Blount Street, Fayetteville, NC

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 7-29-24*

Signal on the left: 1 pair of WCH 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, an NEG electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right #1: 3 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, a WCH mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right #2: 1 pair of WABCO 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs.
Signal on the right #3: 1 pair of WABCO 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs.

After filming the local freight, I went down to this crossing to wait for Amtrak 89 to come through. Unfortunately, right as Amtrak was getting to Fayetteville, the clouds decided to part some and allow sunlight through. Normally, I wouldn't mind this, but as the sun made the shot I wanted fairly backlit, I was rather annoyed. Either way, I still got my fourth train of the day here: AMTK 89 with an ALC-42 for power.

This crossing is honestly a rather neat one, and one I absolutely wanted to make sure I got on this trip from this angle. It appears that, originally, there was a set of old ACL signals here. In the late-70s, however, the two gateless signals here were replaced with the current ones by the SCL. Then, in the 1980s, the SBD replaced the two gated signals here, with the gateless signal next to the right-hand gated one having its backgrounds replaced with 24 inch ones, it seems. The crossing remained largely unchanged for at least a few decades, until the 2000s, when the right-hand gated signal had its gate mechanism replaced with the current Safetran one. The crossing was largely left alone for another little while, but, sometime between 2016 and 2018, all but the right-hand gated signal had their lights upgraded to LED. I'm not sure why the right-hand gated signal was initially left incandescent, but it too was upgraded by 2019. At about the same time, it seems, the left-hand gated signal here was replaced with the current one, which features a mix of older reused equipment and brand new equipment. Since then, thankfully, no further major changes appear to have occurred here.
Thanks to the intersection right next to the CSX South End Sub, and a building built right on the intersection, this crossing is absolutely squeezed in here on this side. This is best exemplified by how the right-hand gated signal has its main lights off-set, mounted on an extension from the mast, as there just simply literally wouldn't've been any room otherwise. The two gateless auxiliary signals help drive this point home further, with one serving as an extra pair of side lights for the gated signal and the other providing warning for westbound traffic approaching the crossing, due to the building obscuring the gated signal. This side is definitely the more interesting one to film on, and I'm still rather annoyed that the sun decided to screw me over some when I was here. I may see about returning to this crossing at some point for a better video, but at least I got a decent one when I did.