Rex Road, Rex, NC

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 7-30-24*

Signal on the far left: 3 pairs of Harmon 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, a Safetran Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the near left: 1 pair of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs.
Signal on the right: 3 pairs of Harmon 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, a WCH mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

After I caught M401 just south of Four Oaks, I hopped back onto I-95 and continued chasing the train south to one final crossing for the evening. I wound-up having to go all the way down to this crossing in Rex, apparently just missing an M400. Anyways, here we get to see CSX M401 one final time on this evening, just after sunset. After this, I returned back to the hotel with @EthantheRailfanner for one final night in Fayetteville on this trip.

This crossing is another nice one, featuring a late-70s SCL install at it. In the 1980s or 90s, it appears that CSX replaced the bell on the right-hand cantilever with the current WCH mechanical bell. Then, in the 2000s, the lights on the gateless signal here were replaced with a pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights and the gate mech on the right-hand cantilever was replaced with the current Safetran one. At about this same time, it seems, the bell on the left-hand cantilever was replaced by the current Safetran Type 2 e-bell. After that, sometime between 2007 and 2012, the gate mast on the left-hand cantilever was replaced with the current one, though CSX reused the bell onto the new gate mast. Then, sometime between 2013 and 2022, a few changes would occur here. One of these would be that the gateless mast here was replaced with an old US&S mast from the SAL, which was originally located at the 1st Avenue Crossing in Dillon, SC, on the CSX Andrews Sub (if you decide to look at it on old street view imagery, it's the one with the GS e-bell there). In the same timeframe, though presumably between 2016 and 2018, CSX also gave this crossing an LED upgrade. I have no idea if the SAL signal was reinstalled here before or after the LED upgrade. Either way, since these changes, nothing else major has change to this crossing, thankfully.
This crossing is definitely neat one, mostly thanks to its set-up. Due to the fact that the road curves on this side of the crossing, there is an auxiliary gateless signal here, which are always neat to see. The right-hand cantilever is also installed at a bit of a sharp angle to the road, rather than perpendicular to it as well, like how the one on the far side is. I'm not entirely sure why they installed the right-hand cantilever here like that, but I suspect the driveway in front of it has something to do with it. I don't think I've recorded too many cantilevers like this before though, so I'm glad I was able to get this one at least. Of course, I do always enjoy recording older Harmon cantilevers like this, especially when they still retain their original light heads. The WCH mechanical bell here also still sounds decently healthy as well, outside of a click when it starts, which is nice to see.
I will say, I think this is the first time I've seen ex-SAL equipment reused on an ex-ACL line.