The bell here is an NEG electronic bell mounted on the relay case.
This crossing is located in a quiet zone. Trains do not blow their horns at this crossing.

After catching the unexpected RJ Corman, and waiting a while longer, I got word that Q575 was passing LaGrange. As such, I went on over to this crossing to set-up, where, after waiting a bit more, Q575 finally came on through with an ES44AH leading an SD40-2, a GP40-2, and a GP38-3 on the head-end, and an ES44AH working as the mid-train DPU. After this, I decided to get some supper and head back to my hotel room for the evening (as it was getting late and Q142 didn't seem like it'd be leaving for a while), which sadly caused me to miss an RJ Corman Sand Train with an SD40T-2 leading. RIP.

This crossing is a very, very nice one though, and I'm glad I recorded it. The closer signal is pretty much a pure TPC install from the L&N, with only the signage and gate arm (and gate lights) having been replaced since it was installed. The other signal was installed sometime between 2007 and 2011, replacing what appears to have been another TPC signal, though it doesn't appear to have had any major changes since it was installed either. The original (WRRS?) mechanical bell here also lasted until sometime between 2012 and 2014, when it was replaced with the current NEG e-bell.
This crossing also features the last TCP 8 inch lights along the LCL Subdivision (or at least this part of it), so I decided to set-up on this side even though it was mostly back-lit. Despite having been repainted a few years ago (around when the other signal was installed, it appears), the lights here have been allowed to become nicely faded, which is quite nice to see. All in all, I'm quite glad to have been able to record this crossing, especially with the classic signal on this side of it.