Franklin Street, Fayetteville, NC

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 7-28-24*

Signal on the left: 4 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs and a General Signals Type 1 electronic bell.
Signal on the right: 6 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, 1 pair of Federal Signal 12x20 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, and a WCH mechanical bell.

After catching the surprise C317, I continued on up into downtown Fayetteville, managing to get here just as the southbound Amtrak Palmetto arrived. As such, I decided to set-up at this crossing for it, where, after a little bit of waiting, I was able to catch my fourth train of the day: AMTK 89 with an ALC-42 for power.

This crossing is another great one, featuring one of the last three gateless crossings I'm aware of on the A Line. The signals here appear to have originally been installed by the SCL in the early-70s (or possibly even the late-60s), though, in the 1980s, the bell on the closer signal was replaced by the current WCH mechanical bell, followed by the bell on the far signal being replaced with the current GS Type 1 e-bell in the late-90s. In the early-2000s, the far signal was replaced entirely, though with the bell being reused, while the closer signal had almost every light on it replaced with the current Safetran 12x24s, which were originally incandescent. Finally, sometime between 2012 and 2015, the lights here were upgraded to LED.
Thankfully, since then, no major changes have occurred to this crossing. I'm especially glad to see the WCH mechanical bell is still here, as you don't see gateless crossings with mechanical bells too often, and the GS Type 1 on the far signal's nice to see as well. Another nice feature of this crossing is the pair of early FS 12x20s on the closer signal, which are the only remaining original light heads on these signals.
I suspect the reason why this one, and its neighboring pair of crossings, have remained gateless (while the rest of the A Line is fully gated) is due to the fact they're at intersections controlled by traffic lights. In a bit of an usual arrangement, the CSX South End Sub here runs down the median of Winslow Street, in a not-quite-street-running manner. It definitely gives the three crossings through here a bit of a unique appearance. All in all, this is a great crossing and I'm glad I got to record it.