Joe Wright Drive #1, Cordele, GA

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 6-28-21*

Signal on the left: 4 pairs of Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights, a WRRS mechanical bell, a GRS/WRRS gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights, 2 pairs of L&W 12x20 inch lights, a WRRS mechanical bell, a GRS/WRRS gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

On June 28th, Ethan and I returned back to Cordele to try and get the HOG running, since it seems we'd just missed them four days prior. When we got down here they were working some industries on the southwest side of town, but we didn't quite realize they were about to head back to their yard for the day and tie down. Thankfully, a CSX local was going across the diamonds, which meant they had to stop before this crossing, so we were luckily able to get them here. Here we see them rolling through with a pair of GP38-2s for power, one of which is obviously a former SOU locomotive, with Thomas the Tank Engine trailing on the rear, about to be sent-off elsewhere after the Day Out with Thomas events the weekend prior.

This crossing is a really nice one, and became a high-priority one for us to record after we discovered it. The signals here are a nice old SCL install from either the late 60s or early 70s, and are still mostly original. It appears that at some point the mast lights on the closer signal here were upgraded to the current L&W 12x24s, though I'm not entirely sure if this happened under the GSWR's ownership or the HOG's ownership. I'm guessing GSWR though (and probably sometime in the 90s), as the HOG seems to have been solidly WCH since they started operating in 1999.
All of the equipment here is rather neat though. For example, the mast lights are the newer design of L&W 12 inch light which seem to be kinda hard to find, so it's neat seeing some in service that are still incandescent. All of the FS 12 inch lights here are the earlier ones as well, which is cool to see. And of course, there are the gate masts which have some nice classic GRS/WRRS gate mechs and a pair of very healthy-sounding WRRS mechanical bells on them. Hopefully this crossing remains the same for a good while longer, but either way, I'm certainly glad to have been able to film it.