Chicopee Road, near Benson, NC

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 7-29-24*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of WCH 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, a WCH mechanical bell, a WCH gate mechanism, NEG LED gate lights, and a RECO gate light.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of WCH 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, a WCH mechanical bell, a WCH gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

After catching M401 in Hope Mills, I knew I031 was making its way south, so I hopped onto I-95 and raced my way on up to the Interstate, hoping I'd be able to beat it to this crossing just south of Benson, blasting Vylet Pony on the way. Thankfully, I was able to beat it to this crossing with roughly 15 minutes to spare, and here I was able to catch my sixth and final train of the day: CSX I031 with a YN2 AC44CW leading an ET44AH for power! Definitely a great train to end the day off with, and easily my best catch of the day. Interestingly, these locomotives were the same ones I'd caught on I032 in Florence, SC, a couple of days prior. Strangely, this I031 was all single-stacks and ToFC as well, for some reason. Very European-feeling, IMHO.
After this, I returned back to the hotel in Fayetteville for the night.

This crossing is honestly a great one, and I knew I wanted to film this crossing myself after crossbuckmann1667 posted his video of this crossing last year. The signals here are a late-70s SCL install that's still almost fully original. The only major change that appears to have occurred here happened sometime between 2016 and 2018, when CSX upgraded this crossing to LED. Thankfully, absolutely nothing else has changed to these classic SCL signals, which still retain their original WCH gate mechs, light heads, and bells, the last of which honestly sound great together. A nice little touch to this crossing is the incandescent RECO gate light that still survives on the far signal.
Sadly, these signals have their days numbered, so I'm glad there are now two videos of this classic crossing on YouTube, with both sides filmed. Admittedly, I don't know when these classics are due to be replaced, as street view shows that the Orange Conduit of Doom™ around this crossing has been in place since January at the latest. Regardless, I'm very glad I was still able to get a video of my own of these classics.