Rice Street, Latta, SC

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 12-21-21*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights, a US&S Teardrop bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 4 pairs of WRRS 8 inch lights, a US&S Teardrop bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

On December 21st, I got on up and got out to go over to downtown Latta to do some railfanning on the CSX South End Subdivision (part of the A Line). Got out here and found a train sitting to my north with a clear signal to my south, so I immediately let Elliot know before I set-up and started documenting this crossing. A few minutes after I documented it (and after Elliot had gotten to Main Street and set-up), this southbound mixed freight rolled through with a pair of ET44AHs for power.

This crossing is a rather nice one, which can easily be attested to by the number of videos of it that exist online. The signals here appear to have originally been a 1940s ACL install (I believe?), though in the 1960s, the SCL replaced the lights here (at least on the closer signal) with the current WRRS 8 inch lights. Then, in the 1990s, CSX replaced the gate mech on the closer signal (at least) was replaced with the current Safetran one. Following that, in the early 2000s (I believe), the far signal was replaced entirely, but the US&S Teardrop bell was re-used onto the new signal. Since then, however, no major changes appear to have occurred to this crossing.
Of course, the stars of the show here (and why a number of railfans have been to this crossing) is the functioning pair of 2nd Gen US&S Teardrop bells on this crossing! Both of these are original to it, and are still hanging on, despite how busy the A Line is (or at least was). Unfortunately, they do sound a bit rough, especially the far one which seems to noticeably click a lot as it tries to ring, though it does successfully strike the gong a fair bit. The closer ones does sound much healthier overall, and I doubt they'll be going anywhere soon, given that they've sounded like this for several years now, per a video from 2014 (IIRC) taken at this crossing. The closer signal also still does retain a full set of 8 inch lights and a diagonally striped gate arm, which is rather nice to see as well. Hopefully these all get to remain around for many more years to come.
This was also my first time filming a crossing with a pair of working US&S Teardrop bells at it, though it wasn't the only one I got on this trip (or this day)...

[freebrickproductions]

No changes to this crossing as of 7-28-24:


http://www.rxrsignals.com/South_Carolin ... atta/Rice/